Heat It Up! 7 Safety Tips To Mind Before Using Portable Space Heaters

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Most people, especially those who are living in cold places, invest a lot when it comes to installing central heating systems. This heating system allows your home to have the right humidity.

On the contrary, central heating systems may be expensive, and not all can have this at home. That said, many households opt to choose in using portable space heaters. These are small devices that may be carried from one to other to heat a single or small area.

Space heaters are also economical because they help in lowering your energy bills. While this may be true, there must be some few things you have to keep in mind. Here are some of the few things you have to consider before using a space heater.

Always Pick the Right One

It is always a primary requirement that when you purchase a space heater, you have to get the right one. Make sure that you get a space heater that’s not too large or small and should fit the room you want to put.

Also, look for portable space heaters that fit your desired space and comes with an overheat protection.

Get a Space Heater with Overheat Protection

Most space heaters today have a lot of variety when it comes to safety features so don’t worry when using one. One good safety feature of a space heater must be the tip-over switch. It automatically shuts off once tipped. These types of fail-safes must be useful especially if you have children.

Likewise,  space heaters have temperature sensors that have central radiators. It also detects if components become too hot, so it shuts off to avoid overheating.

Consider Certifications

The Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratories (NRTLs) is an agency that helps in certifying if all devices such as heaters or coolers are safe to use. Every manufacturer has to meet specific standards and guidelines before this devices will be sold to the market.

Moreover, other testing laboratories that help in certification include CSA (Canadian Standards Association), ETL (Intertek Group), and UL (Underwriters Laboratories).

Select the Right Place

It will not make any sense if you use big space heaters for small areas, the same with using small heaters for bigger spaces. In line with this, you also need to make sure that our space heaters must be placed in the right area.

Most space heaters models may be easily hanged on walls and should be placed 3 feet away from window treatments, bedding, curtains, combustibles, furniture, and clothing. These are risky because it may cause fire once it gets contact with too hot surfaces.

Plug Directly to Outlets

Portable space heaters must be plugged directly to outlets with enough power source. Cord extensions may not be suitable because they may cause overheating and electric shocks.

Unplug if Unused

It’s always an essential requirement for every household to unplug all devices if not in used. Aside from making sure that you save energy bills, unplugging your appliances when not in use reduces the risk of fire and other accidents that may occur.

Keep Space Heaters Away from Water

Always bear in mind that you have to keep running heaters in humid basements. Also, avoid touching the heaters if you have wet hands so as not to suffer electrical shocks. Make sure that you educate yourself with safety hazards when using these devices.

Takeaway

A space heater is an efficient way of conserving energy bills because they only consume a few amps of electricity. They are excellent options for controlling the overall humidity of a particular home space compared to central heaters.

With this in mind, HVAC  experts like Provincial Heating and Cooling agrees to the tips listed above to make sure that you utilize your space heaters correctly and wisely. Lastly, with proper safety education and awareness, you’ll never go wrong using these devices as heating alternatives.