As soon as the temperatures start to drop, a portable space heater can be the answer to your frozen prayers, having the ability to heat your entire house. They’re usually not considered to be dangerous appliances as long as they are used properly or they haven’t entered “old age”.
You can find some really good heaters in various stores across the country (not to mention online), but there are things that you should know before making such an investment, things that will let you know if you are really buying a quality product or a rip-off. Here we’ll discuss some of the things to which you should pay attention to.
What can you easily check?
To avoid any danger, you have to check the product for the label that mentions it was tested in a recognized laboratory. Before you start using the device, you must read the user’s manual and follow the instructions so that you won’t risk your life by placing the heater in any area that’s considered to be a hazard.
Not following the instructions can pose a real danger to your living. One-third of all house fires are caused by a heater that wasn’t properly used or was too old. As an extra measure, be sure that you have a smoke alarm installed and that it’s working so you won’t encounter any sort of problems while using such a product.
Getting closer to it
Checking the cord for cracks is a must for any home appliance or device so you’ll avoid the risk of a short-circuit. You also need to check that the plug is not broken. This is also true if you use an extension cord as accidents can also happen because of it. When you plug in the device, you need to be sure that you’ve made a secure connection.
Any sort of loose connection represents a real danger for your home and yourself. In case you notice the plug or cord is damaged or frayed, we advise you against using the space heater. Again, these are just safety measures that should be applied by everybody whenever they use any kind of device.
It is not recommended to leave a space heater on when you are not in the same room with it. If you have to leave the room or go to sleep, turn the heater off. Also advisable is to keep kids and pets away from the device as they can easily get burned or make the heater fall on the carpet which could have catastrophic results.
Don’t leave the device or its cord in your way as you can easily trip and fall over them. Be careful not to place it too close to wooden furniture either so it won’t be damaged.
If you keep these things in mind, you shouldn’t have a problem with any kind of heater, not even with the old ones. People have been using them for decades now and they are ideal for any cold winter.
