5 Hidden Home Safety Features You Didn’t Even Know You Had

Keeping our family and our property safe is something that is always a top priority for anything we do to our houses. There are many safety items we actively install such as smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, and fire extinguishers, but there are some safety features you may not even know you have. Many of the things we install in our home have safety features built into them which we don’t even think about. Here are a few that may surprise you.

1) Furnace

Having a gas leak in your home can be dangerous and life-threatening. This is why all furnaces are either equipped with a thermocouple or a mercury flame sensor. If you ever notice your pilot light is not lit, these sensors are designed to automatically cut off the gas so it doesn’t leak into your home.

2) Hot Water Heater

Having a large tank of extremely hot water under pressure can be a cause for concern for many homeowners. Every tank has a hot water pressure relief valve installed which kicks on When the water inside reaches 210 degrees or the pressure over 150 psi to lower the pressure and avoid an explosion.

3) Windows

Most windows in a home are tempered glass. These specially treated surfaces are designed so that if they are damaged, they will break into very small granular pieces rather than shattering into large jagged pieces that could cause bodily injury and cuts. 

4) Outlets

Electrical code requires that all outlets installed into rooms that will have water near them such as kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms, have Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters installed. You may have heard these outlets referred to as GFCIs. They are designed so that if there is a surge of electricity or the current is interrupted, they automatically shut off.

5) Garage Doors

As you can imagine, getting caught under a heavy garage door could cause significant bodily injury. Luckily, garage door openers are made with sensors that detect when there is something in their path as they are closing and automatically reverse back open.