LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – As the leaves turn and cooler weather approaches, experts agree now is the best time to perform improvements and check areas around your home that may need maintenance. Entergy Arkansas encourages customers to stay safe and consider following some safety tips when working inside and outside their home.
Starting with interior safety, it’s important to have a professional inspect and clean your furnace and fireplace to ensure both are within good standards. Fallen leaves, animal nests and other debris can cause the smoke from your fireplace to vent into your home rather than outside your home, which could cause a fire.
Your HVAC unit will work more efficiently when it’s well-maintained, so replace dirty air filters inside and remove debris from the unit outside.
As Daylight Saving Time comes to an end Nov. 6, now is a great time to check the batteries in your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors. All homes should contain a carbon monoxide detector to help identify the colorless and odorless gas that can cause serious illness or death.
Getting in the seasonal spirit may mean lighting a few scented candles but remember to never leave a burning candle unattended. A small sputter or an errant flame can cause a fire in an instant.
If you are using a space heater to stay warm, be sure to only use it when you are at home to monitor its activity. Space heaters consume more energy than other heating systems and are a fire hazard, so keep them at least three feet away from rugs, furniture and anything flammable.
When performing maintenance activities that require a ladder inside or out, be sure to wear proper footwear, position the ladder on a flat surface, and have someone nearby to spot you.
Keep in mind when cleaning up fallen leaves and broken limbs brought down by brisk autumn breezes to stay away from power lines, and always consult with a professional for trimming trees. If trimmings fall onto power lines, assume downed wires are energized and report them to 1-800-ENTERGY.
For more information about electrical safety, visit www.entergy.com/safety/residential/ and follow @EntergyArk for regular updates on Facebook and Twitter.
Entergy Arkansas provides electricity to approximately 728,000 customers in 63 counties. Entergy Arkansas is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR), an integrated energy company engaged in electric power production, transmission and retail distribution operations. Entergy delivers electricity to 3 million utility customers through its operating companies in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. Entergy owns and operates one of the cleanest large-scale U.S. power generating fleets with approximately 24,000 megawatts of electric generating capacity, including 5,000 megawatts of nuclear power. Entergy has annual revenues of $10 billion and approximately 12,000 employees.
