You Should Not Leave Space Heaters on Unattended If a space heater falls over or becomes too hot from running for too long of a period of time, that can lead to a fast-moving fire that occurs while you are asleep and cannot act fast enough.
The duration for which you can leave a space heater running depends on the time of day and your specific needs. During the Day: It's safe to leave your heater on for 6-8 hours if you're in the room. If you're busy or moving between rooms, consider using a timer to automatically shut it off after a few hours.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, space heaters are involved in more than a thousand home fires every year.
If you leave your electric heater on all day, it will eventually wear out. This means that you will have to replace it sooner than if you had turned it off when you weren't using it, leading to additional expenses.
Using the heater too often could lead to undesirable consequences like leaving out skin or nasal passages dried out. It Can Cause Carbon Monoxide Poisoning-It's important to keep your space heater in good working order so you don't have any accidents or health problems.
You Should Not Leave Space Heaters on Unattended
We do not recommend using space heaters at all because of this risk, but you definitely should not use them at night. If your home is too cold at night, you may want to consider adjusting your thermostat to better meet your needs.
Portable space heaters can get very hot and ignite nearby objects, by either tipping over or being in close proximity to these objects. The heater's exposed heating coils or elements can spark a fire in seconds. Overloading an outlet may cause an electrical fire or lead to the appliance overheating.
All-around Safety Protection. Using a space heater overnight carries risks like overheating or tipping over, which are fire hazards, especially when left unattended. While older models often posed these risks, modern space heaters are designed with numerous safety features that help prevent them.
Space heaters can take anywhere from 750 watts to 3,000 watts to operate. Large space heaters take immense amounts of energy to run. However, those are most likely used only in commercial and industrial settings. The average residential space heater has two main heat settings, low and high.
Oil filled radiator space heaters are some of the safest on the market. 1500W is all the juice an outlet will provide (Roughly 5,000 btus).
Portable heaters can cause fires if they are placed too close to combustible materials, such as drapes, furniture or bedding, so make sure to place them at least three feet away from these materials.
Using a space heater can be a good way to boost the temperature in a small, drafty room—and it could be less expensive than cranking up your central heating system. But a space heater is economical only if you use it judiciously.
Space heaters must have an automatic safety switch (tip-over switch) that turns the unit off if it is tipped over. Space heaters must have a thermostatic control which ensures that the unit will turn itself off and pre vent overheating or creating an electrical hazard.
What is the safest heater to leave on overnight? While it's not recommended to leave any space heater on if you're not monitoring it, oil-filled, radiant space heaters are considered safer than ceramic convection (hot air) types, according to Roberson. Both of these options are safer than open-coil heaters.
Most home heating deaths happened because a space heater was too close to furniture, clothing, mattresses, or bedding. Make sure your heater is at least three feet from anything that can burn.
Never leave the space heater unattended. Turn it off when you are leaving the room.
Con: Fire and Burn Risk
The National Fire Protection Association warns that space heaters account for more than 40% of all home heating-related fires. Space heaters are also responsible for most fire-related deaths during winter, and they account for thousands of burn-related injuries each year.
On average, you can expect to pay about 20 cents per hour to run a typical space heater that's 1,500 watts and can heat a standard room such as a home office or bedroom.
Indeed, a space heater can trip your circuit breaker, and this phenomenon is more common than you might think. Electrical circuit breakers are designed to protect your home's electrical system from overload.
During the Day: It's generally safe to run your space heater for 6 to 8 hours during the day while you're home and active.
Fires are one of the biggest risks associated with leaving electric heaters on all night. If an electric heater has frayed wiring or malfunctions, then there is a high chance of it igniting. Electric heaters also make the air in the room really dry by conducting a lot of heat.
Overusing the heater or using an oversized heater can result in elevated levels of carbon monoxide or nitrogen dioxide fumes in the air. These fumes can cause cold or flu-like symptoms, headaches, and eye, nose and throat irritation. Don't use these heaters as your main heat source, even during power failures.
On a carpet, rug or flammable surface
Space heaters can't sit on any surface that can easily scorch or catch on fire. That means you can never place one on a carpet or rug. You should also avoid using them on more delicate hardwoods or meltable vinyl, especially for long periods.