Oscillating space heaters may pose an added risk

Using any heating appliance comes with a  certain level of risk, and electric space heaters are among the riskiest.  According to the U.S. Fire Administration, space-heater fires in U.S. residences are more deadly than other types of heating fires. They account for 40 percent of heating-related deaths and 30 percent of injuries associated with heating.  More than 25,000 residential fires every year are associated with the use of space, or room, heaters, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Each year, more than 300 people die in these fires, and another 6,000 people receive injuries severe enough to require hospital treatment.

In the past 10 years, the CPSC has issued recalls of 32 electric heaters of all different types.  Six of those were oscillating heaters—those with motors that move them side-to-side to distribute the heat. Most of the recalls for oscillating heaters were due to overheating, smoking and, in some cases, fires.  Those risks are present with all electric heaters but oscillating heaters may have additional risks.  We wonder if oscillating heaters are a good choice for supplemental heating.

Our concern is that the current safety standard for oscillating heaters, as written by Underwriters Laboratories, may not be strong enough.  As a result of fires and other electrical problems with oscillating fans, UL strengthened its fan standard to require all oscillating fans to pass a 750,000-cycle test to ensure the electrical cords and other connections can sustain long-term oscillation.  But oscillating electric heaters currently undergo only a 100,000-cycle test.  Given that heaters draw significantly more electric current than fans, the standard should be tougher  when it comes to durability associated with oscillation.

The standard for oscillating electrical heaters is in the process of being strengthened, according to John Drengenberg, consumer-affairs manager at UL. That's good news, but it will take 12 to 24 months for the change to be implemented for new products.

In the meantime, if you own an oscillating heater, inspect the cord carefully, particularly at the point where it enters the unit.  If there's any fraying or weakness in the cord, unplug it, cut the cord, and dispose of the heater properly.  If your heater checks out, use the oscillation mode only when necessary, and give it an occasional once-over to make sure there are no failures waiting to happen.

Related reading
To learn more about space heaters, read our recent report  including a video and Ratings (for subscribers).