Winter is on its way here in Helotes, TX, and keeping your home warm is more than just a luxury. A number of methods exist to handle the issue, and you might be tempted to rely on a portable space heater to do it. Portable units benefit from a low cost and an ease of use. Unfortunately, they also present a number of dangers to your home, that may easily outweigh the short-term savings of a cheap solution. They can include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Fires. Portable space heaters are responsible for over 25,000 home fires a year, according to reports from Harvard University. This can happen when pets or children knock them over, the curtains are draped near them, or even when things like paper in trash baskets sit too close to the heater.
- Electrical Shorts. A short in the electrical system can set fire to carpets and other home furnaces just as easily as heat from the unit can. This is why you should only use new portable heaters that are up to the latest safety codes. Used heaters are more likely to have frayed wiring and similar issues that increase the risk of an electrical fire.
- Dry Air. Portable heaters tend to dry the air out in your home, leaving your lips chapped and your body at greater risk of a cold or infect due to dry sinuses. Over the course of an entire winter, your space heater could cost you a great deal in sick days and lost productivity overall.
- Toxic Gasses. You should never run a fuel-based heating system without proper venting, and you certainly shouldn’t run an outdoor portable heater indoors. Venting keeps toxic gasses from building up in your home and presenting a threat to you and your family.
COntact the pros at D’Spain to discuss heating options that avoid these issues!
