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SPACE HEATER SAFETY
Each year more homeowners elect to use space heaters to heat their homes selectively in an effort to cut utility bills. Following a few simple safety rules is all it takes to use space heaters safely.
If you’re adding an electric space heater, check to see how much current it draws. Find out what rating appears on the fuse or circuit breakers protecting the circuit you plan to use for the space heater, and estimate the current demand for other appliances on the circuit. (For a quick and dirty calculation, 1 amp in the fuse equals 100 watts of demand. So a 1250-watt heater and a 250-watt light bulb are ok for a 20-amp line but too much for a 15-amp line.) At the very least, this little inspection will spare you the trouble of constantly blowing fuses or breakers. But remember that older wiring can get very hot at currents below the maximum ratings – so it’s best to stay well below the maximum ratings.
Make sure the heating elements will be protected behind a grille. If your older heater lacks this grille, have one installed or discard the unit. Newer electric heaters have a safety feature called a “kill switch,” which automatically shuts the heater off if it’s accidentally tipped over.
Position the heater where it will not touch drapes or furniture…and where nobody will have to stand too close to the unit. The elements are more than hot enough to ignite fabrics from drapes and upholstery, to clothing.
These cautions about position apply equally to non-electric heaters, from gas and oil space heaters to wood burning stoves. But these devices pose an additional hazard as well – the danger of fire and suffocation. Some older oil units can spill flammable liquid if upset…and any fuel burning unit can fill a room with odorless, colorless, toxic carbon monoxide gas unless properly vented.
Too many times each winter we hear about homes being destroyed or families asphyxiated in their homes by a fuel fired space heater that went bad while they slept. Make sure your home has working smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide detector and everyone know what to do if one of these detectors activates.
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