Electricity Can Be Tricky, So It’s Best to Keep Distance from Electric Heaters

There is no question that electricity can be tricky. Electricity does many unexpected and sometimes dangerous things, and the best advice to avoid injury is: Keep your distance from electric appliances and power lines.

When it comes to electric space heaters, this applies especially in the following cases:

• A damaged electrical cord or frayed wire increases the potential risk of fire or shock
• An extension cord that’s too light for the heater
• Just one grade above what’s recommended for minnow grow-out tanks
• Can overheat, melt through with flames…and cause a real problem.

Locate heaters out of high traffic areas so people cannot trip on cords or knock units down accidentally · Be sure your house has proper wiring installed by a qualified electrician before using an electric heater, · Keep all cords and wires out of the reach of children. · Do not leave an appliance plugged in when you are out or when you go to sleep. If your house goes through temporary power loss (which happens often during storms), unplug your heater until power is restored.

The winter season has set in the New England area and with it; there is a huge demand for electricity. In fact, during peak times of the day, the demand for electricity can be as much as 13,000 Megawatts greater than at night time. Many people have been switching to electric vehicles and now have they parked inside their garages next to an electric heater that they use daily to heat up their cars.

The combination of heaters/cars/electrical wiring can result in a harmful situation. Here’s why:

Electricity is dangerous –

Electricity has a very high voltage and the required current needed to keep your car running alternates rapidly between positive and negative voltages resulting in a potential difference across wires that run into thousands of volts during peak times.

The following are some hazards that can arise from this combination of electric-powered appliances:

1. Electric shock to cars or people next to the car –

The high voltage flowing through wires could cause a person’s body to pick up current and go through them, resulting in fatal injuries.

2. Swelling of cables which can burst out –

If an individual puts his hand or any other object into live electric wires, the electrolytes contained inside the human body could lead to swelling within seconds resulting in the bursting of cables. This poses a much greater risk for those who have their hands on the heater/power source wire as both are very closely situated near each other. For example, if it heats up enough, it can cause the insulation of the power source to burst due to the build-up of pressure, which could lead to electrical shock.

3. Fire –

If there is a short circuit, the current will flow through it and this could result in fire hazards especially when you have car batteries near electric heaters within your garage.

4. Tripping out circuit breakers –

The increased load on your home’s circuits because of heavy demand for electricity during peak hours can be quite dangerous as the wiring in many homes was not designed for such high currents and voltages. If there is faulty or old wiring, it could lead to fires or electrocution of people around them if they touch them while wearing any metal objects like keys in their pockets.

5. Carbon monoxide poisoning –

A common cause of severe illness or death is carbon monoxide poisoning. Which is cause due to the burning of fossil fuels in poorly ventilated spaces. Which results in the emission of harmful gases like CO2, CO, etc. If individuals are inside a garage. With an electric-powered heater running during peak hours, they will inhale these toxins. Which can lead to serious health problems after prolonged exposure. It could even result in fatalities. If cars are left running next to open windows with people nearby (see video below).

6. Fire risk –

The combination of your car’s battery and electrical heating devices can pose a fire hazard particularly. When they come into contact with one another.

7. Expensive damage –

The combination of the components of your car is electrical power. And an electric heater that gets hot enough to damage wiring can be extremely expensive.

Conclusion:

Although electric cars provide a much cleaner and environment-friendly alternative to conventional vehicles. They should not be park next to an electric heater. If you must park your car near an electric heater. It’s prefer that you turn off the heating unit well before starting up the engine as mentioned in the video below.

Keep yourself safe by being aware of all possible dangers that could arise when you are in your garage. If there is any smoke or smell of burning material. Leave the area immediately and contact the fire department if necessary.