Q – It is not freezing but it can get cool in my home office during the day, especially the morning. I hate to crank the heat when a little bit would do, so I use a space heater.

Anything I should know about my little warm buddy? I have had it for 10 years and aside from a funny smell when I first turn it on it works great. I keep good care of it and store it in a box in my crawlspace during the summer...

Amanda in Kennesaw

A - Oh boy, here we go…

First of all, we have just had a very warm summer, but I get where you are heading with this and it is sure to cool down soon. Plus, it’s always good to be proactive.

That means it’s that time of year again, when we throw all common sense out the window and go with whatever seems to work to keep us warm without using our furnace.

Let’s begin here. I wouldn’t use a brand-new space heater that smelled funny let alone one I drug out from my crawlspace, where who knows what has been using it for who knows what for who knows how long. Also – my personal rule of thumb: never use anything you have to clean mouse droppings off of.

Here are some space heater pointers to help keep you warm and alive when it is chilly inside:

- Only use space heating equipment that has the UL Mark.

- Space heaters should be used to only heat spaces, not to dry clothes or heat food.

- Keep a 3-foot zone around your space heater free of anything flammable.

- Turn off your space heater when you leave the room or when you go to sleep for the night.

- Make sure the wiring is sound on your heater and that the connections are tight.

- When buying a new space heater look for one with an automatic shut-off feature and with heating element guards.

I feel that this year – 2024 (which incidentally is the Year of the Space Heater) would be a perfect year to get a new little buddy.

Or – and this is a big ‘OR’ – you may want to look into getting a mini-split system installed in your chilly office which I am guessing doubles as an overly warm office in the summer. It would heat and cool. Contact your favorite heating and air company for details.

To re-cap - treat your space heater like you would an open flame and you should be ok