Space Heaters?

[Hess]

I've got a dilemma involving my baby's room: It's cold in there! That side of the house has always been cold no matter what I do to the vents (central heating / air). I want to put a "space heater" in there but am obviously worried about the obvious dangers of space heaters. Are there any recommended "space heaters" that would be considered acceptable for a babies room?

[egoldber]

I would get a heating contractor out to see if there is anything that can be done. Personally, I would use thick sleepers and sleep sacks layered over onesies before using a space heater, but that may just be my own personal paranoia.

HTH,

[ct]

Just out of curiousity, do you live in a very old home? I had this problem in our home (built in 1930) in only 2 rooms. No matter what I did to the vent it seemed like no more air would come out. Finally I pried the vent covers off and reached my hand into the vents and found all sorts of old rags and curtains (and I mean old - my guess is that they were from the 1950's). I'm guessing that previous owners years back decided they didn't want to waste heat in those 2 rooms, so they tried muffling the vents. It was very weird, but solved my problem. With regard to space heaters, they do make electric ones that shut off automatically when they are tipped over, my guess is that would be the safest, however, I too would probably try to find some other option and only use that as a last resort. Best of luck to you...

ct

[Momof3Labs]

My DH is a firefighter. After hearing his story this past winter about the baby who was on fire along with his crib (from the space heater), there's no way I'd put a space heater anywhere near my baby. Granted, it may be possible to find a safe one or use it safely, but I personally wouldn't take the chance.

Could it be a leaky window or insulation problem? Or, as the others have mentioned, a problem with the heating or ventilation in the house? I'd definitely look into these solutions first. Or can you move the baby to a different room for the winter?

Sorry for the graphic image - but it is reality.

Lori
due 10/12 w/ #1

[Hess]

Thanks for the replies. I believe the primary reason the babies room is colder is that it is built above the garage and ½ the walls are exterior walls. I know the space heater horror stories all too well, however, I guess I always assume these stories involve the red-hot heating elements type of space heater.
In running out to the hardware store today, I have found the other types of heaters. These systems are more like the old fashioned "steam pipes" that heat up a room. They claim they are even ok to the touch (i.e. it's not burning hot).

[KathyO]

My baby's room gets quite chilly too (really, the whole upstairs does, also an old house), so I got a hooded fleece snowsuit-style bunting to put over her sleeper, and that worked out just fine. Better, in fact, since she tends to kick off any covers I put on her. I call it "double-bagging"!

Cheers,

KathyO

[mamahill]

I bought a space heater from Target and I think it's great. I know the dangers, but I think they mostly occur when the heater is used improperly. I make sure there is a radius of 2 feet on all sides and nothing loose like blankets or clothes are nearby. The one I got is small and turns off if slightly tipped. Also, it has a thermostat, so I can set it to 65 or 70 and it shuts off after reaching that. dh and i prefer a cooler room, but our bedroom is also an interior room, whereas dd's room has 2 exterior walls. Anyway, just thought I'd throw in my 2 cents...

[Rachels]

What about a heat fan? We use one in our bedroom in the winter. It scares me less than a space heater because there's no exposed heating element. I have been plugging it in lately on chilly evenings when I give Abigail a bath (far from the tub, obviously). Even the lowest setting takes the chill out of the room nicely.

[Meinrad]

We use a Vornado Intellitemp heater and I think it works great. Cool to the touch, non-glowing element, auto shutoff if it tips. Used properly I believe it to be very safe.

My favorite thing about it is that it's quiet and doesn't have the annoying on/off cycles of most heaters. It runs continously and adjusts fan speed and heat to match the desired temperature.