Please throw away your electric heaters with glowing elements!

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webbie

webbie

Seasoned Moderator
Hearth Supporter
Nov 17, 2005
12,165
Western Mass.
The fire in KY that just killed an entire family was due to an electric heater in the bedroom....

Nothing wrong with electric heat or heaters - but the cheapo ones that have glowing (toaster-type) elements in them and can ignite a curtain or piece of paper should not be used in living areas (IMHO).....

We use the oil-filled models exclusively.

This is one place where saving a bit of money up front (the more dangerous heaters cost less) is not the best idea.

Stay Warm!
 
Did these people have smoke alarms?
 
Well, you would think people would know not to hang drapes on them?


When I was in college they banned halogen floor lamps in dorm rooms because some idiot hung his towel on one to dry. Is that really the lamps fault?

Better ban electric hair dryers too.

And gas kitchen ranges as well, since we know people who dont know better have tried to heat their apartment with a gas oven in a power outage and got CO poisoning.
 
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Electric hair dryers are not kept running 24/7......

It's basic common sense. I have some old electric heaters in the basement and won't use them - even down there!

Safety is all a matter of degree. Having anything in the home which runs 24/7 (or for many hours), can be easily moved and can catch things on fire is a no-no in this household.

Call me paranoid, but I use even my oil-filled on the low settings as I don't want to overload the electrical circuits. I just bought two high quality CO detectors in addition to the combined wired-in smoke and CO units in the house.

This is NOT stuff that happens to "just someone else" somewhere. We know a woman in NJ whose whole family was wiped out (except her) by CO from a boiler.

I repeat - safety is always a matter of degree. Notice that no deaths or serious injuries came from the oil-filled with problems....
 
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what about quartz radiant heaters? Heat lamps? They both have their place. Safe is as safe does.
 
Like a woodstove clearance to combustibles need to be honored. You wouldn't have a curtain draping over a stove right?

I've had a Braun resistance element heater in my office for the past 20yrs. I keep it clean, maintained and free of dust and cat hair. It runs on the 600W setting and has never given me a moment of anxiety.

A safe alternative is also a hydrotherm electric baseboard heater.
 
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woodgeek said:
what about quartz radiant heaters? Heat lamps? They both have their place. Safe is as safe does.
Click to expand...

Just like vent-free gas stuff - all has a label on it....not to be used for actual space heating full-time, not to be installed in sleeping areas, not to be used unattended, etc....

I'd say the "not use unattended" is a good call for most electric (and many other space) heaters. I would use a decent quartz one in my basement office - only when I was there. I have both smoke and CO detectors in addition.

I have used Delonghi electric oil-filled for decades although I don't use them full time...but they have always worked for me.

I guess the real question is - why use one that easily lights a piece of paper or melts itself (I have seen $20 plastic models with toaster elements inside) when you can use a safer one? Price is the usual reason.....and considering the amount they use in electric, saving money on the initial purchase is probably not a good ideal.

I've seen some advertised as "desktop".

I'd guess that the nationwide stats on these things are pretty bad......

Also, standards have changed - but many (like me!) have old models sitting around and may dig them out someday and use them! That is especially dangerous in some cases.
 
Some reasons for fan heaters are speed of heating, small space taken and lower thermostat settings. Caframo designed a heater off of the Braun's design. It is popular as a boat cabin heater for the above reasons. The cabinet is all metal. It has a low setting that is used when you want to just keep the cabin dry. When you get in the boat you turn it up to high and it rapidly will warm up a small space. I use one, unattended, in my shop to keep the humidity down. It runs on a thermostat and keeps the shop at about 40F when I am not in there, yet can warm it up in about 30 minutes.

(broken link removed to http://www.caframo.com/marine/marine_products_heaters.php)
 
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I remember reading when the first quartz heaters (Polonis I think) came out that the elements were self regulating - would only go to a certain temperature, around 400 degrees. Increasing airflow would determine BTU output. Any thoughts if my recollection is correct?
 
Does anyone have experience with the Dyson Hot/Cool?
 
I worked at a factory where a office lady had one under her desk . When her fuzzy boots started smoldering (she was not wearing them at the time) and the alarms went off about 150 employees were outside in a snow storm. Her nickname was Evac after that one
 
Those toaster types are way bad. I melted a plastic 5gal. pail and part of my boot sole today while changing a bathroom sink faucet.
 
Good thing there wasn't a wood stove in the room.
 
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We use 2 milk house type electric heaters to supplement the wood furnace on occasion. Never leave them unattended and there is no substitute for common sense! And I always stress how dangerous they are to the kids and showed them you tube videos of what a poorly taken care of electric heater can do to you and your home.
 
As my house isn't finished, I use 3 direct wired basedboard heaters (2 new and 1 older - but all with fins not elements) and 1 older (real old) plug in baseboard heater (has fins as well)to use while I am on the computer, it warms my legs. Also use a kerosene heater (kero-sun - really old) for when I feel a chill.(and a window is cracked for air) I have drilled it in to my sons the safety rules and have a sign hanging on the back door instructing anyone leaving the house to turn off everything but the new baseboard heaters.

My wood stove isn't installed yet, and I have already started drilling into everyone the safety rules about embers, cleaning out coals, not to fill the flipping stove up and walking right out of the house and leave it.

I grew up with a dad that wouldn't let you touch anything before you had read the manual. And got a safety quiz. lol
 
velvetfoot said:
Then again:
http://www.cpsc.gov/en/Recalls/2007...l-Filled-Electric-Heaters-Due-to-Fire-Hazard/

Here's another, appears to be of different origin:
(broken link removed)

Are you lumping in ceramic heaters as well in your statement? I'm not sure they glow.
Click to expand...

The 2nd unit is apparently made in the US. I didn't think any of these heaters were made in the US or Canada any more. Every brand I see now is made in China (Holmes, Pelonis, Delonghi, etc.) - if I recall.

FWIW I have 2 of these units - I believe the older one is a Pelonis, the newer unit is a Delonghi. They've been running for years now and so far they've been working well. I just had a furnace shut down recently, and was thinking about some way to deal with this - a few of these units running as a backup while I'm away might keep the place above freezing. But I'd rather not, I won't leave any electric space heater running unattended for days while I'm away. I'd rather make the trip back out (or call someone who can) if the furnace quits (looking for some sensors now to alert me if that happens).

Anyway although these heaters appear to be very safe, like Webbie, I am very paranoid. I don't just shut them off, I unplug them when I'm leaving (weekend place). Only run them on low, although my better half will occasionally crank one up if it's a really cold day - but once the wood heat soaks in everywhere, they go to low setting only.

I have noticed that the older unit has a thinner (probably 16 gauge?) wire whereas the newer one has a much heavier cord (probably a code or standards upgrade) which is surprising as they can draw some current on high setting, but I check the cords religiously and neither has ever been warm to the touch. I have gone as far as using a spare ceramic tile or a piece of durock (with some felt underneath) as a "platform" that the heater sits on in the corner of the room. Yeah that's way overkill, but just spare parts, and if a heater decides to drip one day maybe it won't wreck the floor.
 
Even the super cheap and super small electric heaters from walmart are available in a non-glowing configuation. Whether or not something is glowing during normal operation has little to do with whether or not it will start a fire. They are all equally danagerous when they malfuction or when used improperly. Don't be complacent about a heater just because you can't see the wire glow. Most times I've been burned it was by things that weren't glowing.

Right now I have a milkhouse heater keeping my RV trailer at 45 degrees with its thermostat. Unattended for freeze protection. Oh wait, same thing with the electric water heater in my closet. Oh wait, my woodstove is also burning unattended.

This whole thread seems crazy and almost gives the wrong message that only glowing things are dangerous. All energized electrical devices have the potential for starting fires.
 
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Might as well toss our knives, bicycles and fiskar x27s while we're at it. I need to worry more ;lol
 
Throw everything out that can be disrespected and abused and contains even the slightest possibility of loss of life and you end up living in a nanny state pod as in the Matrix.
Jesus man at some point you have to become an adult and accept some responsibilities in your life.
prosthelytize safety by all means , but telling other people how to live their lives is an illness you should see a shrink for.
 
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