Oil heaters are products that serve a good purpose for the home. If not for anything, for the fact that it helps heat the room when needed.
However, oil heaters should also be well kept and well maintained to enable them to function well and serve their intended purpose. If not, the same oil heaters that can be of good use for a household can turn out to be harmful to its users. It is very important to follow the manufacturer’s guide on how to handle an oil heater.
In this article, we will discuss the dangers of oil heaters and how to take care of them to avoid any form of danger for you or for any member of your household.
Table of Contents
Are Oil Heaters Dangerous?
For its intended use and production, oil heaters are not dangerous, but they can only be dangerous to users when they are handled carelessly.
No manufacturer produced oil heaters for it to harm its users. But not following the right steps, guides, and knowing how to handle the oil heaters is the only reason or the only way the same oil heater can turn out to be dangerous to anyone making use of it.
Dangers of Oil Heaters
Some dangers of oil heaters include are:
#1. Explosion
This is one of the dangers of an oil heater. They can explode and the basic reasons why this can happen is if they have been used with low units and if they are not used on the recommended units from the manufacturers.
#2. Leakages
If there is any leakage on the oil heater, it may cause a lot of danger. This is because the leakage may cause it to catch fire and damage either life or properties. For this reason, while using any oil heater for your house, ensure that you don’t allow any leaking on it.
#3. High Voltage
Using the oil heater on high voltage is another danger. You must have to use a recommended voltage to avoid your oil heater causing a nightmare for you and your household.
#4. Off-Gassing
Oil heaters on a normal basis release some form of strong chemicals to the air, and these chemicals can be dangerous to human health because they are burning off chemicals. This totally depends on the type of oil heaters you bought.
#5. Spillage
For the fact that there is oil in the oil heater boiling, there is the possibility of the oil spilling out and if there be anyone around that environment, the person would be dangerously injured. If the person unknowingly walked on the oil, it may cause the person to slip and fall.
These are some of the dangers of oil heaters.
How to Prevent the Dangers of Oil Heaters
The following are simple ways to prevent the dangers associated with oil heaters, they are:
- Use the oil heaters on the recommended voltage. This is very important to avoid any form of electrical injury or mishap for you or anyone else.
- Carefully have a routine check on your oil heaters to avoid any form of leakage that can cause a fire outbreak
- Use your oil heaters only with the recommended cables, at the recommended places, and do not ignore anything on the manufacturer’s guide.
- Never use your oil heaters on low units, because this can cause a big explosion for you and your entire household.
- Always leave the place where the heaters are well ventilated to avoid health hazards as a result of off-gassing from the oil heaters.
Are Oil Heaters Safe to Leave Overnight?
Yes, oil heaters are safe to leave overnight because of the way and properties used during the production. They were manufactured in a way that they would not be too hot, and they have switches that would automatically turn the heater off when it gets to a certain time.
All these were put into consideration during the production and it was intended to avoid risk and certain dangers.
Can You Get Carbon Monoxide Poisoning from Oil Heaters?
Yes, all gas and oil burning substances produce carbon monoxide, and the oil heater is not an exception to them. Oil heaters are part of the appliances that produce or generate carbon monoxide because they burn gaseous substances and carbon monoxide is inevitable when it comes to oil heaters.
However, this depends on the type of oil heater you’re using. If it is an electric oil heater, the chances of it producing carbon monoxide are slim. However, the best way to secure your household is to install carbon monoxide detectors all around the places where the oil heater is being used.
Do Oil Heaters Give off Fumes?
Oil heaters give off because they are burning oil and these fumes will certainly come out as a result of off-gassing from the heaters and the oil in them.
These fumes are quite dangerous and it can be as a result of any form of misalignment or anything that has to do with signal crack from the oil burner.
Can Oil Heaters Make You Sick?
Heaters generally make the home or the environment where they are been used dry, and when the air is dry it can affect the body. Oil heaters would irritate your body, cause sore throats, and it can also affect your eye and your nose.
This totally depends on the kind of individual. Typically speaking, anything that affects any of these parts of the body can cause sickness. So this is to say that oil heaters can make you sick.
How Long Can I Keep Oil Heaters On?
Oil heaters are manufactured in a way that you can leave them on as long as you want because of the type of radiators they were manufactured with.
But for you to be on the safer side, you must have to take a good look into your oil heaters and know if they have the tilting switch that can easily turn it off automatically when it gets to a certain temperature to avoid danger. The tilting switch is generally called overheat protection.
Do Oil Heaters Explode?
Yes, oil heaters do explode and the explosion is dangerous to anybody or anything around that environment. Oil heater explosion causes fire outbreak and this is bad.
Moreover, the major reason for this explosion is if you are using the oil heaters in places where they are not recommended to be used or when you use them on low units and voltages that may not be able to carry the heater.
What Is the Fire Risk of Oil Heaters?
The fire risk of oil heaters are and are caused by the following:
- Tip: When you observe that your oil heaters are not working properly, immediately stop using them and return them to the manufacturer for them to work on it.
- Electrical connections: Do not use your oil heaters where there are poor electrical connections, this is wrong, and do not use them in places you are not supposed to use them.
- Warning: You are advised to use oil-recommended oil for the heater. And do not fill the heaters when they are on or when they are still hot.
- Unsuitable oil: Ensure that you do not make use of oil with low flash points on your heaters; they can spark fire which would be dangerous.
Conclusion
For you to enjoy the oil heaters and for them to serve the purpose why you bought them, you must abide by the manufacturer’s guide and follow the certain principles listed in this article. This would not only help you, but it would also help reduce the risks and dangers associated with oil heaters.
