Of late, indoor space heaters have become very popular among homeowners, especially because of their cost-effectiveness and compact design. Compared to central heaters, space heaters help homeowners cut down their utility costs by allowing them to heat specific spaces in the house during the cold seasons. However, some homeowners are still skeptical about space heaters despite their popularity.
Many people have raised concerns over the safety of these indoor heaters, with some reports indicating that tens of thousands of fire incidents reported across America every year result from faulty space heaters. Consequently, many people are reluctant to install space heaters in their homes. In this article, we seek to answer this question: Are energy-efficient space heaters safe?
How Safe Are Space Heaters?
Although they are said to be responsible for house fires, space heaters still are a reliable alternative to central heaters when you want to warm specific spaces in the house. Furthermore, most of the reported fire incidents can be avoided by practicing safe use of your space heater. The benefits of using a space heater in your home outweigh the potential hazards if you know how to use it safely. You have to follow many safety precautions when using a space heater in your home to avoid fire and other related accidents. These precautions include:
- You were only running the heater when you are in the house.
- You were only using electric or vented gas space heaters indoors.
- You are not connecting your heater to an extension cord.
- Keeping your heater away from any flammable items
- Crawlspaces and unfinished basements
- Choosing a space heater that turns off automatically when knocked over
- Being careful around your heater
- You were reading the user manual carefully before running your heater.
- Choosing a space heater with an internal thermostat and timer
- You are not running your space heater overnight.
By following these safety measures, you will enjoy the service of your space heater for a long time without any incidents. Also, modern space heaters come with advanced safety features designed to improve their safety and usability. These safety features include an automatic shut-off, overheat detection, and a self-timer. Therefore, make sure your space heater has these features and is UL certified before purchasing it.
If used carefully, space heaters are a reliable source of heat, especially when you want to reduce your utility cost. However, this does not mean that they can be used as the primary or only source of heat in the house. At best, they can only give you additional heat.
