One item that many homeowners are turning to as an inexpensive way to provide heat for the home is with heaters. The most popular and inexpensive of the bunch is the electric space heater. Electric space heaters are great because they provide heat to a small radius while utilizing a small amount of electricity. But the downside of electric space heaters is that they are the cause of over 25,000 residential fires a year. So, before any homeowner decides to bring an electric space heater into their home, they should be aware of the proper maintenance and care needed to ensure their safety.
Dave Tuplin is the technical director at Contractor's Depot, which sells heating equipment. Tuplin said that the price of most electric space heaters should provide for easy care where other gas heaters may require a little more attention.
"Typically, with the electric heaters you see on the market, people will store them away," he said. "They can store them this way because electric heaters are cheap."
"Some of the gas heaters come with instructions on how to maintain them," Tuplin said. "You can do it yourself. You typically just need to do a little bit of maintenance cleaning where the gas is supposed to come through."
Some of the common problems that come with electric space heaters are caused mainly because of their price. Because the electric space heater is so affordable to consumers, more times than not, the heater will be a small unit. Small units are more prone to be knocked over, causing a fire. Consumers should always check to see if the heater they purchased is making items near it too hot. This could be a sign of a malfunctioning heater. Also, before purchasing a heater, experts advise consumers to only buy the heaters that have been recognized with the national testing laboratory. Tuplin said that every heater, however, will have its own maintenance and care instructions and homeowners should always read them before attempting to use their heater.
"The heaters that go outdoors, the contractors are really hard on them," he said. "They can last up to 15 years or so. Like all heaters, they will last according to how much you take care of them."
"You can usually buy a heater for cheaper than you can get it repaired," he added. "Typically, if people don't know someone who can do the repairs for them, they discard them. My recommendation is buy a quality space heater. Take care of it. Then, buy a new one in ten years."
