Congratulations on your new baby! While you’re enjoying the special time before your little one starts crawling and walking, you’re probably also busy making safety-focused changes to ensure that your home is baby-friendly. Here are some tips to help you babyproof your HVAC system, since it contains some potentially-harmful elements:
Secure Metal Register Covers
Shiny HVAC registers near floor level are a magnet for mobile babies. If yours are metal, they pose a danger of cuts to tiny, curious fingers. There’s also the risk of bumps, bruises and eye injuries if your little one gets the register cover off. To make your registers safer, screw them securely into place.
Change To Plastic Register Covers
Another option to babyproof your HVAC registers is replacing any metal covers with plastic ones without sharp edges. Since there’s no need to secure these lightweight covers in place, they’re easy to remove so you can dust or vacuum and keep the ducting vents clean.
Screen Your Duct Openings
Little ones love to put toys into small spaces, but such items can easily get lost down the ductwork. To prevent this, you can cut vinyl window screening to fit and secure it beneath each of your register covers.
Put HVAC Remotes Somewhere Secure
All types of remotes, including the ones for thermostats and mini-splits, run on batteries that are easily popped out and can cause severe internal burns if they’re swallowed. Babies naturally put things in their mouths to explore new tastes and textures, so for safety, put all your remotes out of reach on a high shelf, or in a secure drawer.
Limit Access To The Outdoor Unit
Your HVAC’s outdoor unit with its sharp condenser coil fins, spinning fan blades and flow of live electrical current poses considerable danger to your mobile baby. Regardless of whether it’s situated in your backyard or on the side of the house, you’ll rest easier by securing it inside a locked cage or behind a sturdy fence.
For more advice on how to babyproof your HVAC system components in your Indianapolis home, contact us at Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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