Maintenance, Repair & Operations

Heater Safety

Oct. 1, 2018

Make sure you know how much air space to keep around a heater.

So you know to keep combustibles away from stationary and portable heaters. But what about incombustibles? Heaters need a certain minimum air space around them, or they become a safety problem due to overheating.

If the heater does not specify air space on its label, look in the manual for that heater. That space includes the sides and rear; generally, you want at least 10 ft of space in front of a heater. The bigger the heater, the more likely you will need to increase the space. Keep portable cords out of that space; run them so they are not in front of heater grills or vents.

If a heater is fueled and ventilated, allow at least 18 in. around the chimney connector. And never place a heater on an unstable surface, on a combustible surface, or below combustibles. Never set anything on top of a heater, combustible or not.

Don’t use a space heater to warm food; it wasn’t designed for that purpose

About the Author

Mark Lamendola

Mark is an expert in maintenance management, having racked up an impressive track record during his time working in the field. He also has extensive knowledge of, and practical expertise with, the National Electrical Code (NEC). Through his consulting business, he provides articles and training materials on electrical topics, specializing in making difficult subjects easy to understand and focusing on the practical aspects of electrical work.

Prior to starting his own business, Mark served as the Technical Editor on EC&M for six years, worked three years in nuclear maintenance, six years as a contract project engineer/project manager, three years as a systems engineer, and three years in plant maintenance management.

Mark earned an AAS degree from Rock Valley College, a BSEET from Columbia Pacific University, and an MBA from Lake Erie College. He’s also completed several related certifications over the years and even was formerly licensed as a Master Electrician. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and past Chairman of the Kansas City Chapters of both the IEEE and the IEEE Computer Society. Mark also served as the program director for, a board member of, and webmaster of, the Midwest Chapter of the 7x24 Exchange. He has also held memberships with the following organizations: NETA, NFPA, International Association of Webmasters, and Institute of Certified Professional Managers.