It is that time of year where we all begin to think about staying comfortably warm from the cool morning and evening air. Although Houston doesn’t get near as cold as many states, it still can get pretty chilly! Many people may choose to use a portable heater from time to time to help warm their bones. These can be valuable options for us but safety is a serious issue to consider.
There are a variety of portable heaters that people use such as gas, radiant, fan heaters, ceramic, and oil filled. These heaters are used for a variety of reasons. Sometimes a person’s heating system at home is not working properly and therefore the heat is not sufficient. Often, people may choose to warm up one room because they are not using various other rooms in the house and would prefer not to pay to heat the entire home.
How long since your heating unit was last checked?
Don’t get stuck out in the cold!
At Richmond’s Air, we’ve been doing heating and furnace repairs right since 2002. Our work is 100% guaranteed by a 1-year parts and labor warranty on repairs.
Whichever type of heater you choose to use, many of the safety tips are the same for all of them.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission stated that approximately 25,000 house fires, 300 deaths and 6,000 burn injuries per year are caused by portable heaters. Below are some tips to help reduce these devastating and unnecessary accidents.
- Always buy a heater that has been safety certified. Most all of the new heaters are now. Be careful when you purchase or use an older heater. Do your research on the particular portable heater.
- Make sure you pick the appropriate size heater for the space you are looking to heat. Never put too powerful of a heater in too small of a room or use too small of one that will constantly run.
- Having a thermostat on a heater is a great way to make certain it does not run constantly.
- Never leave the space heater running when you are not in the room. Unplug it whenever it is not in use.
- Keep the heater at least 3 feet away from any furniture, drapery, or any item. Never use the heater as something to throw your clothes over!!! Major fire hazard!
- Keep the heater on a very level surface and away from small children.
- Make certain the heater you have has tip over and overheat protection as well as automatic shut off. Again, most all new heaters have this option.
- Always plug the electrical heater directly into the outlet. Try to never have to use an extension cord.
Energy.gov posted a recent article regarding a variety of portable heaters.
If you have safety questions regarding your heating needs this winter, please contact us at Richmond’s Air. If you find that your heating system is not working properly and you have to use a portable heater on a regular basis to stay warm, call us for a consultation and we can help evaluate your heating and maintenance needs.