Even with a fence installed, a crawling child or toddler must never be left alone without supervision in a room with a wood burning stove. Toddlers particularly, like to toss items over the fence. Heavier things such as blocks can easily crack or break the glass front of particular models of stoves. Plastic products, should they reach the top of the stove, can quickly melt and release poisonous fumes into the air.
From an early age, children ought to be taught the dangers of a wood burning stove. It must be explained that fire is hot and must not be played with in any way. The same explanations provided to children about the kitchen cooking stove and safety should also apply to a wood burning stove heater.
Children are fascinated with fire. As you are loading a wood burning stove with either logs or pellets, this becomes a perfect time to talk about with them the dangers. You do not want a kid to be frightened of the wood burning stove, but at the same time, you do want to instill a healthy respect for the appliance.
Older children can help with wood burning stove tasks, such as bringing in fire wood or pellets Lancaster Pennsylvania Heating And Cooling . They can also help sweep up the area or engage younger children while the parent is occupied with the stove. Other tasks, such as loading the stove or emptying the ash pan, is best left to older teens or adults.
An additional concern with wood burning stoves, not just for children, is the pollutants put into the indoor air by the stove. If a kid has an allergy to smoke or asthma, a wood burning stove can make an attack more likely. Care must be taken that such a kid is out of the room when the stove is opened for filling or for cleaning the ash pan.