Use A Space Heater? Better Read This.

As colder weather approaches the Fire Department wants to remind everyone to NEVER plug a space heater into a power strip.

The results could be catastrophic. Spaces heaters and power strips don't play well together and with colder weather in the Grand Valley forecast next week, it's a timely reminder.

I use a space heater nearly every night in my little apartment. It's an old downtown house cut up into units and it can get a little drafty on cold nights. Powerstrips aren't set up to handle the high current flow needed for most space heaters. When the flow gets hot the strip can melt or even catch fire. I learned too that it's not wise to plug a space heater into an extension cord. I had heard about the powerstrip deal but the extension cord info was news to me. I have to use a cord to reach the only plug I have in my little utility room just off of my bedroom. I do use a heavy duty industrial type cord. However, according to the Electrical Safety Foundation International space heaters should be plugged directly into the wall outlet.

It's a matter of life or death. According to the National Fire Protection Association, between 2009 and 2013, space type heating equipment was involved in nearly 56,000 reported fires in the U.S. A reported 470 people died and 1,490 were injured as a result.

Source: Fox31