Stay Cozy and Safe: Seven Space Heater Safety Tips
The weather is cold and so are you! We know a lot of people have space heaters in their homes and we would like to suggest some safety precautions to avoid the risk of a fire- related tragedy.
Seven Safety Tips for Your Space Heater
1. PLUG DIRECTLY INTO AN OUTLET-Generally speaking, portable space heaters need to be plugged directly into an outlet to ensure abundant power capacity. Plugging the space heater into an extension cord and power strips are strongly discouraged because it increases the chance of fires, overheating and electrical shock injuries.
2. KEEP FLAMMIBLE OBJECTS AWAY FROM THE SPACE HEATER. ALL OBJECTS SHOULD BE AT LEAST THREE FEET FROM THE SPACE HEATER.These are things such as curtains, furniture, pillows, blankets and any type of bedding material. The association of Home Appliance Manufacturers recommends even more precautions, such as paint and matches.
3. IF THE SPACE HEATER’S PLUG, CORD, WALL OUTLET OR FIREPLATE IS HOT, UNPLUG IT IMMEDIATELY.Call a professional to come and check the plug and wall outlet to ensure no mechanisms are faulty.
4. KEEP THE SPACE HEATER ON A STABLE, LEVEL SURFACE AND NEVER PUT THE PLUG UNDER A RUG OR CARPET.It goes without saying that the safest place to set the space heater is on the ground and not an elevated surface. Avoid placing it on shelves, stools or any type of bench. Rugs and carpet tend to trap heat and could catch fire if it becomes too hot.
5. TURN THE SPACE HEATER OFF EVERY TIME YOU LEAVE THE ROOM. Space heaters can overheat when ran too long. Do not leave the room without turning off your space heater in the off chance you forget it is running. Do not leave the space heater running with unattended infants, or animals as this can cause extreme tragedies.
6. BUY A SPACE HEATER WITH BUILT-IN SAFETY PRECAUTIONS.An automated timer is a wonderful feature because you can control exactly when the heater goes off, so you won’t have the anxiety of worrying about having possibly left it on when out on the town having fun! Another great quality for a space heater is overheating protection. Space heaters with this feature detect when the internal components have become too hot and will automatically shut the unit off to prevent overheating.
7. KEEP THE HEATER AWAY FROM WATER.We all know that electricity and water do not mix! Avoid placing a space heater in the kitchen, bathroom or humid basement. No touching if you have wet hands! There are certain space heaters that are made for damp spaces, so be sure to purchase this option if you think it might be in a location where moist air, or wet surfaces could be an issue.
Below are the links below we used when researching space heater safety precautions!
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/12/11/realestate/space-heater-safety-tips.html
https://www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/Public-Education/Resources/Safety-tip-sheets/PortableHeaterSafety.ashx
https://www.familyhandyman.com/