Space heaters may be helpful when it comes to providing further warmth to a specific area inside the home. There, however, are dangers associated with using it, including being a possible cause of a residential fire.
The United States Department of Energy has acknowledged the usefulness of Space Heater, but along with it, the Energy Department cautioned about the possible risks associated with its use. Hence the Energy Department came up in its website, safety guidelines on using space heaters.
“The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that more than 25,000 residential fires every year are associated with the use of space heaters, resulting in more than 300 deaths. Also, an estimated 6,000 people receive hospital emergency room care for burn injuries associated with contacting the hot surfaces of room heaters, mostly in non-fire situations.”
The safety guidelines can be found here.
Safety Tips in Using Space Heaters
The Electrical Safety Foundation International also acknowledges the possible risks being faced by households that use space heaters. In its official website, it posted several ways to keep one’s home and family safe from the threats as mentioned earlier.
“Portable electric space heaters can be a convenient source of supplemental heat for your home in cold weather. Unfortunately, they can pose significant fire and electric shock hazards if not used properly. Fire and electrical hazards can be caused by space heaters without adequate safety features, space heaters placed near combustibles, or space heaters that are improperly plugged in.”
The ESFI’s full list can be found here.
Safety Education
The Energy Education Council’s Safe Electricity.org has its version of advice on safe space heater usage. Foremost, in their list of safety tips is to purchase high-quality space heaters.
“Purchase only space heaters that have been safety tested and UL approved. Make sure the unit has an emergency tip-over shut-off feature and heating element guards. Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for operation and care. Before using a space heater, make sure your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are in good working condition. Make sure the heater is clean and in good condition. Place the heater out of high-traffic areas and on a level, hard, non-flammable floor surface—NOT on carpets, furniture, or countertops.”
The continuation of the list has been published here.
Although space heaters can be safely used, it is still safer to rely on the heat and warmth that can be provided by a well-maintained home heater or furnace system.
Here is a video of a fire that a space heater may have caused.
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