Space Heater Safety: Simple Habits for a Warm, Safe Winter
As the nights get colder, a portable space heater can make a favorite chair or a chilly bedroom much more comfortable. Used with care, it’s a handy tool. Used carelessly, it can start a fire.
The U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) reports that heating was the second leading cause of home fires in 2021, with an estimated 32,200 home heating fires. Portable heaters were involved in only a small share of heating fires, but they accounted for 41% of the fatal ones. The good news is that a few steady habits lower the risk a great deal.
Choosing a Heater
- Look for a label showing the heater is listed by a recognized testing laboratory. The Electrical Safety Foundation (ESFI) recommends this as a first check.
- Read the instructions before first use and keep them somewhere easy to find.
Seven Habits That Keep You Safe
- Give it room. Keep anything that can burn, such as curtains, bedding, blankets, papers and furniture, at least 3 feet away.
- Plug it straight into the wall. ESFI advises against extension cords and power strips, which can overheat.
- Set it on a level, flat floor, not on a rug that bunches up, a table or a chair.
- Turn it off when you leave the room or go to bed.
- Check the cord. If it’s frayed, cracked or feels hot, stop using the heater.
- Never use the oven to heat your home.
- Keep it out of walkways so no one trips over it or the cord in the dark.
Don’t Forget Your Other Heating
The USFA recommends having furnaces, fireplaces, wood stoves and chimneys cleaned and inspected by a professional once a year. Fall is a good time to book it, before the busy season.
And because heating season is also carbon monoxide season, make sure your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms are working. Test them and replace batteries as the maker recommends.
If Something Goes Wrong
If a heater starts to smoke, smell like burning or spark, and it’s safe to do so, turn it off and unplug it. If there is any fire, get out, stay out and call 911 from outside.
This article is general safety information. Always follow the instructions that came with your heater.
