As you go about childproofing your home for your own children or someone else’s, remember to double check your HVAC safety too. These system have some components that could be harmful unless they’re made safer.
In-floor Registers
If the registers for your ductwork are in the floor or low on the wall, crawling babies are vulnerable for pinching injuries. Little fingers go through the louvers easily, and the metal edges are sharp enough to cut. You can replace them with plastic registers, available at local home improvement or online stores.
Registers that aren’t secured to the ducts can be removed by the child and pose a falling or tripping hazard. They may be tempted to remove the cover if they drop a toy through the louvers, or are just curious.
Secure the registers with screws to the floor or use double-sticky Velcro to fasten them securely to the floor. You can also place window screen material just beneath the registers to reduce the temptation to drop small objects into the registers.
The Outdoor Condenser
If the condenser sits on the ground, it can be a hazard if a child runs into a sharp edge. Home centers and online retailers sell foam corner trim that will dull the impact of the sharp edges along the sides and top of the condenser.
Sometimes there is an electrical box on or near the condenser that contains the fuse and some wiring. Secure the box with a lock, since touching or playing with any of these components might result in a serious shock. If the box doesn’t have a lockable latch, ask your HVAC contractor to install one.
Condensers use a large fan to help cool the hot refrigerant and if yours doesn’t have a guard to keep fingers out, consider securing it in a locking cage that your contractor can install. Such a cage will also prevent copper theft.
Preventing injuries with HVAC safety isn’t difficult and won’t interfere with its performance. For more information, contact Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing, providing HVAC services for Indianapolis homeowners.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
