Are Space Heaters Safe?

Before you make a new investment, you want to make sure that you’re covering all of the necessary angles to make sure you’re getting a good buy. Of course you’re going to want to get a product that blends in well with the rest of your home decor and isn’t too bulky or difficult to use, but you’re also going to want to make sure that you’re taking all practical considerations into mind as well. And one of the most important practical considerations you should be thinking of is the safety features. If you’re investing in a space heater to warm your house, this statement is especially true for you.

You want to make sure that you’re able to keep your family warm without having to install a fancy system or spend your entire paycheck on the electricity bill. However, at the same time, you want to be sure that having a space heater won’t be a safety or fire hazard that could cause trouble for you and your family. There are a lot of things you need to keep in mind when addressing these concerns, and we’re covering all of them to make sure that you never have to worry about staying on top of all the safety and health concerns that many people have when they invest in a space heater.

Are Space Heaters Safe?

Many people make the mistake of thinking that they only have to worry about whether or not a product is safe. However, this isn’t the case. Many products that are perceived to be dangerous by the public are actually only ‘dangerous’ because they are used improperly. The first step to making sure you’re able to use a product without having to worry about any unwanted side effects is making sure you know what improper uses are most likely to cause safety concerns for you and your family.

Traditionally, the biggest problems that people have had with space heaters occur because they are somehow knocked over, overheat, or able to heat up objects enough to make them catch fire. Knowing this, you know how to combat the most common causes of safety issue. In order to make sure that you’re able to avoid these issues, you need to be aware of how you’re going about setting up your space heater.

Is the space heater in an area where it can easily be knocked over by a young child or pet? You can fix this by moving the space heater to an area that is less central to your floor plan. What about the proximity of your space heater to other objects in your home? Most manufacturers and safety experts advise that you need to have the space heater in an area that is at least 3 feet away from other objects in the room.

This should help to prevent them from overheating and bursting into flames. Last but not least, you’ll want to make sure that you don’t allow your space heater to overheat. The best way to do this is to make sure that you give your space heater plenty of time to cool down in between uses. This means you should always turn your space heater off when you leave your home and when you go to bed. During these time periods, you either don’t need the heat or can’t ensure that your space heater won’t overheat, so it’s best to avoid the issue by keeping it off.

Invest in Safety Features

Another great way to make sure your space heater stays safe is to make sure that you’re able to invest in a space heater that has taken safety precautions of its own. Sure these are things that you’re able to watch out for on your own, but it’s reassuring to have a device that can be counted on to take some safety precautions for you in addition to those that are already being taken. One of the best safety features you can find in a space heater if you have a family with small children or pets is tip over protection technology. The technology works exactly like it sounds – by making sure you’re protected from your space heater even if it tips over.

When the machine detects that it is no longer in the proper upright position, it is able to compensate by turning itself off. This prevents it from incurring damage that could happen while it was functioning improperly and also helps to ensure that your space heater won’t overheat the floor or other objects in the nearby vicinity and cause a fire. You can see how this protection technology would be incredibly useful if you have small children or pets that often run throughout the house and tend to knock things over without realizing it.

Another great safety feature you should look for if you want to buy a space heater is overheating protection technology. Even if you remember to turn off your space heater when you leave for work or before you go to bed at night, you could still run the risk of overheating the device – especially if you happen to be operating it on a day that you spend the majority of your time at home, like the weekend.

However, overheating protection technology will help you by ensuring that the device won’t be allowed to function once it reaches a certain temperature. Instead, it will automatically shut off, saving you from having to monitor the device closely and do this yourself. However, keep in mind that this shouldn’t be used in place of you turning the machine off when you can’t watch it. It only serves as a helpful backup.

Use Common Sense

In addition to taking the typical safety precautions, you’ll be able to make sure you’re able to operate the device safely by simply using common sense to make sure nothing bad happens to you or your space heater. One thing that people commonly overlook when it comes to their space heaters is that the electrically powered heater shouldn’t be allowed to get too close to water. Because they forget this, they are more likely to put their space heater in a dangerous spot right next to a water source like near the kitchen sink or in the bathroom.

We all know that electricity and water don’t mix well, and this is especially true for space heaters. However, you’ll be able to avoid any undesired mishaps by simply remembering to keep the machine away from water sources. You’ll also want to avoid using the machine while you are wet or damp. Make sure your hands and limbs that will come in close proximity to the device are always dry in order to achieve the best results.

Conclusion

While it can be worrisome to invest in a new device at times, you shouldn’t have any fears about using it as long as you take the standard safety precautions. You’ll be able to use your space heater without incident and make some great savings on your electricity bill!