Portable space heaters can be a useful source of additional heat in your house during the cold winter months, especially if you’re heating a specific room with little ventilation or pleasing that family member who is always chilly. Electric space heaters, on the other hand, may pose substantial fire dangers if not used correctly. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, space heaters spark an estimated 25,000 residential blazes each year.
While newer space heaters are equipped with many modern safety features, Urban Mechanical urges homeowners to follow these tips to stay safe while staying warm!
- Make sure your space heater has a label that says it’s been certified by a recognized testing facility, such as Underwriter’s Laboratory certification.
- Choose a space heater with a tip-over protection mechanism that cuts the heater off automatically if it falls over.
- Before utilizing the space heater, read the manufacturer’s instructions and all safety warnings.
- Check for frayed cables, clamps, or connections. If you find any that are damaged, don’t use the heater.
- To minimize the risk of tripping, keep your space heater on a surface that is level and distant from any area with heavy foot traffic in your house. Never put it on furniture, cabinets, or carpeting.
- Keep three feet away from anything that might catch fire, such as rugs, clothes, curtains, furniture, and so on.
- Be especially careful to keep out of reach of children and pets.
- Always connect an electric space heater to the wall outlet directly. Do not use an extension cord or a power strip, since this might result in overheating and a risk of fire. In any event, do not plug any additional electrical equipment into the same socket.
- Never leave a space heater alone. When you leave a room or go to sleep, be sure to turn off the space heater. Many space heaters feature timed settings as well as a sleeping mode.
- Don’t put your clothing, bedding, or anything else on a space heater to dry it. Only a small area within your house should be heated with a space heater.
When it comes to supplementing their house heat, homeowners may use space heaters in a number of ways. When you’re dealing with significant ventilation issues in your property, such as one room being significantly hotter than the others, you’ll want to get your central heating system looked at by Urban Mechanical.
