What Heaters Are Safe to Leave On Overnight? – Sleep Soundly!

This article will clarify what you need to know about using a space heater, and it aims to clear you from all that concerns leaving your heaters on overnight.
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Bella is a skilled copywriter who holds a degree in English studies. Her lifelong passion for decor and interior design is evident in her work, which is inspired by the beau read more
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Last updated: September 11, 2023
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One of the questions that are often on many’s lips is, “what heaters are safe to leave on overnight?” And as this question becomes more pervasive, it becomes pertinent to discuss the pros and cons that lie in leaving your heater on overnight. Of course, everyone knows space heaters Trusted Source 5 things you should know about space heaters | The Washington Post They’re safer than they used to be, but they still require some care. www.washingtonpost.com are a wonderful household item. Especially during winter, you’ll find them very useful because they do help one to keep warm and they’re pretty easy for family use. Nevertheless, you must know that leaving your space heater on all through the night can be pretty unsafe, irrespective of if you’re in the room or not.

Given that, this article will guide you on all the things you need to know about leaving your heaters on all night. It will feature everything from safety tips to apply when using a space heater overnight and the kind of heaters you can leave unattended to why you may not want to leave your space heater on all night and some best practices in using your space heater. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy.

What is the Safest Heater to Leave Unattended?

When you speak of space heaters, you’ll find different kinds of them on the market. Speaking of these differences, their power source, how they generate heat, and a host of other categories differentiate them. More so, note that coal, kerosene, propane, and gas are where some heater draws their energy.

Of all these sources that have just been listed, the electric type is best preferred and recommended, and you can easily opt-in for it whenever the weather is chilly, for it’s considered to be the safest. These kinds of space heaters generate heat energy when they’re plugged into an electric outlet, and one of the beautiful things about them is that they can generate as much heat as you need for your room. But, compared to the other types of heaters, they can be more expensive, but you’ll definitely enjoy using them, and, of course, you can always peruse your choice from the plenty of them that are often available for purchase market.

Electric Heaters

What Heaters Are Safe to Leave On Overnight? – Sleep Soundly!
An electric space heater is designed to focus heat in a single room or small zone.

The benefits of using electric space heaters for your large rooms or small home don’t only end at being able to generate heat. Still, it also comes with an array of features and features that are purposed to guarantee your safety. These heaters have some of these features to include a cool-to-touch service, overheating protection, tip-over protection, auto mode, timer, and lots more. Due to these few reasons, it’s recommended that you are opt-in for an electric space heater because it helps keep your mind at rest, knowing that it’s safe to use.

Oil-Filled Heaters

What Heaters Are Safe to Leave On Overnight? – Sleep Soundly!
Oil-filled radiators are excellent at retaining heat, so less energy is needed to top up temperatures in your room space.

If you’re using this kind of heater, you must be very conscious not to position it close to your bedside or flammable materials. And, for those frantically looking for space heaters that can be left unattended, oil-filled heaters could be a good choice as long as you ensure that the thermostat is working perfectly, the heater itself is placed in a stable position, and you practice space heaters safety tips. To include, if you have a small room, you’re living alone, or you have a modern space, you’ll find this heater to be very pleasurable.

Ceramic Heaters

What Heaters Are Safe to Leave On Overnight? – Sleep Soundly!
Ceramic heaters are easily portable and give off a great deal of heat from a small box.

One of the beautiful things about ceramic heaters is how their outside plastic casing stays cool while it’s just the inside ceramic that gets hot. And with this kind of system, you have less risk to encounter if you leave it overnight.

Infrared Heaters

What Heaters Are Safe to Leave On Overnight? – Sleep Soundly!
Infrared heaters are great for keeping your entire home warm.

Infrared heaters are one of the valuable heaters you’ll find around. And, this is simply because of two reasons; foremost, you don’t have to break a bank before you can get one and secondly, they’re very safe to use. Nevertheless, even though these heaters are noted for their safety, you must also take necessary precautions when using one and when you plan to run them overnight. And though finding the best infrared heater could be a bit challenging, be conscious of going for one that has a cool-touch exterior and a host of other safety features because the outer casing of some of these heaters can be pretty hot. However, users recommend Duraflame Portable Electric Infrared Heater is one of the best you’ll find around because of its natural humidity, oscillation feature, and safety switch.

Vented Propane and Gas Heaters

What Heaters Are Safe to Leave On Overnight? – Sleep Soundly!
Vented gas heaters are perfect for home use and come in a variety of applications.

These kinds of gas heaters should only run for some hours, and you can set a timer if you know you may forget to put them off. Although some of these heaters may be left to run through the night, we advise you to put them off because leaving them on overnight can be unpredictable. One can never tell.

Can You Leave an Electric Heater on All Night?

Statistics reveal that not less than 300 deaths are related to space heaters in the United States, with over 25,000 residential fires reported. This data given by the consumer product safety commission serves to enquire the contribution of space heaters to these deadly occurrences. Nevertheless, it should be noted that before a sudden fire can start, there are a couple of features that can help to prevent that Trusted Source Space Heaters Space heaters carry a much greater risk of causing a fire than central heating, such as furnaces. www.ehs.harvard.edu . On the other hand, you should know that the kind of heater used and the surrounding conditions are factors that must be carefully considered.

Speaking of these helpful features, there’s a feature that can inhibit extreme heat concentration and shut off the space heater – the overheating protection – and there’s as well another feature – tip-over protection – which comes very handy in preventing fire that could be caused by excessive heating. Now, you should feel safe leaving your heater on overnight if these features are available on your heater. You should also know that how you place your heater is essential. Plus, it would be best if you raised the temperature levels by programming the thermostat.

But, how long can space heaters be left on? It depends on three key factors: the size of your room, the ambient temperature, and your comfort level. If you have a high-end heater, you can easily leave it on for 10 hours or more.

Is Sleeping with a Heater on Safe?

What Heaters Are Safe to Leave On Overnight? – Sleep Soundly!
Keep anything that can burn, including bedding, furniture, and curtains at least 3 feet away from a space heater.

Let’s be frank, we all love and crave the excitement that comes from the blown warm air, and the gentle sound oozed by the space heater, and as this is always soothing, our act of indulging at this moment tends to get us carried away—carried away by what? Sleep, of course. Nevertheless, the kind of space heater you buy will determine the level of your overnight safety with your heater on. As mentioned earlier, electric space heaters are the best for this purpose, but what kind of electric space heater do you intend to buy? Is it just a casual one that will do a regular job, or do you want to look for a peculiar one that will support your health and that of your family with its offered features? Or, perhaps, you want to cut corners to cut down on your energy expenses by obliging to an alternative form of heating?

Truthfully, pellet stoves can be an excellent alternative for house heating, and they’re very efficient and affordable. But, if you’ll be going for an electric heater, it’s foremost recommended that you get a quality electric space heater that works perfectly fine. The Duraflame 3D Infrared Electric Fireplace Stove is a perfect pick if you’re looking for a durable and cost-friendly electric heater. This heater is not just reputed for its high functional level and durability but its safety features which are a must-have.

Why It’s Better Not to Leave on Heaters Overnight

While you’re busy looking for answers on the space heaters that can be left unattended and hoping to apply some space heater safety tips, note that sleeping with your heater on can be very dangerous. Here here are three main reasons why it isn’t a health-wise decision to make.

Space Heaters Cause Fires

Heaters can cause house fires, and this is why experts will always recommend that you are conscious of switching off your space heater before you submit to the embrace of your bed. Yes, it can be cooling, and the sound can be pretty much sonorous but remember that space heaters are a major contributing factor to fire cases and deaths. And, particularly during winter, they have the ugly reputation of being a prominent cause of home fires – according to the National Fire Protection Association.

Whenever you’re using your heater in your home or bedroom, it’s important that you practice space heater safety measures because these space heaters safety tips help reduce the chances of a fire breaking out.

More so, be conscious of the condition of the heater you’re using. If it’s old and worn out, it may be very dangerous because it tends to malfunction. The simple trick is that, before you go to bed, warm your room for about two to three hours. And, you’ll enjoy some cool warmth overnight with that few hours.

Space Heaters Emit Carbon Monoxide

While many are so conscious of applying a couple of electric heater safety tips to prevent a house fire, they tend to be oblivious of the poisonous carbon monoxide that’s often discharged by space heaters. This gas kills in split seconds, and it’s fatal. What even makes it more deadly is that, unlike fire that you can quickly see and take action, there’s no way you can see, hear, or know if you’re breathing in this gas, and this is why many consider this gas to be a silent killer. Thus, note that you expose yourself more to get poisoned when you leave your space heater on overnight. Also, note that blurred vision, vomiting, nausea, dizziness, headache, feeling weak, and shortness of breath are some of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Space Heaters Dry Out the Skin

Your space heater could be the reason why you’re experiencing dry skin. Though it’s easy for you to blame the poor weather for your dry skin, since this is often expected when the weather is very chilly, you may just be missing out on something to figure out that your space heater might be why your moisturizers have been rendered powerless. Howbeit, take note you’re likely to develop cracks on your skin or suffer some other health complications due to dry skin. Thus, to maintain normal healthy skin, especially during winter, do well to moisturize before you sleep, and it’s advisable that you operate your space heater rarely if you constantly experience dry skin.

Compliance with Safety when Using Heaters

It is worth following simple safety rules for the heater not to turn from a practical device into a dangerous one.


Leaving Your Heater Overnight at the Basement

Sometimes, your basement can be your refuge or your special solitary place whenever you need some alone time. But, what do you do when this special place of yours starts freezing? You can, of course, use your space heater to get the space warmed up but leaving your heater on through the night is not recommended, whether you’re using propane, natural gas, or electricity.

Leaving Your Heater Plugged In

Well, by now, you should probably understand that leaving your space heater unattended can be quite risky. To guarantee your safety, we recommend using the heater only when you find it essential and turning it off after use. And, if you’re occupied with something or the room is freezing, you may let it run for a while and then turn it off.

If your heater doesn’t have some vital safety features, electric shock and fire hazards may occur if you leave it plugged in. Whenever you’re away, don’t leave your heater unattended or plugged in.

Think of the fact that home fires in the US cause are caused mainly by heating equipment and consider the electricity costs implications. And, ensure that you don’t use a power strip, heater plug, wall outlet, or an extension cord to plug in your heater. Instead, a wall outlet is directly where your unit should be plugged into.

Putting Your Heater on Carpet

Deaths, burns, fires, and a couple of other risks are likely to occur when you wrongly place your heater close to a flammable object. This explains why your safety that of others in your room is highly determined by the surface your space heater is sitting on and the position you place it. Now back to the question, do we advise you to place your space heater on a carpet? The simple response is no. Don’t do it. Carpets and rugs alike are very porous. Unlike surfaces like a glass tray or hard floors, carpets and rugs tend to “feel threatened” by heat much quicker, and because they’re made of inflammable materials, it’s easy for them to spark a fire hazard.

Key Space Heaters Safety Tips

There are times that you’ll probably have no choice but to run your space heater overnight because of the intense cold, and if you ever find yourself in a situation like this, here are a few precautions you should take.

  • Tip 1. Ensure that your heater is working perfectly fine. Make sure there are no leaks or defects of any kind.
  • Tip 2. Ensure that your space heater isn’t close to your bedding, blankets, plants, or other combustible materials.
  • Tip Buy a space heater that has safety features.
  • Tip 4. Ensure that the heater is directly plugged into the socket.
  • Tip 5. Install carbon monoxide detectors at notable places in your home.
What Heaters Are Safe to Leave On Overnight? – Sleep Soundly!
Because carbon monoxide is slightly lighter than air, detectors should be placed on a wall 5 feet above the floor.

Final Thoughts

Without a doubt, space heaters are an essential item for the house, especially during winter, because they help to provide the warmth we need to enjoy better sleep. However, while you’re busy checking your options on what heaters are safe to leave on overnight, it’s crucial that you pay attention to the nitty-gritty that is necessary to maintain safety during usage. It’s also worthwhile to point out that it’s not healthy to run a space heater inappropriately or excessively because of the possibility of fire-related risks and accidents. This suggests that the primary heat source in your home shouldn’t be subjected only to electric heaters.

Nevertheless, as we’ve already emphasized enough in this article, you can sleep with a space heater on. Just make sure you practice the mentioned safety measures when using your heater because the goal of getting a space heater would be defeated if you worry too much and couldn’t get a sweet night’s rest.

References

1.
5 things you should know about space heaters | The Washington Post
They’re safer than they used to be, but they still require some care.
2.
Space Heaters
Space heaters carry a much greater risk of causing a fire than central heating, such as furnaces.

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