When you run out of something at home, and there’s no time to replace it, you make do with what you have. No more bread for a sandwich? Try wrapping the insides in lettuce…tasty and much better for you. Just run out of glass cleaner? Make your own with water and vinegar – a cleaning solution with multiple applications.
But what about when your favorite room won’t heat up to your satisfaction? Or have you set up a workshop in an unheated basement space and don’t want to take winter off? Sure, you do what lots of other people do – you get one or more space heaters to serve the purpose, if even just temporarily.
Safety Checklist For Your Space Heater
But is that all there is to it? Plug it in, keep warm, and carry on as usual. Not at all, because space heater usage is fraught with potential hazards you need to be aware of to prevent an unfortunate accident.
Follow these safety tips so you’ll better enjoy the added comfort a space heater can provide:
- Purchase a heater with the seal of a qualified testing laboratory.
- Keep the heater at least 3 feet away from anything that can burn, including people.
- Choose a heater with a thermostat and overheat protection.
- Place the heater on a solid, flat surface.
- Make sure your heater has an auto shut-off to turn the heater off if it tips over.
- Keep space heaters out of the way of foot traffic. Never block an exit.
- Keep children and pets away from the space heater.
- Plug the heater directly into the wall outlet. Never use an extension cord.
- Space heaters should be turned off and unplugged when you leave the room or go to bed.
Let’s go back to that room that used to be plenty warm, but now, it’s always colder than the rest of the house at the same thermostat setting. The space heater is a good short-term solution, but not long-term. Heating systems are designed to heat all areas of a home evenly, so if yours suddenly comes up short, it’s time to have the problem identified and treated accordingly.
Contact Pann Home Services today for heating system repair, preventive maintenance, or a quote on a replacement system. We’ll remind you how good whole-house comfort can feel; no space heater is needed.
