| Many people wonder if space heaters are safe | | | | Thermostat or timer |
| because of the many stories that have occurred | | | | A thermostat will keep the heater from not going |
| over the years about space heaters causing | | | | over too high of a temperature. A timer can be |
| house fires. Many of the original heaters lacked | | | | set when you turn on the heater which will |
| the safe electric heater features that can help | | | | automatically shut off after a few hours. These |
| make your space heater much safer. | | | | aren't exactly safety features but they will |
| Overheating mechanism | | | | prevent the heater from going full blast all day |
| Most space heaters today have an overheating | | | | long. |
| mechanism. This means that if the unit reaches a | | | | Electric |
| certain temperature it will automatically shut itself | | | | Of all heaters between propane, natural gas, and |
| off. This is nice because if you were to leave the | | | | electric, the electric ones are safest for home |
| heater on and forget about it, it would shut off to | | | | use. There won't be any worries about fumes like |
| be safer. This can also help save some money. | | | | carbon monoxide which can poison you. |
| Tilt or bump shut off | | | | Behavior |
| Get a space heater that will shut off if tilted or | | | | Although there are some great improvements to |
| bumped. One thing that causes fires are when the | | | | making these heaters safe, you still have to be |
| heater tips over and the carpet catches on fire | | | | smart. Don't leave paper, clothing, blankets, or |
| after awhile. Today's models can shut off if | | | | other flammable materials near the heater. Many |
| bumped or tilted too much. This is especially good | | | | will tell you to give a good 5 to 7 foot clearance. |
| if you have pets or children running around the | | | | The more distance you leave the better. |
| house. | | | | |