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Space Heater Deals Excellent local heating In the colder months, it keeps rooms and offices warming up as quickly as possible. But they can also be dangerous: Space heaters stay put One of the most important causes of house fires In the United States. This happens when cold people become careless about where and how to use electric element heaters.
So heatingBut use your heater with extreme caution to stop these easily preventable fires. Here are the places you should never put one, especially if it’s unattended.
Read more: Best space heaters
Space heaters, even those with tip-over protections, don’t belong on carpet.
1. On a carpet, rug, or flammable surface
Space heaters cannot sit on any surface that can easily burn or ignite. This means you can never put one on a carpet or rug. You should also avoid using them on thin hardwoods or dissolvable vinyl, especially for long periods.
What if you only have a rug in a cold room? You can look for a ceramic base or a heat-insulating base to place under the heater. It should be larger than the heater itself by about 3 inches on each side.
2. Near walls and furniture
Your space heater needs a safety zone: Keep it at least 3 feet away from any walls or furniture to avoid burn hazards. Unfortunately, this also means that it is not possible to fit under your desk or dining table. Try to direct heaters toward these areas rather than placing heaters directly underneath them.
3. Near blankets, pillows or curtains
Space heaters become more of a fire risk if someone accidentally places a blanket or pillow on them — and in the winter, that can easily happen. The same applies if the heater is pushed towards any hanging curtains. Keep all of these flammable items at least 3 feet away from the heater at all times.
Keep space heaters away from everyday objects to be safe.
4. Any place can be easily accessed by pets or small children
Space heaters can easily burn the unwary, and while many newer models have an automatic shut-off feature if they tip over, a falling space heater can still pose a significant fire hazard. Also, pets and children may not pay attention to where they place toys or blankets, which may create additional risks.
Use heaters in areas where very young children are present And larger pets I can’t get there or rarely go. When they pay attention, teach them to give the heater plenty of space.
5. Bathrooms and laundry rooms
Space heaters do poorly around water, which can affect operation and greatly increase the risk of electrical shock. They also tend to be more at risk of tipping over in these environments.
Unfortunately, bathrooms and laundry rooms often experience very low temperatures in the absence of heating. We suggest placing the heater outside these rooms for maximum effect and safety.
Staying near a heater is a good thing, but always make sure it doesn’t overload your system.
6. It is connected to many other devices or lights
Space heaters are a huge drain on the amps used by the electrical circuit. This is usually fine for newer 15 amp household outlets since modern space heaters are designed to work with those receptacles. The circuit and the department that manages that room/area have their own boundaries.
Connecting the heater to a host of other appliances (kitchen appliances, large entertainment systems, etc.) can overload the system. In the best case scenario, the breaker flips and the power is cut off. In the worst case, this causes the wires to overheat and cause an electrical fire.
Read more: 7 Things You Should Never Connect to an Extension Cord or Power Strip
This overload risk is also more common in colder months because the holidays often result in more lighting fixtures being connected, which increases ampere loads on household circuits. You can help mitigate problems by placing appliances on alternating schedules to reduce overall power loads and Monitor with smart plugs.
7. Plugged into an extension cord or power strip (or both)
Extension cords and power strips are not necessarily rated for the power space heaters need and can increase the risk of an electrical fire even if the outlet and breaker are capable of handling the heater. Connecting an extension cord to a power strip before plugging in the heater increases the risk.
If you desperately need a heater in an out-of-the-way location, look for a model that comes with a wireless power cable. Some extension cords are designed to support high-amperage appliances, but you have to be very careful when matching them to a heater – we prefer to avoid that altogether.
Watch where the heater is plugged in before warming your toes.
8. Plugged into an old or non-GFCI outlet
A ground fault circuit breaker is an easy-to-use technology that shuts down an outlet if there’s a problem with its electrical current, especially if it looks like it could complete the circuit elsewhere. It is a useful protection against shocks, hardware overheating and other issues. Always make sure your space heater is plugged into a GFCI outlet.
Likewise, avoid plugging your heater into a particularly old outlet or one that has had problems before, such as suddenly not working. This increases the risk of causing damage to the wiring and resulting fires.
9. Be around anyone who gets winter allergies
Space heaters aren’t always a great combination for allergy sufferers.
winter Allergies They are often caused by dust, dust mites and particles that accumulate during closed winter days. These types of allergies do not work well if the device is blowing hot air around the room. This is especially true if the heater or room has not been cleaned recently and there is a lot of accumulated dust that could be spread around. So, if someone has particularly sensitive allergies, try to avoid using a heater near them and see if you can find different ways to warm up.
Final tip: Never use fuel heaters indoors
only Use electric or radiant heaters inside. Never use heaters that require fuel such as kerosene, propane or any other gas indoors – including the garage.
Fuel will always create exhaust fumes, and these fumes need a designated vent to escape the home (such as a gas fireplace). Without venting the fumes, these heaters will fill enclosed spaces with carbon monoxide, which can lead to carbon dioxide poisoning, which is the worst news. The exception is some oil-filled heaters that don’t actually burn oil, but these are relatively rare.
Read more: Best smoke detectors
Remember, if you are heading outside or going to sleep, remember to turn off the heater – never leave it running unattended inside your home. For more home safety tips, take a look at Dangerous mistakes homeowners make during wildfiresthe The best ways to deter thieves And the absolute The worst places you can put a security camera.
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