When you leave your heater on all day, you are using more energy than necessary. This can lead to higher energy bills and put a strain on your budget.
It isn't bad to run your heating system on a 24/7 basis if outdoor weather conditions demand indoor warmth. For many households, maintaining a constant indoor temperature is the only way to survive the winter. Just be aware that this is likely to cause additional wear and tear on your heating system.
If you are using your home's furnace, no matter the type, keeping it running throughout the day and night is fully safe to keep your home at a comfortable temperature.
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.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, space heaters are involved in more than a thousand home fires every year.
2. Never leave a space heater running overnight. Space heaters are only meant to run for a few hours, and you should never leave one running overnight. The risk of it falling over, shorting out, or catching your room on fire are just too great.
If the unit is left unattended or placed too close to flammable materials, such as curtains or bedding, it can ignite and lead to a devastating fire. To avoid this danger, always keep a clear distance of at least three feet between the heater and any combustible objects.
The good news is that modern infrared heaters are very safe to use even when left unattended during the night, even while you are sleeping.
Ignoring Equipment Can Cause Items to Ignite
Just because space heaters are small doesn't mean they can't cause big issues, and plugging them into a power strip — and leaving them unattended — could mean that you'll be waking up or walking into a home that has caught fire.
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.
The U.S. Department of Energy says an indoor temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit at night is best. Setting your thermostat to a lower temperature at night may actually help you sleep better. Medical experts know that our body temperature drops at night.
You can leave them on indefinitely. I have one in our upstairs bathroom that I never shut off. It has a thermostat that keeps a very even temperature. The benefit of an oil-filled radiator type heater is that it never gets hot enough to ignite drapes or paper.
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.
Ideally you should heat your home to a temperature of at least 18 °C. This is particularly important if you have reduced mobility, are 65 or over, or have a health condition, such as heart or lung disease. Having room temperatures slightly over 18 °C could be good for your health.
Although turning your heat on and completely off frequently can raise energy bills, you can actually save a lot of money by turning your heat down when you are not at home and keeping it at a reasonable temperature when you are.
It's a Fire Hazard
Leaving your electric heater on all day is also a fire hazard. If you are not home to monitor the heater, it could overheat and start a fire.
You don't want to waste money, but at the same time, you want to make sure your vehicle starts in the morning. One thing that most can agree on is that the maximum amount of time you should leave the engine block heater plugged in for is four hours.
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 Wired, leaving your heat running constantly at a low temperature is best. However, they warn that keeping specific rooms in your home very cold can “reduce the overall efficiency of your heating since those rooms will soak up warmth and make your boiler or heat pump work harder.”
There have been many reports from doctors that sleeping with the heating on all night can cause your body to overheat much more quickly. The Sleep Charity advises that an ideal bedroom temperature is 16-18 degrees celsius. Temperatures over 24 degrees celsius can impact your sleep and cause restlessness.
Best heater for a baby room or child's bedroom
If you want a heater that you can leave on all night in a bedroom, or to gently heat a child's bedroom while they nap, a convection heater such as an oil column heater or panel heater is likely to be the best option as they can emanate a gentle heat without a noisy fan.
A Leading Cause of Fires
The Consumer Product Safety Commission reports that approximately 1,200 fires a year are caused by portable electric space heaters.
Avoid the carbon monoxide poisoning by turning off the heater and unplugging it before leaving the room or going to the bed. Signs of too much carbon monoxide in the rooms include headache, dizziness, abdominal pain, discomfort, vomiting, nausea and weakness.
Should I Be Worried About a Space Heater Fire? Absolutely. The US Department of Energy records about 25,000 house fires every year that are linked to a space heater fire. Many result in trips to the emergency room, with more than 300 fatalities each year.