How Safe Are Radiant Heaters?

Radiant heaters are an efficient way to provide supplemental heating in your home. Radiant heaters don’t use fans like forced air furnaces and room heaters do; instead, they work by simply warming the objects around them such as flooring, furniture, and people.

However, radiant heaters aren’t all great because, like any electrical appliance that heats up or gets hot to the touch, they can pose a hazard if they’re not used safely and responsibly. If you have a radiant heater in your home and plan on using it this winter, here’s how to keep yourself and your loved ones safe:

Radiant heaters need space

The main issue with radiant heaters is that they need space around them. Radiant heaters work by emitting infrared waves onto nearby surfaces such as flooring or furnishings; objects such as couches and carpeting absorb this warmth which then heats the air in front of them. The overheated air then rises into the room until it hits surfaces that are colder or denser such as chairs, tables, and drapes; then the warmer air falls back down.

This process of heating objects up with infrared waves is what causes them to emit warmth into the room – but this also means that if you place objects too closely you’ll prevent the heat from traveling elsewhere in the room. Not only does this mean your heaters will be unable to spread their heat evenly throughout your home, it also means they pose a greater risk of catching fire. So if you plan on using radiant heaters, make sure there’s plenty of space between the heater and any flammable objects like carpeting or furniture that could catch fire due to excessive heat. Always check before turning on your heater that there’s more than one foot of space on all sides of the heater; if not, slowly back away from the device until you meet this requirement.

Radiant heaters need space to work properly

Regular maintenance is a priority with radiant heaters since they can pose a fire hazard when used improperly. Make sure your radiant heater has plenty of ventilation so that warm air can escape and reduce the likelihood that any flammable materials will come in contact with it. Also, be sure to keep the cord and plugging strip clear from spills or debris as well as being free from cracks or other damage – this will help prevent electrical shorts which could lead to your heater starting a fire by overloading its circuits. In addition, be sure that you never use an extension cord with your radiant heater – the device isn’t designed to handle the additional power that a longer cord will give it and could easily start a fire.

Addition to these precautions, you should also regularly replace the filters inside your radiant heaters. As well as clean them regularly with a damp cloth. Especially if you’re using them in dusty rooms such as garages or basements. In this way, you can keep dust from clogging up your heater’s vents. And causing it to overheat which could result in a fire. Finally, be sure that any heating elements inside of your radiant heaters are made of materials able to withstand high temperatures since lower-quality ones may start smoking or even catch fire when left on for too long.

Radiant heaters warm objects up instead of heating air

Another important thing to remember about radiant heaters is that they only heat surfaces such as carpeting or furniture; this means they won’t work very well, if at all, in rooms where low humidity levels are present. Radiant heaters don’t produce enough steam to keep humidity levels up. So if you do plan on using one in your bathroom or laundry room. Be prepared for it not to have any effect. The radiant heater also tends to work much better when the outside temperature is significantly lower than inside. This is because it’s the difference between the two temperatures which causes circulation within a home. Making it easier for these kinds of heaters to warm objects and therefore spread their warmth throughout the room.

Conclusion:

Finally, keep in mind that radiant heaters require you to sit or lie close enough for your body heat. To warm objects up and contribute to a more comfortable heating experience. So these devices aren’t going to be ideal if you need something you can place far away from yourself. However, they do have a number of benefits over other heating devices since they don’t require venting or chemical-based fuels. In addition to being safer than most conventional sources of heat. Radiant heaters also provide an alternative for people who suffer from allergies when there’s no suitable air filter system present. In this way, radiant heater is often helpful during emergencies. When power outages prevent people from using conventional heating methods such as gas furnaces.