Home Space Heaters: Safe or Dangerous?

Home Space Heaters: Safe or Dangerous?A space heater is sometimes a necessity. Say you’ve got cold spots in your home, maybe in the TV room, but you don’t want to turn the furnace thermostat up any higher. There’s nothing like just flipping on the auxiliary heating to warm your feet for a bit. While you don’t want to warm a whole house with room heaters, used the right way, they can be a budget and comfort booster.

The question is, what constitutes safe use of auxiliary heating? We all know space heaters can be a hazard when it comes to fires or burns. Combustion-type space heaters also have to be handled with care, as they require proper venting indoors. As it converts fuel to heat, this type of heater is also releasing dangerous gases such as carbon monoxide that can sicken or even kill.

Following are some tips for safe handling of your auxiliary heating unit.

  1. Don’t use an extension cord with an electric heater or you risk overheating.
  2. Position auxiliary heating away from foot traffic.
  3. Position heaters on a level surface.
  4. Run power cords over carpeting, not under it.
  5. Don’t leave a space heater in a child’s room.
  6. Never place anything on top of a room heater.
  7. Place heaters at least 3 feet away from combustible materials.
  8. Don’t use a combustion-type heater indoors unless it is properly vented to the outdoors.
  9. Don’t buy a room heater that is missing feet, controls or a safety grill. If any of your old heaters are missing these features, dispose of them.
  10. Only buy heaters with sensors that turn the unit off when tipped over. Dispose of any old heaters where this sensor feature no longer works.
  11. Discontinue use of a heater that causes a power surge and that flips the electric breaker.
  12. Don’t use heaters with frayed cords.
  13. Buy only heaters with the “UL Listed” label. This signifies they have been tested for safety by Underwriters Laboratory.

To learn more about safe use of a space heater, contact Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company. We provide quality HVAC and refrigeration services to our Yuma customers.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about space heaters and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 928-723-3183.

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