The words ‘winter’ and ‘chilly’ complement each other. Even if the temperature outside is harsh; you can still enjoy it in your home under a toasty blanket, with a book in your hand, and sipping wine. You can also gaze outside the window to see the wonderland and falling snow.
But what will happen if your indoor space is as chilly as the outdoor one? If you can’t afford to pay the high monthly bills by using traditional heaters, you probably need to search for a better option to maintain the room temperature. A bit of research will let you know about infrared space heaters. It may sound good, but you might remain concerned about the safety issues of these electrical appliances.
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. But ensure that you are using a reputed infrared space heater that is certified by three testing organizations and contains the features like tip-over protection, automatic shutoff, adjustable thermostat, and shutoff timer.
Best Practices for using an Infrared Space Heater
Although you might be concerned about leaving the infrared heaters to switch on for a whole night, by following the below-mentioned guidelines, you can easily use these heaters at night as they are completely safe to do so.
Keep heaters away from flammable things.
It would help if you kept your heater in an appropriate place to ensure safety. You should keep the heater 3 feet away from things like curtains, pillows, beds, blankets, rugs and clothes. Also, please keep it away from furniture like sofas, chairs, etc. Put them on a wooden floor instead of a carpet. Always remember that your space heater needs space.
Make use of a grounded outlet.
Usually, heaters use 1,500 watts of power when run at their full capacity. That implies the circuit overloading will happen if you run too many devices simultaneously. Also, avoid plugging the infrared heater into an extended cord, as it may not be designed to run a lot of wattage through it. Ensure to use a grounded outlet that contains three prongs. Avoid two-prong sockets, as they don’t provide any way to ground the electricity.
Avoid using the heater as a supplemental dryer.
As already discussed, you must put your heater away from flammable materials. Hence don’t use it to dry your clothes. Never drape towels, socks or other items near the heater. Any of these items could catch fire if they come in contact with the heater. Clothes can also block the vents, which may result in overheating.
Now, you might have understood that if used safely, infrared heaters can keep you warm in winter without putting much burden of electricity bills on your pocket.
Features to look in your Infrared Indoor Heater
To ensure safety, check the below features in your infrared heater:
- Automatic Shut off: Your heater should sense the temperature rise. This way, it will automatically come in shut down mode and avoid the risk of sparking or fire.
- Tip-over protection: It is especially important if you have kids and pets in your home. This feature allows the heater to shut down if knocked over. It will protect you from any hazards if anyone runs over the heater at night.
- Safety certification: You must check the labels of the reputed company on the heater, which shows that the product meets the safety standard and has undergone three-level testing.
- Timer: This feature will allow you to decide how long your heater will be switched on during nighttime. This feature will allow the heater to switch off automatically as per your settings. It is a crucial feature during nighttime.
Know about Space Heaters
Before you decide which heater will be the best for your home, you must know the basics of a space heater. Unlike the traditional centralized heaters, which heat the entire home, space heaters will only heat the room you are using. These heaters use convection and radiation to heat the space and are available in various shapes and sizes.
New Heaters vs Old Heaters
Modern heaters have many benefits over traditional ones. They use new technologies which offer greater efficiency and safety. If you are looking for a portable heater, you must ensure that it never becomes a safety hazard for your family. New space heaters usually have an automatic shutoff feature, which keeps you away from residential fires. Safety is an uncompromising factor for everyone. Hence it’s always better to go with infrared heaters as they also have a wireless remote thermostat to control them remotely or through a mobile app even when you are not at home.
Final Takeaway
So how will you ensure that infrared space heaters are safe for you? Follow the above guidelines to make the maximum utilization of these heaters without facing any safety hazards.
