Environmentally-Friendly Space Heaters
Many people don’t want to think about cooler weather coming in. However, as the summer begins to ebb into fall, it’s hard not to realize that things are going to get colder real soon.
For those of us who run chilly, it is essential to begin to take out the layers of sweaters, socks, gloves, scarves, and more. We will start to gather blankets throughout the house and keep them handy for when we need them.
But what if that isn’t enough? What if no amount of sweaters, socks, gloves, or layers will keep us warm unless we have heat directly warming us? That is why space heaters were invented, right?
But, what if you’re worried about the environment? Are eco-friendly space heaters really able to keep you warm?
Can You Be more environmentally friendly with the way you heat your space?
The quick answer is yes. Yes, it can. A variety of eco-friendly space heaters are available and can be found easily with a few clicks on the keyboard and a search online. Thankfully, and also, according to Green Home, Heating, and Energy, the electric heating devices are the least likely to leave a carbon footprint than any other heating device. The article states: “When it comes to the process of converting a fuel source to heat energy, it doesn’t get any cleaner than electricity. The actual conversion process doesn’t typically give off any harmful greenhouse gasses or environmentally hazardous byproducts. Most other fuel sources are harmful to the environment in some way when being converted to heat energy.”
So that part is easy, right?
How to use environmentally-friendly space heaters safely
Well, as with many things in life, nothing is that easy. Finding an eco-friendly space heater is just the beginning of the space heater saga. The National Fire Protection Association released that 52,050 of homes that caught fire between the years of 2012 to 2015 were due to stationary or portable heaters: that is, a space heater started 86 percent of fires.
It’s essential to practice safety with many things, but keeping your home up and the whole is high on the list. The recommendation from the NFPA is to keep anything flammable three feet away from the space heater. And, like a burning candle — turn it off overnight.
Now that the fire safety portion of the article is mentioned. Other factors to look for with an eco-friendly space heater are the features. Along with price, BTU, dimensions, heat-settings, and wattage, other great eco-friendly features will be self-regulating temperatures or heating over protection. Some space heaters are even made out of ceramic that absorbs the heat longer than a metal space heater would.
What to know before buying a space heater
Before you purchase eco-friendly space heaters, you are going to have a lot of things to consider to get the features that match your needs most. The BTU versus the size of the rooms/garage you want to heat may be an important item to look for. If you buy a heater that is too large for the room you are staying, working, standing in, the heat will overpower your comfort. On the opposite side of the spectrum, if your heater is too small, then you’ll be too cold for comfort. Make sure to measure the space you have to heat.
Once you have your eco-friendly space heater, you’ll still want to use it efficiently. A simple reminder of how to do that can help keep your carbon footprint down, even more.
Some of these items are: timing your heat, using the heating controls properly, making sure that the heater is hooked up correctly, knowing how much energy or fuel you are using, keep a thermometer handy or check your thermostat often.
Keeping warm in the colder months is important. It can help you stay comfortable in your home and will help you enjoy the months when it’s harder to keep warm.
Practice safety first.
Make sure to research what heater will work best for you. Each year, test your equipment to see that it is is in working order, and each year your eco-friendly space heater will keep you warm for months to follow.
Resources— Green Home, Heating, and Energy, Home Air, My Green Now
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