Having a functional heater in your Las Vegas, Nevada home is important. Although the area is well-known for its dry, hot summers, in winter, nighttime temperatures can drop as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit. If your furnace hasn’t been turning on or if it’s no longer capable of doing its job, you may be tempted to simply plug in a space heater. Following are several reasons why space heaters are unsafe for long-term or whole-house heating.
Space Heaters Should Never Be Left Unattended
Modern space heaters come with a number of impressive safety features. For instance, most units have an automatic shut-off feature that will engage whenever they’re accidentally tipped over. Some have built-in timers. This way, even if consumers grow absentminded, these units won’t be overlooked and left running indefinitely.
Notwithstanding these things, it is never safe to leave a space heater on when you exit a room. Even with these safety features, space heaters can still malfunction. Small children and pets can knock them over, and hot heating elements can cause severe skin burns. Whenever a space heater is on, there should always be an adult present. This way, if problems arise, issues can be dealt with right away.
You Cannot Effectively Heat Your Whole House With a Single Space Heater
Just as their name implies, space heaters are only intended to heat a very small amount of space. When the outside temperatures are at their coldest, you cannot expect even a high-performing space heater to keep your entire home reliably warm and safe. During the winter months, all Las Vegas residents need functional, whole-house heating solutions.
It may be that you already have a central heating system in your home. However, if your current heating equipment is underperforming and requires the ongoing, supplementary use of a space heater, it’s time to have it serviced or replaced. Moreover, if your current heating system cannot heat all of your living areas, you need to have this equipment upgraded.
These Units Heat up Quickly
Whether brand new or old, space heaters are built to heat up fast. On dated models, visible heating elements can quickly become hot to the touch. This leaves virtually no room for negligence or oversight, especially if there are small children or household pets in the vicinity.
It Costs a Lot to Use a Space Heater
You might think that using a space heater is an inexpensive alternative to fixing or upgrading your home heating system. In reality, however, using a space heater can become costly fast. These units are not designed for efficiency as much as they’re designed for effectiveness. In fact, most are built and marketed for super-heating small-sized spaces quickly. When you turn a space heater on, you’ll find that the immediate area grows noticeably warmer within just a few minutes. The energy that it takes to maintain this heating power is guaranteed to have a marked impact on your home heating costs if you keep your space heater on for hours at a time.
You Should Never Run a Space Heater Overnight
Daytime temperatures tend to be quite moderate throughout most Las Vegas winters. If your central heating system isn’t working or if it’s underperforming, you may find that there are many days when simply putting on a thick sweater provides sufficient comfort. However, nighttime temperatures are virtually impossible to weather without heat. Unless you have a functional home heating system, you run the risk of developing hypothermia or other temperature-related health issues.
Sadly, a space heater cannot prevent these things. Not only do these units have insufficient heating power for keeping the entire house warm, but they should also never be left unattended. Just as you shouldn’t exit the room when your space heater is on, falling asleep with an active space heater is equally ill-advised.
Not All Space Heaters Have Built-in Safety Features
There are a lot of homeowners in Las Vegas who are holding onto space heaters that they’ve inherited from family members, purchased at garage sales, or found at local thrift stores. These old, time-worn units continue to turn on and continue to emit heat. Although an aging space heater may be able to provide an impressive amount of warmth, using it can prove downright deadly.
Older heaters are unlikely to have built-in timers or automatic shut-off features that prevent them from running after they’ve been tipped over. Older units pose the risk of contact burns and fires, and they’re also more likely to develop electrical issues than new ones. If you have an old space heater in your home, this unit is unsafe for even temporary use. Consider replacing it with a more modern option. Then, schedule maintenance or repair service for your primary heating system.
You Have to Have a Single, Dedicated Outlet for Your Space Heater
Every space heater requires its own dedicated outlet. Space heaters should not be plugged into extension cords, and they shouldn’t share outlets with other fixtures or appliances. Having someone plug another appliance into the same outlet while your space heater is on can cause a short circuit or an electrical fire.
Common Reasons Why People Use Space Heaters in Their Las Vegas Homes
There are a number of reasons why Las Vegas residents pull their space heaters out when the outside temperatures plummet. For instance, some consumers:
- Think that using space heaters is cheaper than using a central heater
- Have hot and cold spots throughout their homes
- Have remote areas that are unserviced or under-serviced by their HVAC systems
- Don’t want to pay for heater repairs
- Don’t want to pay for replacement heating systems
Space heaters are both inefficient and ineffective as whole-house, long-term heating solutions. Even a single mishap with these units can equal disaster. From serious and potentially fatal physical injuries to property damage and potential property loss, using space heaters for anything other than they were made for is always a bad idea. Moreover, the risks of using space heaters greatly increase whenever more than one of these units is on and active in a building at one time.
Repairing or Upgrading Your Home Heating System Is the Only Sound Choice
Upgrading or repairing your home heating system is really the only sound choice. Not only will doing so allow for higher levels of indoor comfort, but it will also give you greater peace of mind. With an efficient heating system that’s capable of reliably warming up all areas of your house, you don’t have to worry about people getting hurt or having your personal items irreparably harmed.
Home heating systems are designed to safely supply a continuous, as-needed flow of warm air both day and night. They don’t require the constant monitoring that space heaters do, and when they’re well-maintained, they aren’t recognized as health hazards.
For more than 30 years, Sierra Air Conditioning & Plumbing has been a trusted provider of heating and cooling services throughout the greater Las Vegas area. We also offer indoor air quality services, preventative maintenance agreements, and air purifiers. If your home heating system won’t turn on, is underperforming, or isn’t able to reliably heat your entire home, we’ve got you covered. Give us a call today to schedule service.
