Are Heaters Safe to Leave On Overnight Ceramic Heater Safety Tips
Are you a person who lives in a place where the temperature drops down so much that it’s just out of control to take it? It can be easy to forget the drafty parts your house has but you are going to find them when winter starts.
A heater is easily found nowadays in many households and it is one of the most important things when the first icy breeze during winter arrives. Imagine it’s a cold breezy day and you have just returned from work and are thinking of enjoying a good nap at night so you turn on the heater but then you are thinking of the fact that is it okay and safe to leave heaters on for the whole night while you are asleep?
The answer to this question in short is yes but many things are needed to be ensured first. A portable heater can be what you need instead of a long cold winter to make it even more enjoyable. New space heating systems are both simpler and more effective than ever before, so you can find a model to do the job without the possibility of a home fire being taken into consideration. Here is everything you need to know about the protection of the electric heater to ensure that this season you are relaxed and covered.
Today I am going to tell you everything about Heaters and also answer the question, can we keep them on overnight? We will also discuss some of the most important safety tips. I will try to cover all the questions popping up in your mind and we will also look at the possible dangers that can occur if you do not take careful precautions while keeping heaters on.
What are Space Heaters?
Before we dive into the safety tips and ask questions it is very important to know about the product that we are talking about. Let’s have a look at what space heaters are and how they work.
A space heater is a small appliance that is becoming very popular among people all because of the comfort and performance that it delivers. It is used to regulate the warmth inside an enclosed area. You can enjoy the warmth on an extremely cold day if you have a space heater by your side. Space heaters are limited to certain areas according to their ability and they are still good for your use. Imagine having it in your bedroom or office.
Contrary to central heating, most of which is used to supply heat in all places connected to the workplace or your own house, space heaters only give enough heat to heat one room. Space heaters are energy efficient and they mainly use electricity or other fuels like propane or natural gases. The best thing about a space heater is that you won’t need any installation and they are also very portable so you can easily move to the rooms you want it to heat.
Is it safe to leave your Heater on?
I would simply like to say “no” it is not safe to do such a thing. Leaving your space heater on and unattended can always be a big problem even if they have many safety features they can still be a danger.
It is recommended to turn off the heater whenever you leave the room and do not keep them on unattended. Space heaters can create many problems like fire hazards and many more which I will discuss later in this article. The below-mentioned image is shared by a user who kept the heater on and this is what happened.
Things like this are common if you do not take safety precautions. It is always better to keep a space heater switched off if no one is present with the heater. Also, you need to keep in mind that the space heater also consumes electricity which is not at all inexpensive so if you want to save money this is a good practice for all the appliances you use. Leaving a space heater on with no one present in the room can be costly and also a wastage of resources and energy.
Can I leave the space heater on overnight while sleeping?
The short and sweet answer to this question is also a “no”; it is surely not suggested to keep space heaters on overnight as this could be dangerous.
Space heaters use electricity or gases to work and when they work they also tend to release a gas known as carbon monoxide which isn’t good for humans it has also got another name which is “silent killer”
While sleeping it is not possible to keep full track of what is happening in your surroundings which is simply putting on a space heater unattended and it is not advisable and we saw this earlier. If you inhale carbon monoxide continuously then it might affect your health as while sleeping you might be unaware of this.
Can you leave a ceramic heater on overnight?
It is not advised to keep any kind of heater on while it is unattended and this also covers the overnight part. Hectares use electricity to work and this can lead to short-circuiting or burning out.
Such types of problems can occur with heaters and they can lead to big hazards. If you do not install, use, or take care of them properly and with precaution then it may lead you to uncertainties. If you sleep overnight, the heater malfunctions, or even short circuits will most likely not be known to you. The risk of a fire is greatly increased, particularly while you sleep.
It is known that the exterior coating of a ceramic heater stays cool all the time but this doesn’t mean that everything is good. A malfunction or error can still occur and this makes it not very safe to leave on while unattended. That is why it is best to turn off your ceramic heater while you are asleep or not present while it is working.
Can I leave my space heater plugged in?
It is observed that people want a warm room when they return home from their worm and it is also very tempting to do so. People try to plug in a heater and think of getting a warm room when they come back from a cold-weather.
This might not be a very good idea and therefore shouldn’t be done ideally. There are chances that accidents can happen and with heaters, they mainly occur because no one was present while it was working. They use electricity to work and great hazards might take place due to overheating or short-circuits.
If you have a child or pet at home and you leave the heater on while you are outside then they might try to touch it or get near it might cause horrible burns or injuries to your loved ones. Space heaters are also kept on the floor and they can be in contact with the carpet or any other nearby furniture or objects that are flammable that might cause fire issues.
If you are thinking of keeping a room well heated while you are outside then you need to make sure that there’s at least one adult present who can monitor the heater. It is recommended to switch the heater off and then leave the house if you want to avoid the worst-case scenarios.
Where to place Space heaters?
The most important factor for placing a space heater lies in its name itself. Space is what you need to keep in mind while placing a space heater.
You must make sure that there is at least a 1-meter radius from other objects and even more with such objects that are highly flammable. Such objects when we say highly flammable inside a house are curtains, bedsheets, blankets, rugs and we cannot miss out on carpets. You must make sure that you do not keep your space heater near such flammable objects to avoid any mishap.
You also need to keep a heater at least 3 feet away from humans or any other living creatures like dogs or cats. It is not good to place a heater near you as it will only be a factor contributing to discomfort and also there are chances that children or pets might come into contact with the heater. You can keep them in one corner of the room and away from windows.
Why is Carbon monoxide dangerous?
Heaters tend to release carbon monoxide while they work overnight and therefore they are dangerous to leave on overnight and we have studied this earlier. Let’s look at the problems that carbon monoxide can create.
Carbon monoxide can enter your body through your nose while you inhale when you are sleeping. This gas is not good for your health. This gas is named a silent killer as it is capable of drying your sinuses out and also binds the hemoglobin that is present in your RBC. If a lot of carbon monoxide binds with hemoglobin the amount of oxygen binding to your RBC can decrease.
If this keeps continuing then the amount of oxygen in your veins might get so little that your organs might stop working one by one. This simply states how dangerous carbon monoxide and its inhalation can be. This might certainly lead to fatalities. The poisoning caused by carbon monoxide depends on the amount of carbon monoxide released by your heater.
Possible dangers that can occur due to Leaving space heaters on
Although there are lots of safety features getting introduced, the safety factor cannot be assured by 100% as there’s always a risk of possible hazards taking place.
You need to take a lot of care while you are installing, using, or maintaining your heaters. If you keep in mind all the safety precautions then you can avoid any mishap from happening but it is certainly not possible while you leave it unattended.
Let’s quickly look at the possible dangers that can take place while the heaters are kept on.
Shock Hazards
Devices that work on electricity always can generate shock hazards. This can take place to anyone and at any time therefore one should be very careful while using electrical appliances.
This thing can take place when the device that you are using is faulty or damaged and improperly plugging the device can also be a great problem. When talking about space heaters, they require a lot of electricity to be converted into thermal energy so there is a great possibility of overloading or short-circuits. Overloading circuits found in most households are mostly standard and this might be the reason to trigger great power failures or even fire.
Burns
When it comes to the protection we cannot say that all heaters are safe. Not all heaters are equal ceramic heaters in terms of exterior protection and warmth output.
Some heaters can have extremely hot exteriors while they work. Heaters like bar heaters and paraffin heaters have such problems they are not good for children and pets. If they get in contact with such heaters they might experience severe burns. This might lead to a very big problem. Therefore it is very important to take care of such units. A little carelessness will cost you a lot.
Fire Outbreaks
You won’t find space heaters that are equally designed in terms of shape and size. They are all different and have different characteristics too.
Some heaters are tall and they can easily tip over and this might result in a fall which can lead to potential fire problems. When they fall they can come into contact with objects inside your house that are flammable and this can create a fire and you won’t even know it when this fire gets big.
Property damages
Many uncertainties are related to heaters and therefore these things can cause you a lot.
Many possible property damages can occur if there is carelessness around heaters. Once a space heater malfunctions it can create a great problem. People think in such a way that putting items on a heater will get them warm-up or dry them quickly. Highly flammable items on space heaters can be dangerous and this might also cause fires. This might seem very good at the start but this might end up adversely.
Every year there are many cases of fire hazards happening due to a heating system so one should take care of such things if they want to prevent such happenings.
Important Safety Tips
If we talk about the statistics then about 7 percent of the total house fires between the year 2011-2015 took place due to heaters. This was according to the National Fire Protection Association.
This tends to happen due to the carelessness of people while using the space heaters. It is very important to take care of things when you are using them and especially when you are using some product that uses electricity as a source.
I am going to discuss some of the safety tips that you need to follow let’s have a look at some of those.
Smoke alarm safety
It is critically important to check your smoke alarm batteries regularly. You can follow this practice once a month. You can do this by pressing the button and then listen for the beep.
This will ensure whether they are working properly or not. To make sure they work properly for a long time you need to make certain that you replace the batteries every 6 months and also the whole alarm safety system every ten years. If there is any false alarm you should never disconnect it as you might forget to reactivate it and it might be a problem later. To remember about all these things you can make a to-do list or also set reminders on your cell phone.
Move all the flammable items away from the heater
It is known that fire hazards take place due to flammable objects placed near the heater.
You need to make sure to keep any kind of combustible or flammable items at least 3 meters away from the heater. The National Fire Protection Association says that it is always recommended to keep a space between the heater of at least three feet.
Heaters are different in shape and sizes and some tall heaters can also fall and cause a fire that’s why this thing is to be made sure of.
Keep them away from Children and Pets
If you have children at home or pets then you must not leave the heater on and leave the room with them as they might try to touch the heater.
Out of curiosity and clumsiness, they might come in contact with the heater and severely burn themselves. If your heater is too close to you then it also might provide discomfort. To prevent such things you have to make sure that you keep them at a place where your family can’t reach. Never leave children and pets unattended with a heater on
Plug-in properly
Try not to plug your Heater using an extension cord or with a power strip. A space heater uses a lot of power to convert electricity into thermal energy.
These types of the temporary solution might lead to short-circuits. They can also melt or spark and lead to really big hazards. Make sure you properly plug in the cord to the wall outlet and do not use any other appliance on that outlet. Carelessness in loosely plugging the heater may cause errors.
Things to look in a Heater to ensure safety
There are many types of heaters available in the market with many designs and different features. These features are to add convenience and comfort while using the heater.
There are certain features and things that also help in ensuring safety and therefore you need to carefully analyze them while buying a new heater. I have listed some of the things you should conisder while buying a heater to ensure safety.
Ceramic heaters
Ceramic heaters are very safe and useful they are very good that ensure safety. They have an electricity pass through ceramic, unlike other heaters that have an exposed system of heating.
It has an exterior coating of plastic and the interior ceramic gets heated up quickly while the exterior plastic remains cool for a long time. This is a good thing if you have children or pets at home that might accidentally get in contact with the heater. The plastic remains cool and prevents any kind of burns.
Design
The design of the heater is also a very crucial factor as many heaters come with many different types of design and you need to consider this if you want to make safety a primary concern.
You must go with such heaters that have a heavy base and they aren’t very tall that they tip over or fall and cause a fire hazard. Find versions with a weighted base or shape, which is shorter and rounded than high and rectangular, to prevent getting the tip over your radiator. A broad base and uniformly spread weight will make it impossible for your heater to flashover and the heating system will not by mistake burn a rug or any other item in the vicinity.
Automatic shut off
Many heaters come with an automatic shutoff feature that turns the heater off when overheating takes place.
This feature helps in preventing overheating the heater and causing too many damages or hazards. Such a feature can also detect if the heater isn’t properly balanced and in such cases, it won’t allow the heater to turn on until the problems are dealt with.
Ceramic heaters are very useful and if you are thinking of buying a ceramic heater then you can also find one here.
You just need to click on this link and check the current price. If you find it good enough for you then you can buy it.
https://www.amazon.com/andily-Adjustable-Thermostat-Technology-Protection/dp/B089QM9RQ6/
https://www.amazon.com/Lasko-5586-Digital-Ceramic-Heater/dp/B0045LTBJG/
Conclusion
Leaving a heater on overnight is not advisable and one should avoid doing this. Heaters might come with safety features but are still vulnerable to create hazards and therefore proper care should be taken.
I have mentioned the safety tips and the possible problems that can occur so that you can avoid them. I have also mentioned the things you should look for to ensure safety while buying a heater. I hope you find this article useful and relevant.
Reference
https://qlabe.com/heaters/are-space-heaters-safe-to-leave-on-all-night