Avoid plugging your electric heater into a power strip

Electric heaters are very useful, especially when winter arrives, and some families choose to purchase and use a portable heating system such as an electric heater or radiator. These devices are a great alternative when it comes to needing to heat the room temperature, as they offer good performance and high heating speed. However, extreme care is recommended as these devices generate a dangerous amount of energy, so it is cautioned that these devices should not be plugged into a power strip.

Electric heaters cannot control high current flows, and can become overheated and, in the worst case, can even cause a fire, caused by an extra energy flow. For this reason, it is recommended that these devices be plugged into a wall outlet only. What happens when you connect one of these devices to an extension cord or power strip is that the current from the heater is so high that it causes a short circuit.

In short, the risk of connecting a radiator to a power strip lies in the fact that these electrical devices tend to overload the power strip, no matter how good the brand, due to its high level of power and consumption. Therefore, these devices generate a large accumulation of heat in the same strip, which can in an extreme case cause a fire.

In this sense and at the initiative of the fire department of the United States, an appeal has been made to the public, sharing alert images, via online, with which they show what can happen when an extension or power strip gets too hot, so that certain precautions are taken when using a radiator.

In fact, a study carried out by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission indicates that more than 25,000 fires are caused by the different types of portable heaters and radiators. It should be noted that the number of deaths caused by these fires is close to 300 deaths.

Mainly, it must be taken into account that the risk of fire is very high, especially when more than one electrical device is plugged into the same power strip, one of which is the portable heater or radiator. However, there are a large number of tricks and recommendations that we can follow, so that we can avoid the cold caused by low temperatures, either due to the arrival of winter or because the area where you live in itself requires the use of a heater. at home.

How to use a portable heater or radiator correctly

So that you can avoid a scare when using your favorite portable radiator, we recommend that you follow a series of basic and simple tips so that you can guarantee correct operation and free from any type of risk or danger, thus guaranteeing the well-being of the people who will use this device.

Before you’ve bought your new best space heater, the first thing you should do is make sure that the device you’re choosing has all of its safety systems up and running, commonly including overheat protection, which works almost the same as the short-circuit protection, which stops the operation of the radiator automatically in case it exceeds a limit temperature or a component burns due to high temperature, causing a short in the circuit.

In addition, some of these appliances have another very useful security system, fall protection, which turns off the heater in the event of a sudden tilt.

A basic recommendation, if you want to choose a portable heater that gives you great efficiency, is that the device has a thermostat, which helps you avoid wasting energy and allows you to control and adjust the desired temperature within a room. Using a thermostat, you will also be able to avoid possible overheating inside the room.

It is important, in order to avoid spending a very high amount of money on your new heater, to choose a model according to the dimensions of the room where you plan to place it, so we recommend you avoid a large heater, since you will be more prone to an accident, because inside the room it will reach dangerously high temperatures.

Thanks to its portability, it will be easy for you to place this type of device anywhere, so you will have no excuse to place it on a well-level table that is away from the path of people who may be walking near the point where the device is installed. radiator. In this sense, this device must be kept away from children and pets.

In the same way, avoid placing these devices near flammable materials or objects or that are at least susceptible to fire, igniting very easily, such as books or curtains. Therefore, never forget to turn off and even completely unplug these devices as soon as you stop using them. Also, by all means avoid falling asleep with a portable electric heater or radiator on, unless it has an efficient timer function.

We offer you these little tips so that you can make safe use of your portable heater and avoid any unpleasant moment. Above all, because it is well known that these devices are among the most used appliances today and are among the devices that require the most power, as is the case with irons, a microwave or a deep fryer, among others.

For this reason, it is strongly recommended that each electrical appliance be installed in a separate outlet. Obviously, this is recommended to avoid an overload in a single plug, even if your home has protection against possible and unexpected overloads, since you should not be trusted to guarantee that you are out of any kind of danger.