An 86-year-old woman's body was found lying in the bedroom of her house in Uttar Pradesh's Meerut district. She retired from the post of Head of English Department, RG Girls Degree College, Meerut. She was alone in the house at the time of the incident. Neighbors informed the police about the smell coming from the house.
Police investigation revealed that she fell asleep after turning on the room heater in the room. Carbon monoxide gas emanating from the heater is believed to be the cause of his death.
In winter, people take the help of room heaters or blowers to keep the house or room warm. A room heater heats up a room within minutes. However, extreme caution should be exercised during its use. Even a little carelessness can be fatal.
So today In work news We will talk about what are the things to keep in mind while using a room heater? You will also learn that-
- How dangerous is it to use a room heater in a closed room?
- What safety features are important to look out for when buying a new room heater?
Expert: Dr. Akbar Naqvi, General Physician, New Delhi
Shashikant Upadhyay, Power Electronics Engineer, Ahmedabad
Q- What is a room heater and how does it work? Answer- It is an electronic device, which generates heat. Generally, room heaters are very light and portable. It is made of nickel chromium alloy. Its resistance is medium to high level. Being of high resistance, current flows through it, due to which heat is generated.
However, it releases carbon monoxide gas while generating heat. It is an odorless gas. So it can cause a silent death.
Q- What kind of health problems do room heaters increase the risk of? Answer- Dr. Akbar Naqvi says that room heaters save us from cold, but their use should be reduced. It can harm health in many ways. such as-
- The brain needs the most oxygen in our body. Carbon monoxide is a poisonous gas, which affects blood circulation in the body. Due to its high amount in the body, the blood supply to the brain is not reached, which increases the risk of sudden death or brain hemorrhage.
- Besides, the air is already dry in winter. In such a situation, the room heater works to further reduce the humidity of the air. which may cause skin or eye irritation.
Prolonged use of room heaters can also cause other health problems. See this in the graphic below-
Q- What are the things to be aware of while using a room heater? Answer- A room heater is an excellent electronic device to protect against cold. However, it is important to be careful while using it. If you have an old room heater in your home, get it serviced before using it. Also, keep in mind which part of the house you are using it. Because even a little carelessness can cause a fire in the house.
See some more precautions in the graphic below.
If you have children or pets in your home, take extra precautions when using a room heater. Do not leave children alone in rooms with room heaters.
Question- What should be considered while buying a new room heater? Answer- If you want to buy a room heater, first check the size of your room. Buy room heaters accordingly. If the room is small, do not choose a large or high voltage heater. Apart from this, keep some other things in mind before buying. Check it out in the graphic below-
Apart from this, keep in mind the basic things while using a room heater.
Q- If you have a medium sized room, how many wattage room heaters should you buy for it? Answer- You should buy room heater according to your room. The capacity of a room heater depends on its wattage. Understand this from the following points-
- If the room size is 100 square feet i.e. 10*10, a room heater with a power rating between 1000 watts (W) to 1500 watts is sufficient. It will heat up the room temperature quickly. Also it will not consume much electricity. It is suitable for office cabin, small room.
- If the room size is between 100-200 square feet, a 2000 watt to 2500 watt room heater is sufficient. It will adequately heat the room in 15-20 minutes. This wat room heater is a great option for living room or large bedroom.
- For large halls or open spaces, a heater of 3000 watts or more is required. People often use it in open terraces or large halls.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
