The Safest Way to Use a Space Heater

Now that winter is here and temperature levels are truly beginning to drop, it is important that we take a moment to talk about our top space heater safety tips to prevent fires, mishaps, and injuries.

Space heaters are a terrific way to keep warm when we are at home or even at work. However, they do not come without their dangers of triggering or contributing to fire and electrical threats.

Consider the statistics about the dangerous relationship between space heaters and house heating equipment-related fires: Home heating device fires involving space heaters represent 86% of associated civilian deaths, 78% of civilian injuries, and 54% of direct residential or commercial property damage. ( Source: National Fire Protection Association, “House Fires Involving Heating Equipment,” December 2018). As you can see, space heater security is very important and this is why I want to share my top space heater security tips with you so you can protect your household, yourself and your home.

Below are our top space heater safety ideas that strike just the best balance between utilizing space heaters to stay warm and utilizing them safely.

Tips for using a space heater safely:

• Do not leave the space heater on when you go to sleep.
• Among the most essential space heater security pointers is not to plug them into a power strip! Space heaters ought to be plugged straight into a wall outlet. (Do not plug any other electrical devices into the very same outlet as the heater.) Because of the energy load and additional electrical current flow that a space heater generates, if it is plugged into a power strip, it could get too hot and lead to a fire.
• Only use a space heater that has been evaluated, approved, and accredited by a nationally recognized testing laboratory.
• Carefully read and follow the instructions and follow cautioning labels.
• If a space heater’s plugs or connections or power cord are torn, worn, harmed, or loose, do not utilize the space heater.
• Don’t leave the space while the space heater is on.
• Position space heaters far from high foot-traffic locations to reduce the possibility of them being tripped over and/or otherwise kicked over.
• Position space heaters on the flooring where the surface area is flat and level.
• Keep family pets and children far from a space heater when it is plugged in and operating.
• Do not use space heaters for functions besides offering supplemental heat (no cooking, drying clothing, or thawing frozen pipes).
• Make certain you have a functional smoke detector (that you test routinely) throughout your home and, specifically, in bedrooms.
• Position space heaters so that they are at least 3 feet far from anything that can burn such as paper, drapes, and furnishings.
• Clean, check and keep your space heater in good working order.
• Do not position space heaters on tables, chairs, furnishings, or counters where they will be unsteady and/or might get too hot and catch fire.
• Do not put anything– such as a blanket– over the top of a space heater that remains in use.
• When a space heater is no longer needed or no longer in use, it must be unplugged.
• Think about purchasing one with overheating defense, which means the space heater will automatically shut down if its internal elements get too hot.
• Consider acquiring a space heater with tip-over protection, which means the space heater will instantly turn off if it is toppled.

Hope these space heater security tips assist you stay safe while keeping you, your family and your home warm during the winter season.

At South End Heating & Air we specialize in HVAC system replacement, contact us for a free consult. We’ll evaluate your system and help make recommendations for optimum value. After all, we want to keep you cool all summer long and warm in the winter. Just schedule a visit with one of our technicians to talk about how we can help with your thermostat settings. Would you like to learn more options our techs can help you with? give us a call 704-684-5339