According to the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI), heating equipment — which includes space heaters — is the second leading cause of house fires in the U.S. In fact, the ESFI estimates that there are at least 65,000 fires caused by them every year, if not more. With that being said, space heater fires most often occur when they’re plugged into a power strip. The heating and electrical experts at Raynor Services are here with three reasons why you should never plug your space heater into a power strip – read on to learn more!
Skip the Strip to Avoid a Seriously Dangerous Situation
When it comes to a space heater, a power strip should never be considered as an option to power it. Whether you have an almost full power strip or a completely empty one, it doesn’t matter — plugging your space heater into a power strip opens you, your home and everything in it up to a slew of dangers. This is because a power strip doesn’t have a high enough current flow to support the electrical needs of a space heater, causing it to overheat and possibly lead to a fire. Instead, you should always plug your space heater into an electrical outlet in the wall.
Ignoring Equipment Can Cause Items to Ignite
Just like you shouldn’t leave your fireplace active overnight, a space heater shouldn’t be left on overnight — especially if you’ve had it plugged into a power strip all winter! It’s also important to note that a space heater shouldn’t be left on if you leave your home, even if it’s for a few minutes. Just because space heaters are small doesn’t mean they can’t cause big issues, and plugging them into a power strip — and leaving them unattended — could mean that you’ll be waking up or walking into a home that has caught fire.
Placing Near Decor May Lead to a Disaster
Not only should you never plug your space heater into a power strip, but plugging it into a power strip that’s on a hardwood floor or near a couch, rug, books or curtains is even worse. As mentioned earlier, a space heater plugged into a power strip can lead to overheating, and if it’s near these highly flammable items, a house fire may not just ignite, it may ignite quickly and badly. Additionally, if your power strip’s cord is in poor condition (IE frayed, cracked, broken, etc.), then it increases the chances of a fire erupting. In this case, don’t use this power strip for ANYTHING in your home — just throw it out!
Whether you’re looking to prevent power strip problems, replace electrical outlets, or improve the heating in your home, Raynor Service in Mount Holly, NJ is here to help! Contact us today.
