Dealing With Furnace Problems

Portable Heater Safety While Waiting For Furnace Repairs

4 January 2019 by Eliza Chapman

When your furnace breaks down, you will need a back-up source of heat to stay warm and prevent your pipes from freezing. Do you keep a portable heater handy in case of an event such as this? If not, it's time to get one and it's time to learn some safety tips for using them. Here, you'll learn how to maximize the safety of using portable heaters in your house until your furnace can be repaired.

Kids and Pets

Kids and pets are going to be attracted to the source of heat, but that can cause quite a bit of stress and safety concerns. To keep your kids and pets safe from getting burned or knocking the heater over and starting a fire, create a border that is no less than 3 feet away from the heater. This will create a barrier that is far enough away from the heater that the barrier won't be burned and the kids won't be able to reach past the barrier to touch the heater.

The easiest way to create a safety barrier around the heater is to pick up a play-yard panel set – for kids or pets. These panels are put together to create an area the size that you desire. If you want it to be larger, you add another panel – if you want it to be smaller, you remove a panel. When it's not in use, the panel set can be folded up and stashed under a bed or in a closet.

Avoid Extension Cords

Portable heaters should never be plugged into an extension cord. Doing so increases the chances of the outlet overheating and catching on fire, or the heater won't get the power it needs to run the way that it should – this could result in it shorting out and catching fire.

Avoid all Flammable Materials

The heater should never be located near any flammable materials. Avoid furniture, drapery and never leave the heater on in a room with a child playing with toys alone. If you have carpeting, you may want to pick up a sheet of plywood to set on the carpet under it – this will keep the carpet fibers from overheating while the heater is on.

This is a source of heat that you don't want to rely on for days or weeks at a time, so make sure that you've contacted an HVAC repair service, like Arnold Service Co, so that the furnace can be repaired and you can go back to heating your home safely and efficiently.

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