Is sitting next to a heater bad for you

Can You Sit In Front Of A Gas Heater?

It is winter, and maybe you have just dusted off your heater and have set it up for the season. But there are precautions to adhere to in order to ensure that you are using the heater correctly. This is because there have been several fire incidents involving heaters in the last few years, which has raised several concerns about the safety of the appliances.

So, what comes to your mind after taking a bath on a cold winter morning? Obviously, it would be to put on the heater to warm up your space as you dress up. There is nothing quite as refreshing as lounging in front of a heater on a cold winter day. But, are there any side effects of this? Let’s find out as you read along!

What Are The Dangers Of Sitting Next To A Heater?

Long-term exposure to a heater is not suitable for your well-being. It could have an effect on you in the following ways:

Fast Aging

Prolonged exposure to sun rays can damage the skin and lead to the formation of wrinkles, dark spots, and fast aging. Heat has the same effect on the skin. According to recent research, prolonged exposure to heat, including bathing in boiling water, using a hot water bottle, and regularly sitting close to a heater, can lead to Erythema Ab Igne (EAI).

EAI is a condition that causes mottled, reddish-brown spots on the skin. Although this reddish-brown patch can disappear with time, it can sometimes become permanent if the skin is consistently exposed to high temperatures. Skin damage was considered a summertime problem.

However, recent incidents have shown that gas heaters make it an all-year-round problem. So, limit how close and how long you stay close to your heater.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Being too close to a heater can expose you to dangerous carbon monoxide gas if the gas heater is unvented or vented but not functioning correctly due to leaks from the exhaust system. Carbon monoxide is hazardous for health and has been responsible for a lot of deaths during sleep. When you inhale carbon monoxide, it battles oxygen in your system, thereby reducing the quantity of oxygen available in your body.

This can lead to choking and other health hazards, including death. The only way to protect against this is to test for carbon monoxide in your breathing zone. To measure the carbon monoxide produced by any appliance, you can use a data logger. Data loggers can also be used with any patent-pending-breath-holding process to calculate the quantity of carbon monoxide contained in exhaled air coming from veins, arteries, and other tissues.

Safe Ways To Heat Up Your Home

Space Heater (Electric or Kerosene)

Electric space heaters account for about 10% of all home fires in Australia. This is because space heaters produce direct and focused heat, which creates dangerous hot spots on carpets, curtains, and other flammable materials. If you choose to go for an electric space heater for your home heating, take the necessary precautions. First, you should keep the space heater at a minimum of three feet away from any flammable material.

It is not recommended to use extension cords with electric space heaters. Keep in mind that not all space heaters are of the same quality; some are poorly designed and made with inferior parts, which can cause them to go bad quickly and may even become the cause of fire in your house. So, before you buy a space heater, read its reviews online to know the pros and cons of buying a particular brand of electric space heater.

Experts advise that it is best to buy electric space heaters that come with an automatic shutoff capability. A space heater with automatic shutoff capability will automatically shut off even if you forgot to turn it off, which helps reduce the risk to your home.

If you are using a kerosene heater, this also has its own risks. The first is ventilation; if your room does not have proper ventilation, using a kerosene heater can expose you to many risks, especially carbon monoxide poisoning, due to incomplete combustion of carbon inside the heater. So, it is important to always open your windows to allow enough air to come into the house.

Most kerosene heaters are designed to be installed outdoors or in spacious places; therefore, consult a heating expert before getting an indoor kerosene heater. Another risk associated with kerosene heaters is storing the fuel for the heater. Kerosene is highly flammable and should be stored appropriately and kept outside the house. Also, never refuel the heater indoors. Refuelling your kerosene heater should always be done outside.

Wood Stove

One of the flaws of modern heaters is that they are not designed to service large spaces. Instead, they are made for gathering a small group of friends or family. This is where wood stoves are preferred. However, if you have a fire space, it is important to call a professional to inspect it periodically to prevent creosote build-up. Creosote build-up can start fires inside the chimney, and you may not know until it is too late.

Also, make sure you snuff out the entire fire before you leave the house or go to bed. There may still be some fire burning under the ash even after the fire is out, so make sure you put everything off before leaving the house or going to sleep. Avoid using flammable liquids to start a wood stove.

Indoor heaters are not designed to use flammable liquids such as gasoline as starters. If the fire blows off, it can easily spread across your home, leading to loss of property and even death. Again, do not use charcoal in your home fireplace. Charcoal-powered wood stoves can generate a large quantity of carbon monoxide and other dangerous gases that pose a hazard to your health and that of your family members.

Finally, before you install a wood stove indoors, pay attention to the construction design of your house. If the building wasn’t well designed and constructed, especially as it concerns ventilation, the heater may pose a threat to the life of everyone in the house.

Gas Furnace

Most homes in Australia have gas furnaces and boilers. These furnaces are designed to distribute heat across the building via ventilation systems. There are different types of furnaces and boilers with varying efficiency. One way you can improve the efficiency of furnaces is through retrofitting.

By upgrading your furnace system, you improve the system’s efficiency and save money that would have been spent on buying a new one. One challenge with retrofitting is that cracked or misaligned areas may be omitted during upgrade or servicing due to human error. This can result in lower efficiency and may be the cause of fire if some pipes are damaged.

The best practice is to have an annual routine check by a professional. Also, the furnace should be checked by a separate professional after every repair. You should also look out for frayed, cracked, or rusted parts and ensure that the flame is nothing but blue. A yellow flame shows that the burner may be out of adjustment. Remove any dust from the burning chamber, replace the fitters and ensure that the blower doors are well secured.

Using a gas furnace is one of the cheapest ways to heat your house. However, routine maintenance is essential so that you can avoid fire. Having a professional perform repairs on the system once a year and double-check the appliance after repairs by yourself or another professional will improve the heating system’s efficiency and protect you and your household from possible fire accidents.

Electric Furnace

Electric furnaces and other heating techniques that use electricity are the most efficient and safe heating methods. This is because most electric heaters have built-in thermostats located in each room, which makes the heating system precise by only coming on when the temperature is low.

Electric heaters are far more effective than other heaters powered by natural gas. The only downside to electric heaters is that they are much more expensive than gas heaters. However, the safety it guarantees far outweighs its high price and thus makes it the best choice for your house and family. You don’t have to constantly stress about things like carbon monoxide poisoning or the release of other harmful gases.

How To Use House Gas Heaters Safely

The safest way to use house heaters is to follow the instructions outlined in the manual of the appliance. If you are using an open-flued gas heater, you need to reduce the amount of time you use it and start planning to change to another safer alternative.

Open-flued gas heaters will be banned by the end of quarter one, 2022. This follows repeated home fire accidents resulting in death. Other ways you can enhance the safety of your heater include:

Make sure your room(s) is well ventilated. Ventilation is essential as it allows inflow of fresh air and outflow of fumes and other unwanted gases.
If you are using an unflued or open-flued gas heater, do not run exhaust fans in the bathroom or kitchen as this can result in leakage of carbon monoxide back to the room. Always inspect and test this after the heater has been serviced.
Regularly clean your heater. This should be done when the heater is cool and switched off. This is to reduce dust build-ups. Clean the heater using a vacuum to remove any dust in the duct registers and cold air return vents. The duct register is the central heating opening you find in each room and can be seen by lifting the cover grill.
Do not allow children to touch hot surfaces. The dress guard only protects against accidental clothing contact.
Keep all flammable material at a minimum distance of one metre away from the heater.
Do not dry clothes inside.
Do not leave your gas heater on when you go to sleep.
Do not use unflued gas heaters in places like bathrooms, caravans, and bedrooms. These heaters emit some dangerous gas which can cause health complications.
Do not store flammable items such as aerosols, pressure pack cans, or solvents close to a gas heater, even if the heater is turned off.
Do not dispose of wastes such as cotton buds, tissues, and others in a gas fire. This can reduce the rate of combustion and produce dangerous pollutants harmful to your health.
Outdoor appliances such as patio heaters are not safe for use indoors.