Electric space heaters will not poison you with carbon monoxide, but they can make you sick by drying out the air, circulating allergens, or triggering "toasted skin syndrome". The following side effects and hazards are common:
While modern electrical space heaters are generally safe, some older models can emit carbon monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas that can be deadly. Carbon monoxide poisoning can cause symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, and nausea, and in severe cases, it can be fatal.
Are Electric Space Heaters Bad for Your Health? Electric space heaters do not emit carbon monoxide, so in that regard, they are not bad for your health. However, some argue that electric space heaters are more prone to creating dry air that can cause headaches and nose bleeds.
Space heater "poisoning" typically refers to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning, which occurs when fuel-burning heaters (propane, kerosene, or natural gas) burn incompletely or are used in poorly ventilated areas. CO is a colorless, odorless gas that prevents your blood from carrying oxygen, causing suffocation from within.
Symptoms to Watch For
If you're experiencing frequent headaches, dizziness, nausea, or flu-like symptoms, your heater could be the culprit. Dry skin, irritated eyes, or worsening allergies are also common signs that your heating system might be circulating dust, mold, or other allergens.
Heat sickness occurs on a spectrum ranging from mild cramps to life-threatening heatstroke. Symptoms typically include heavy sweating, intense thirst, nausea, dizziness, and muscle cramps. Immediate first aid involves moving to a cool place and drinking water. Call 911 if confusion, seizures, or unresponsiveness occur.
Common side effects
Have your furnace and fireplace cleaned and checked before each heating season. Only use fuel-burning space heaters in well-ventilated areas. Electrical space heaters pose no danger of carbon monoxide poisoning, unlike those that burn fuels, such as kerosene.
Carbon Monoxide
This toxic, odorless gas can build up if you have poor ventilation or there's a fault in your exhaust system. In small amounts, it can give you headaches and nausea.
Common signs of a carbon monoxide leak include:
Electric small space heaters can be more expensive to operate than combustion space heaters. Although they avoid indoor air quality problems, electric small space heaters still pose burn and fire hazards and should be used with caution.
It takes time for your home to warm up and cool down. If you're not sure how long it takes, try turning the heating on about 30 minutes before you need it. You should turn it off 30 minutes before you'll stop needing it.
Your skin is getting too warm though and you will start getting a skin rash due to heat + dryness (caused by heat). If you keep sitting there, eventually the skin will start to crack and you could get a rash/infection.
Many experts say yes. This phenomenon is called “heater sickness” or “furnace flu.” According to HVAC.com, the internal parts of heating systems can accumulate dust, allergens and other pollutants during the spring and summer months. Then, when you turn on the heating system, these particles get blown into the air.
These heaters are fueled by kerosene, natural gas, propane or electricity. All of these heaters can cause fires. Gas and kerosene heaters can cause buildup of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide in your home. Carbon monoxide fumes can cause sickness or even death.
Toasted skin syndrome causes a discolored rash after long-term low level heat exposure. Toasted skin syndrome, also called erythema ab igne, is a skin condition that comes from repeated and prolonged exposure to low levels of heat and occasional repeated high levels of heat.
Running a space heater can cause allergy-like symptoms, headaches, or nausea. This "heater sickness" is primarily caused by burning off accumulated dust, drastically dropping the room's humidity, or unsafe gas emissions.
Using a space heater overnight can be dangerous, as it increases the risk of fire and electrical hazards. Common risks include tipping over, overheating outlets, or nearby items like bedding catching fire while you sleep.
Heaters often trigger nausea and dizziness through a few common mechanisms. The specific culprits include:
Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is notoriously difficult to spot because the gas is completely invisible and odorless. Symptoms closely resemble the flu (without the fever) or food poisoning.
The safest indoor space heaters are oil-filled radiators and ceramic heaters with built-in safety features. Look for models certified by organizations like UL or ETL that include:
As there is no burning of fuel involved and only electric energy is converted into heat energy, there's no chance that the electric heaters emit carbon monoxide.
Fires typically start when bedding, blankets or clothes are placed too close to heaters. People with mobility issues are especially at risk of tripping or falling onto a heater – placing them at a safe distance is important. Some kinds of heater also present a carbon monoxide risk which can be fatal.
Broadly, heat pumps are the most efficient form of heating. They can be more expensive than a furnace, especially if you purchase a geothermal heat pump. However, geothermal heat pumps are one of the cleanest heating options on the market. A geothermal heat pump can produce 1/6th the CO2 of a natural gas furnace.
If your electric heater is causing dizziness, you should immediately turn it off, unplug it, and get to fresh air. Dizziness can be a sign of oxygen depletion, the buildup of toxic gases, or off-gassing from a malfunctioning or brand-new appliance.