As the temperatures drop even lower in New Jersey this month, you may experience a chill in your home or a power outage from a winter storm that leaves you without heat. Many people turn to their oven to warm their homes. But what many people don’t know is that using your oven to heat your home can be extremely dangerous. Here are the reasons why:
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Using a natural gas oven to heat your home can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide is a colorless, odorless gas that can be fatal in high amounts. This gas is usually emitted in safe amounts when your oven is heating up with the door closed. But when you misuse your oven, the gas can escape through the opened door and cause symptoms such as headaches, dizziness, nausea, fainting, and even death.
House Fire
Even if you have an electric oven, it’s still dangerous to use your appliance to heat your home. While electric ranges do not risk carbon monoxide poisoning, they come with their own dangers — house fires. When used for prolonged periods, electric ovens can overheat and malfunction. When the door is left open, temperatures can get high enough to melt knobs and any nearby items. Electrical malfunctions can also lead to your overheating and catching on fire.
Using More Electricity
Not only can using your oven to heat your home lead to unwanted gas exposure and fires, but it can also hike up your energy bill. Ovens use a lot of electricity and even more so when used for the unattended purpose of heating your house. Heating your home with your oven can also lead to a shorter lifespan for your appliance, costing you money in the future.
Safe Ways to Heat Your Home
There are safer ways to heat your home. It’s always recommended to get your heating system checked out if your home is chillier than usual and keep up with maintenance, so you’re never without heat. In a pinch, space heaters are a better alternative than your oven to keep warm. While the average electric oven uses between 1,500 and 4,000 watts, space heaters are available that use as little as 500 watts.
Stay safe this winter and contact Air Experts to repair and maintain your heating system. Call us at (732) 759-0934 to schedule a service today.