Space heater safety: electric heaters and ethanol fireplaces

A cold room, a damp basement, a heating breakdown: the space heater often comes out in November. The Government of Quebec reminds us that every heating appliance is a fire risk if it is poorly installed, poorly maintained or misused, especially portable heaters. Here are its rules, followed by those of Montréal’s fire department.

1. Electric space heaters

When buying and setting up (Québec.ca):

• Check that the unit bears the seal of a recognized certification body, such as CSA or ULC.
• Keep at least 1 metre of clear space around the unit and let air flow freely.
• Put it on a stable surface where nobody can knock it over.
• Choose a model with a built-in device that shuts it off if it tips over.

In Quebec, every electrical appliance sold must be approved or certified by an accredited body; an uncertified product may not meet the standards and can start a fire if it fails. Be wary of units with no seal bought online.

When using it:

• Keep it away from furniture, curtains and fabrics.
• Plug it directly into a wall outlet, with no extension cord.
• Turn it off before leaving the room or going to bed.
• Don’t use it as permanent heating: have a proper permanent heating system installed by a qualified person instead.

Extension cords are for temporary use only: a coiled cord builds up heat, and a cord that gets warm or is damaged must be replaced (electrical safety tips, in French).

2. Ethanol fireplaces

According to Québec.ca (in French), an ethanol fireplace is a decorative appliance: it must not be used to heat a room. Ethanol is a liquid fuel that gives off irritating, flammable vapours.

• First check your municipality’s rules on installing and using these fireplaces; in Montréal, according to the City’s page on solid fuel-burning stoves and fireplaces, some boroughs require a permit before you install, replace or remove a fuel-burning heating appliance, ethanol included.
• Choose a model certified to Canadian standards, stable and with clear space around it.
• Install a carbon monoxide alarm in the room with the appliance and near the bedrooms.
• Use only the type of ethanol recommended by the manufacturer.
• Never refill a burner that is still hot. Wait at least 15 minutes, or keep a second burner on hand while the first one cools.
• Light it with long matches or a long lighter, and keep candles, lighters and smoking materials away.
• Store ethanol out of children’s reach and away from any heat source. It is recommended not to keep more than 5 litres indoors.

3. Temporary kerosene, propane or gas heaters

Québec.ca is clear: temporary heaters and generators must be used outdoors only, unless the exhaust gases are properly vented outside. A kerosene heater must be completely cool before it is refilled, and it is refilled outdoors, away from any heat source. With any fuel-burning appliance, you need a carbon monoxide alarm in the room and on every floor, near the bedrooms. See also our guide on power outages and carbon monoxide.

4. Supplementary heat in Montréal and Pointe-Claire: tips and permits

On its heating page, the Service de sécurité incendie de Montréal (SIM) adds specific benchmarks:

• never leave an auxiliary heater on unattended, leave one metre of space around it, don’t plug it into an extension cord and don’t use it as a permanent heat source;
• for central heating, leave one metre of space around furnaces and 10 cm around electric baseboards: a couch pushed against a baseboard is already too close.

If the space heater is there because a room lacks heat, the lasting fix is a permanent unit. The process depends on the town: according to the City of Pointe-Claire (in French), installing a heating system, or replacing one with another type, needs a building permit, and no work may start before it is issued. In a rented dwelling in Montréal, the City says the unit must have electrical and heating systems in good working order; if the landlord doesn’t act, the tenant can ask for an inspection (City page for tenants, in French).

5. In every case

• Have enough smoke alarms, in the right places, and test them: see our guide on smoke alarms.
• Keep a portable fire extinguisher within reach and learn how to use it.

When to call a licensed company

A space heater running every day is a sign that the room lacks permanent heating or that your system has a problem. Québec.ca recommends having compliant permanent heating installed and, if you need more outlets permanently, having them added by a master electrician. Also call an electrician if the electrical panel feels abnormally warm, or if a fuse blows for no apparent reason. Electrical work falls under RBQ subclass 16, and heating work under subclasses specific to each type of system: a quick look at the company’s licence record confirms it.

To add a baseboard or a circuit, see electricians in Le Plateau-Mont-Royal, La Prairie or Candiac, or describe the room you need to heat to receive offers.