I’m a bit scared of heating and radiators around children, having grown up in a hot climate where in winter one old oil-filled radiator was all we used to heat our house. I’ve lived in cold climates for years and I still can’t get to grips with the central heating systems. It takes me until about December to get it to a setting that keeps me happy and warm. This winter will be the first winter in our new house and it has a fireplace. I love it but am slightly petrified of using it while the children are around, which is, er, always. Kevin from The Economy Radiator Company has put together this guest post on how to keep little ones safe over the cooler months. Have a read while I go off in search of fireguards…

Make Heating Your Home Safe for Children

With autumn beginning, and winter just round the corner, homeowners up and down the country are going to be reaching for their thermostats, gas boilers and matches in an effort to battle the ensuing chilly weather. But whether you have fireplace, gas radiators or electric heating, you are adding a hot hazard to your home capable of delivering a nasty burn. This is of most concern to those of us who have children in the house. So what are the best ways to protect young ones from hurting themselves whilst still keeping your home nice and toasty?

Fires
Traditional fire guards will stop children getting too close to an open fireplace but these fireguards are often made from metal and can get quite hot themselves; hot enough to administer a minor burn. To be extra safe I would recommend investing in a larger guard that surrounds the entire fireplace. This way your children are kept a safe distance from the fire but the guard is also far enough away to stay cool. These larger fire guards resemble cages and while they do come painted and decorated they may not be the best interior design choice; fortunately the majority of them fold away so you can enjoy the beauty of your fireplace when the children are out of the room.

Radiators
Radiators are capable of reaching very hot temperatures but fortunately radiator covers come in a variety of impressive designs that should fit in with the décor of any modern or traditional home. Usually made from craved wood, these radiator covers are an excellent way to keep children away from any risk of a burn as well as being ornate and pretty. Modern Electric radiators only need a simple cover but, if you run a wet system, then I would advise covering any exposed pipes leading to the radiator too because these can get just as hot as the radiators themselves.

Storage Heaters
If your children are a little older you might not need for this extra security around heaters and you will only need to tell your children to not touch your heating system and trust them to do so. This is fine, but if you run electric heaters like storage or fan heaters then I would recommend that you also advise your children not to put anything on top of your heaters. These types of heater distribute their heat through grills on top of the heater and anything placed on top of these grills, such as metal toys, can absorb heat very quickly; making them a burn risk.
As you can see, there are a variety of methods for heating your home safely if you have children in your house. Children older than four or five can probably be trusted not to touch your heaters but I would certainly recommend some sort of guard or radiator cover for any homes with younger children or babies.

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