Safety basics
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and fire safety groups give similar advice:
- Keep the heater at least three feet from anything that can burn: bedding, curtains, furniture, paper.
- Plug it directly into a wall outlet, not an extension cord or power strip.
- Choose a heater with tip-over and overheat shut-off.
- Turn it off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
- Keep children and pets away.
Fuel-burning heaters
Never use outdoor heaters, grills, or a gas oven to heat a home. Any fuel-burning appliance can produce carbon monoxide. Make sure you have working CO alarms. See carbon monoxide safety.
When the real fix is the heating system
- Furnace not turning on
- Heat pump blowing cold air
- First cold night checklist
- Burning smell from the heater
Protect pipes too
If the whole house is cold, exposed pipes may be at risk. See frozen pipes in Tucson.