Space heaters can be an asset during the cold winter months—especially if you live in a home with poor ventilation or your home heating system isn’t performing as it should. Unfortunately, space heaters are also one of the most common causes of residential fires. In fact, heating equipment like portable heaters is the cause of thousands of household fires every year.
However, so long as you and your family follow the necessary space heater safety tips and fire prevention precautions, you can avoid causing a fire in your home. If you plan on operating a space heater this winter and want to stay on top of fire prevention protocol, remember these five space heater safety tips to prevent injuries and damage to your home this winter.
Pay Attention to the Condition of Your Heater
Knowing the condition of your heater’s components is vital for fire prevention. Inspect your heater’s cord before you plug it in, and if the cord looks frayed, damaged, or worn out, don’t use it. Additionally, if you feel heat from the wall outlet it is plugged into or the cord itself, avoid using it. If you feel that anything is wrong with your space heater or haven’tmaintained it in a long time, consult a professional for an inspection of the unit.
If you’ve owned and used your heater for a long time, it may not operate as well as it used to. Further, contemporary space heater models come with useful features such as an automatic shut-off, so investing in a brand new heater for home heating is safer in the long term.
Keep an Eye on Your Heater
One crucial space heater safety tip is to always pay attention to the heater when in operation. Don’t use your heater in an unoccupied area, and never leave children or pets alone with a space heater. Close off the area around the heater or determine a radius they cannot enter to prevent them from hurting themselves.
If you plan on leaving your home, going to another room, or heading to bed for the night, always be sure to turn off the space heater. While it may be tempting to keep it on for warmth overnight, you won’t be comfortable if a fire occurs in the middle of your sleep. Turning off your space heater when nobody is around is a simple but important task for fire prevention.
Never Place Combustible Objects Near Your Heater
Remember that space heaters are only supposed to provide supplemental heat. Never use your space heater to warm bedding, cook food, or thaw pipes. Placing flammable objects near a heater while it’s operating is extremely dangerous and a major reason why space heaters cause house fires. Don’t place furniture or other easily combustible items close to a heater. For the sake of fire prevention, anything that could potentially catch ablaze or sustain damage should be kept at least three feet away from the heat source.
Ensure the Location You Use a Heater Is Safe
Another simple space heater safety tip is to always plug your space heater directly into the wall. Avoid plugging it into an extension cord or power strip because these have a tendency to overheat, which can cause a fire or damage your wiring. Having more than one heating appliance plugged into the same outlet is also dangerous, so avoid that as well.
Only use your space heater in rooms with functioning smoke alarms, and remember to test them on a regular basis. Additionally, your smoke alarm should be accompanied by a carbon monoxide detector. Because carbon monoxide is odorless and colorless, it is difficult to notice without the assistance of a designated detector. If carbon monoxide is allowed to build up inside a home for a prolonged period of time, it can poison the occupants and cause serious harm.
Keep Your Heater in a Safe Area
Most of the time, when a space heater causes a fire, it’s because someone knocked the heater over or tripped on the cord. Avoid placing your space heater in a high-traffic area where someone is likely to run into it, like in the middle of a doorway or in locations where the floor is slanted, as there will be a higher chance it could fall over accidentally. Further, never place the cords of your heater underneath rugs..
Another space heater safety tip you should take into account is the size of the room you intend to place it in. Different wattages are required for heating different sized rooms, so check the wattage of your space heater to determine which room it functions best in.
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