A modern space heater can be very safe to keep on for long unsupervised periods of time, including while sleeping. Be sure your heater is certified by one of the three major testing organizations and has features like automatic shutoff, tip over protection, a shut off timer, and adjustable thermostat.
You should not leave your heater running overnight while you sleep. Leaving a heater on overnight or unattended not only creates a potential safety risk, but it can also dry out your skin and nasal passages.
If you have an upscale heater, you can easily leave it on for 10 hours or more without an issue. What is this? Most fire safety specialists suggest heating up a room for two to three hours before you sleep, then turning it off.
Some of the room heater models up for sale release carbon monoxide. If your room is not properly ventilated and you sleep with the heater on, it can be really hazardous for your health. It can lead to respiratory issues such as asthma, allergic irritation and some other serious diseases.
Portable electric heaters are high-wattage appliances that have the potential to ignite nearby combustible materials like curtains, beds, sofas, paper, clothing, and flammable liquids. If ignition results from a heater left on and unattended, a major fire could result.
As always with new appliances, the first thing you should do is read all the directions and warnings provided in your instruction booklet. Don't leave your heater on in an unattended room. "Never keep your portable electric heater on when you are sleeping; it's not worth it," Notini says.
Do Electric Space Heaters Produce Carbon Monoxide? No. Only heaters that burn a combustible fuel to create heat can cause carbon monoxide build-up in your home. An electrical heater works by having electricity flow through a metal heating or ceramic heating element to produce heat.
It is not advisable to leave electric radiators switched on overnight. Electrical heating devices can pose a fire risk, especially when positioned nearby to curtains, quilts, rugs and other materials often found in bedroom areas.
Sleeping with the heater on increases the levels of carbon monoxide in the room above the safe level. People with heart disease may get chest pain, while smokers with heart disease are particularly at risk, so are young children and elderly. The risk of asphyxia (sleep death) is high when using gas heaters.
Sleeping with room heater on is not safe for your health. Not only it can cause allergic reactions but it may also give you sleepless nights.
“When you turn on your heater for the first time, dust, pollen and other indoor allergens may cause sinus congestion,” says Dr. Anuja Vyas, a board-certified pulmonary disease doctor with Sharp Rees-Stealy Medical Group. “These symptoms may make you feel sick.”
Unvented Heaters
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.
Do Heaters Emit EMF Radiation? First of all, to answer this question, yes, heaters like space heaters absolutely do emit EMF radiation. They will emit both electric field radiation, and magnetic field radiation, and the amounts will depend completely on the device.
Electric heaters warm the air inside the house, while reducing the moisture content of the air, making it dry. Breathing dry air leads to respiratory disorders like asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis and also nosebleeds due to dried membranes.
And while only 18 percent of space heater fires occur between midnight and 8 a.m., these sleeping hours account for nearly half of all deaths, the NFPA reports. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission asserts that portable heaters contribute to an estimated 25,000 fires every year.
The first thing you want to do is unplug the device from the power source and call the fire department. Even if you think you can take care of the fire yourself, it's important to have backup if the flames do get out of control. For small fires, you may be able to use baking soda to smother the flames.
As a furnace heats a home, it makes the air even drier, which can intensify even the smallest of headaches, quickly turning them into migraines. A headache from a heating system can also be the result of dust burning in the ductwork when you turn the furnace on for the first time each year.
If your heater is giving you a sore throat, you might be running it too often, and that can end up hurting your budget as well. To save energy during heating seasons, the Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat lower than 68 degrees Fahrenheit while you're asleep or away from home.
The portable device, a fuel-burning or electric heater, is linked to more fire-related fatalities in the home than fireplaces or chimneys.
Heat itself may be a trigger for headaches, although research results vary. A heat-induced headache may feel like a dull, thudding ache around your temples or in the back of your head. Depending on the cause, a heat-induced headache may escalate to a more intensely felt internal pain.
The main cause of coughing and dry lungs has to do with poor indoor air quality. Temperature and humidity are the two main factors. Not maintaining a proper balance of temperature and humidity harms your body's natural defenses and can lead to a host of respiratory symptoms.
This is because your body becomes parched as your sleeping from the moisture that naturally evaporates. When you're near a space heater, it dries out faster, which often causes a sore throat.
Corbett said that space heaters that are run for extended periods of time can have components, including plastic parts and wiring, that can break down and ignite. The heater then catches on fire but does not usually explode.
Don't Put the Heater on a Carpet or Area Rug
Not only must your space heater sit on the floor, but it's safe only when the floor is a hard surface such as wood, laminate, tile, or vinyl. Never place a space heater on top of an area rug or carpeting. They tend to trap heat and could ignite if things get toasty enough.