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You Shouldn’t Be Heating Your Home With a Space Heater

Space heaters are a handy way of staying warm in areas where it isn’t possible to take advantage of central heating. However, many households try to use space heaters in their homes as an alternative to central heating. Their reasons for doing so may include:

  • Furnace isn’t working or is working poorly.
  • Trying to minimize gas bill.
  • Heating rooms that aren’t connected to central heating.
  • Home uses old-style wall furnace, and far-away rooms have to be warmed with a space heater.

Regardless of the motivation, space heaters simply aren’t a long-term solution for home heating needs.

Space heaters are extremely dangerous. The National Fire Protection Association estimates that between 2009 and 2013, heating equipment caused more than 56,000 home fires in the United States. Space heaters were the cause of 40% of these fires, and caused 5 out of 6 (84%) of the deaths resulting from all house fires caused by heating equipment.

Part of the problem is that we have become overly comfortable with space heaters. We see them in the workplace, at store checkout counters that are close to an open door, in cabins and tents, and so on. As a result, we place space heaters without much regard for what’s around them.

As a consequence, the leading factor in fatal home fires is too little space between heating equipment and flammable materials, such as mattresses, bedding, clothing, and furniture. Many of these accidents may have been the result of children or pets knocking over heaters or setting down flammable items nearby.

It’s very difficult to make a space heater “safe.” They’re easily tampered with by children, their size makes them difficult to secure, and they usually have scalding hot surfaces, or white-hot elements just inches behind a guard.

We can help. Call Gilmore for a home central heating solution, and get rid of your space heater.

49% of all home heating fires occur in December, January, and February. NOW is the time to do something about your unsafe space heater. We can install a central heating system in your home faster than anyone else, and we’ll do it right the first time.

Call Gilmore, and find out what makes us the best heating and air company around.

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