Every state can have a cold snap during the winter, even Florida. Some heating and air conditioning systems may become inoperable, leaving your home with a chill. The cold can leave some homeowners looking for alternate heat sources after weather-related outages, such as hurricanes and severe storms.
It’s imperative, though, to be careful with your alternative mode of heat because safety is of extreme importance in a heating emergency.
One of the more popular options for alternative heat sources people might look to use is ovens. Using a gas or electric range is a dangerous option.
Gas ovens may burn inefficiently or go out altogether. The gas flame heats the oven, thus producing carbon monoxide. Without proper ventilation, this can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning. Good ventilation means avoiding using foil to cover vent holes on the floor of the oven. You should also always utilize the range hood while cooking to pull the gas out of the house. When people attempt to use a gas oven as a heat source, they’ll leave the oven door open. An opened oven can lead to the threat of burning unsuspecting family members and animals as well as an increased amount of carbon monoxide to unhealthy levels in your home.
While there is no threat of carbon monoxide poisoning with electric ovens, it’s important to note that electric ovens are not designed to heat a large space, thus rendering their use ineffective. You can leave the door open to allow the heated air to flow throughout the room, but this can create a dangerous area to bump into for children, pets, and even adults.
The heat coming from an oven left on for prolonged times can also cause damage to temperature dials and other items nearby. The damage to temperature dials can lead to electrical malfunctions, challenge the oven to work effectively, or, even worse, a fire.
Your safest bet is to invest in a high-quality heat pump from Rainaldi, your home comfort expert. Heat pumps work year-round, keeping your home comfortable, safe, and more efficient than ovens and portable heaters. Heat pumps are considered the most efficient source of heat for the home, which is why they’re popular in Florida.
Supplemental heat can come from your home’s fireplace. Just make sure you’ve prepped your fireplace and chimney for the season by having a routine cleaning (including roof, chimney flue, and fireplace) and having a mesh screen spark arrestor coving the chimney to prevent sparks from flying to neighboring trees outside the home.
If you’re worried about the function of your heat pump or looking for ways to keep your home warm this winter, contact Central Florida’s home comfort experts at Rainaldi Home Services.
Rainaldi Home Services provides fast, dependable plumbing and HVAC services to Orlando, Apopka, Kissimmee, Longwood, Oviedo, Winter Park and the Greater Orlando Area.
FAQs
Not only is it a fire and burn hazard but heating an apartment or your home with an oven that's on and open can also emit dangerous pollutants and gases into your home. The CDC has long warned to never use a gas range or oven for heating because it can cause a buildup of carbon monoxide inside your home.
Is it safe to use your stove to heat your house? ›
Kitchen ovens were never designed for heating homes only for cooking food. Carbon Monoxide (CO). CO is another invisible, odorless gas that could be hanging around in your kitchen. The EPA says at moderate levels it causes headaches, dizziness, nausea, and fainting—and at high levels it can be fatal.
Is it efficient to heat house with oven? ›
You may be tempted to use your home's oven as an alternative to whole-house heating or as a temporary solution during a power outage. Ernst Heating & Cooling wants to remind our customers to avoid this solution. At best, it is neither energy-efficient nor cost-efficient; at worst, it endangers your family's lives.
Is an oven a heat source? ›
One of the more popular options for alternative heat sources people might look to use is ovens. Using a gas or electric range is a dangerous option. Gas ovens may burn inefficiently or go out altogether.
Is it safe to use oven? ›
Safe Use. Never leave food cooking unattended, even if you're just popping out for a minute. Don't use the oven as a storage cupboard – someone might forget and turn it on. Make sure you keep the oven clean – grease and splatters of food can catch fire.
Is oven harmful for health? ›
The only non-ionizing radiation that causes cancer is UV light. So overall, microwave ovens are safe to use and will not cause cancer or any other adverse health conditions. If you're worried about your microwave leaking radiation or being too old, you can replace it with a newer one.
Is it safe to leave your oven on all night? ›
The longer an oven is left on, the greater the chance of an electrical malfunction leading to a fire, especially if it's left unattended. Ovens are designed to heat the small internal area where your food is cooked, not an entire room in your home.
Can you heat a house with a wood cook stove? ›
Rizzoli Wood Cook Stoves is an Italian-based company that manufactures beautiful, high-performance wood cookstoves that can efficiently be designed to cook your food, heat your water, and heat your home.
Can you leave an electric stove on all night? ›
It's Dangerous
In a scarier scenario, the longer an electric stove runs unattended, the greater the chance of an electrical breakdown and possible fire. Not to mention, the cost of running an electric stove pales in comparison to that of a space heater.
Do electric ovens produce carbon dioxide? ›
During cooking, electric stoves can emit 3x as much carbon dioxide as gas stoves, which again is a gas known to harm our planet. To their credit, the electric stove does not emit gas when idle so there are more health benefits to you and your family.
The heat in electric ovens is often drier and may provide more consistent temperatures due to rapid on/off cycles of the heating elements. If you do a lot of baking or browning, consider an electric range. Gas ovens feature an open flame that can be cranked up to preheat quickly.
What is the most efficient temperature to heat your house? ›
The bottom line
By reducing your home's temperature to 68 degrees Fahrenheit and under during winter and about 78 degrees Fahrenheit during summer, you can conserve energy and cut down your energy bills for good.
Is heat from an oven radiation? ›
In an oven, the hot air flows by natural or forced convection while heat is distributed from the heating element by radiation.
Do ovens leak carbon monoxide? ›
Over half of all gas-powered ovens emit more than the 9 parts per million amount of carbon monoxide that is considered harmless, and many families do not know this until the worst has happened.
Where does the heat from an oven go? ›
Ovens use gas or electricity to disperse heat throughout an oven compartment. Depending on rack placement and oven settings, the oven can accomplish cooking tasks like crisping pastries, melting cheese for open-faced sandwiches and browning or searing meats and fish under direct heat.
Is it safe to have an oven on all night? ›
The longer an oven is left on, the greater the chance of an electrical malfunction leading to a fire, especially if it's left unattended.
Can heat from oven damage skin? ›
Prolonged exposure to heat sources can lead to changes in the skin's superficial blood vessels, cells and fibers, creating hyperpigmentation or discoloration. With changes to the skin cells, other problems can occur.
Do all ovens produce carbon monoxide? ›
Over half of all gas-powered ovens emit more than the 9 parts per million amount of carbon monoxide that is considered harmless, and many families do not know this until the worst has happened.
