SAFETY WARNING: THE TIP OVER SAFETY SWITCH OF SOME PORTABLE SPACE HEATERS MAY NOT FUNCTION

WARNING: THE TIP OVER SAFETY SWITCH OF SOME Portable Space Heaters MAY NOT FUNCTION

http://metroforensics.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-fire-and-death-risks-associated.html

Electric oil-filled space heaters are popular because they can allow people to save money on their heating bill.  If a person uses one of these heaters and turns down their central heat, the space heater can easily be used to heat only the rooms where the person needs heat. Electric oil-filled space heaters work by using electricity. The power from the electricity activates the heating element within the heater and this causes the temperature of the heater to rise.

Most electric oil-filled space heaters are portable, which means that they can be moved from room to room very easily.  Many people use these heaters specifically for heating the bedrooms in a house. One of the main dangers of these heaters is that they present a fire hazard if the heater is tipped over on the control panel side, face down.  If the heater is tipped over and is covered with some type of combustible material, such as a bed sheet or clothing, the heater may start a fire.

Usually, these types of heaters have a switch which shuts the unit off automatically if it is tipped over on either side.  The problem is that this switch does not automatically shut the unit off if the heater is tipped over on its control panel side or on its back.  Most of these heaters have a 180-degree tip-over switch and this switch does not automatically shut the unit off if it is tipped over on the control panel side.  It has been shown that if an electric oil-filled space heater is manufactured with a 360-degree tip-over switch, this configuration will allow the unit to automatically shut off if it is tipped over on the control panel side.  

The tip over switch of this space heater is located at the bottom of the unit.  This heater is equipped with tip-over safety switch located underneath the base of the heater (see figure above).  This switch must be pressed inward for the heater to function properly.  Some soft surfaces such as carpet may not be able to fully press in this switch.  For some soft surfaces, a hard flat object will need to be placed underneath the heater for it to function properly.  Unfortunately fires have been caused when some space heaters tipped over and the switch was not activated because it had not been placed on a hard surface.

Generally, there is a risk with any electric heater, but if properly placed, it should not have caused a fire.

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