Space Heaters Are Extremely Dangerous
Don’t Become A Statistic
Roughly 25,000 home fires are caused by space heaters every year. We strongly discourage the use of these devices in your apartment for your own personal safety and the safety of others in the apartment building. That being said, we are well aware that some residents will not heed this warning and choose to use a space heater. Therefore, please read the following safety advice and watch the video.
- LOCATE THE BREAKER OR FUSE PANEL: If your apartment uses a fuse panel, you will want to have the proper fuses to replace them if you overload the circuit (see the video on fuses and tripped breakers here).
- WATTS AND AMPS: A 1500 watts space heater will use about 13 amps (.085 amps per 100 watts) on the high setting and about 9 amps on the low setting. Most electrical outlets are rated at 15 to 20 amps. If you exceed the amps rating you will trip the breaker, blow a fuse or possibly start a fire. All electrical outlets are connected in a series with multiple outlets sharing the same 15 or 20 amp circuit. You may need to unplug other devices in the same room or neighboring rooms to balance the amps being consumed by the space heater.
- TIP OVER CUTOFF SWITCH: Your space heater must have a safety switch on the bottom that cuts the device off when it is accidently tipped over.
- NO EXTENSION CORDS: Plug the space heater electrical cord into a wall receptacle with the heater switched off, and be sure it is snugly inserted. If you trip the breaker or blow a fuse you will need to unplug other items in the apartment to safely use the space heater. Try the low setting, it is safer.
Watch the video for more helpful tips.
