Now that its winter, you may start to notice cold spots in your home (especially in older homes). These cold spots never seem to stay as warm as the rest of the house.  Most people break out the space heater.  Space heaters have many advantages; they are compact, convenient, affordable, portable and the newer models are energy efficient.  However, space heaters have disadvantages as well.  The biggest is the risk of fire.  More home fires occur in December, January and February than the rest of the year according to the National Fire Protection Association.  Space heaters rank third, behind smoking and electrical shorts, as the cause of house fires.  Space heaters are involved in 79 percent of fatal home heating fires. They may not have an open flame, like gas and kerosene heaters, but they still get hot enough to start a fire.

To prevent these fire risks, simply follow these common sense safety tips.

Do's

• Read and follow the manufacturer's operation and maintenance instructions
• Keep the heater in safe working condition; replace missing guards and controls at once.
• Keep a safety zone of about three feet around the heater, or refer to the manufacturer's instructions to provide the distance the heater should be placed from combustible materials, and the floor so that carpeting or flooring materials don't burn
• Check surrounding objects periodically to see if they feel hot
• Plug cords directly into outlets, don't use extension cords

If you no other option than to use an extension cord, make sure it is a heavy duty cord marked with a # 14 gauge or larger wire. Use only a grounding (three-wire) extension cord if the heater's plug has a grounding prong.  However, this is NOT recommended. 

• Electric space heaters should be Underwriters Laboratories
• Use electric space heaters with automatic shut-off switches and non-glowing elements.
• All heating elements should have a safety guard.
• Use heaters for limited periods of time
• Turn it off when you leave the room.
• Make sure your heater has a safety switch that shuts off the heater if tipped over or it overheats
• Place the heater on a level surface for stability
• Use heaters that have timers
• Always keep portable electric heaters away from water

 Don'ts

• Never operate a defective heater.
• Never use them as a dryer by placing anything over the heater
• Never use them in a bathroom or near a sink
• Never touch an electric heater if you are wet
• Never run the heater's cord (or any cord) under rugs or carpeting
• Don't place the heater where children might play near it or where people might trip over or bump into it
• Never place a space heater on top of furniture
• Never use as the primary source of heating, it's more efficient to direct the heat to warm people, not space.

 Kids and Pets

• Let the kids know this is not a toy, it gets really hot and can cause painful burns
• Never leave children unattended near a space heater
• Prevent pets from chewing cords
• Make sure your cat or small dog isn't able to jump on the heater
• Make sure your cat or dog can't brush up against it, the heater could cause serious burns

You might consider blocking off the heater with free-standing baby gates to provide a visible barrier to kids and pets.

Have the following safety equipment:

• Chemical fire extinguisher
• Smoke detector in working order (check once a month and change batteries once a year)
• Carbon monoxide detector

Following these safety precautions and remaining alert will ensure you stay warm and toasty this winter without the risk of burning down your house.