Dangers of electric heaters

As the weather turns colder, some people rely on electric heaters in Louisiana to stay warm. With a fairly nice climate all year round, it is not always essential to warm up a cold home all over. Space heaters can be a nice way to add some warmth to fight off chilly temperatures in just the used areas of a home. However, these heaters also pose a safety risk. Using them properly and understanding their risks is the only way a person can protect their home and family from danger.

SafeElectricity.org notes the leading cause of home fires in colder months are electric heaters. These heaters should only be used while someone is home and able to monitor its use. They should be used only according to manufacturers’ specifications. In addition, they can get hot to the touch, so children should be monitored around them. Tipping hazards create the most dangerous situations. This is why it is important for children and pets to be watched around a working heater. It is also important for people to check local codes as some areas have banned space heaters.

Today provides additional heater safety advice. People using these heaters should check their smoke alarms to ensure they are operating properly just in case a fire does occur. In addition, heaters should never be plugged into extension cords. They should always be plugged directly into an outlet. The heater should always have three feet of clear space on each side. Finally, built in safety features can fail, so people should never rely on them for safe heater operation.