As winter approaches and the nights become cooler we all open our attic space doors, reach around until we find the box that we believe to be our space heaters, and subsequently plug it in without even wiping the dust off of it. In many cases this will lead to a warm, enjoyable evening in the comforts of our homes. Although this sounds like the normal experiences that we all have year after year, it’s important to stay up to date with recalls and safe operating procedures to ensure that we sleep through the night and don’t wake up to find smoke filling our homes. So, here are a few updates to keep in mind this winter:
- In late December of 2010, Wal-Mart recalled approx. 2 million space heaters due to their propensity to start fires.
- In February of 2011, Lasko recalled approximately 110,000 space heating units after receiving over 36 reports of overheating, 18 resulting in injury.
- In February of 2011, PD Sixty Distributors recalled approx. 3,000 space heating units.
It’s important to consider these recalls when plugging in just any space heater. It is inevitable that as the nights get cooler, more fires will be started by space heaters either malfunctioning or due to the improper placement too close to light combustible materials. Keep you and your family safe this winter with the proper precautions.