EMERGENCY SAFTEY ALERT .......................... HEATERS ARE A MAIN SOURCE OF HOME FIRES.... BUY A U.L APPROVED HEATER WITH A TILT SHUT OFF AND OVERHEAT SWITCH

IT HAS COME TO OUR ATTENTION  THAT NYC HARDWARE STORES ARE SELLING HEATERS THAT ARE NOT UL APPROVED WITH NO SAFETY FEATURES

Please call our office at  1 800 621 8551 FOR MORE HELPFUL INFORMATION

DAVID SPIRA  DIRECTOR OF FIRE SAFETY

Features to look for

If you're thinking of buying an electric heater, here are the features to consider.

• Fan: A fan is an effective way to break up the layers of cold and warm air in a room. While noisy, you don't have to use them continuously. Just switch them on for a few minutes, to warm up the room.
• Cord storage: This allows you to stow the cord neatly when the heater is not in use.
• Controls: The controls should be clearly visible, easy to access and easy to use. Markings should be easy to read with good contrast. The more heat settings the better – you'll have more flexibility to control the room temperature.

Safety

Issues to be aware of with electric heaters.

Tilt switch
Tilt switches turn the heater off if it falls over to reduce the risk of fire. They turn off the heater in case of a fall and are essential for any portable heater.

Thermal cutout
All models should have a built-in thermal cutout, to turn the heater off if it overheats.

Oil-filled heaters
The relatively low surface temperature makes oil-filled heaters safer than most other heater types. But some models have narrow exposed fins that get quite