Baseboard Heaters and Toddlers
March 3, 2022 12:16 PM Subscribe
We have electric baseboard heaters in our toddler's bedroom. We're about to remove the sides from his crib so that he'll be free to roam unsupervised. How much of a fire hazard are the baseboards?
We're not really worried him burning himself on them, but we are worried about him leaving a book or piece of paper on them and causing a fire. Is this something we should be worried about? Do baseboard heaters get hot enough to cause fires?
The temperature control is on the heater itself, so putting a cover on it would be complicated.
We're not really worried him burning himself on them, but we are worried about him leaving a book or piece of paper on them and causing a fire. Is this something we should be worried about? Do baseboard heaters get hot enough to cause fires?
The temperature control is on the heater itself, so putting a cover on it would be complicated.
Although you're not worried about him burning himself, my toddler got a nasty burn from one. And they get hot enough to melt plastic.
posted by goatdog at 12:35 PM on March 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by goatdog at 12:35 PM on March 3, 2022 [2 favorites]
That 451 thing is not at all applicable to paper or cloth touching a resistive heating element.
In short: yes you will have to check this room for fire safety and not leave them in it for long periods awake and unattended, or risk severe burn to kid and/or a fire, with all that entails.
Here's a brief blurb I just googled up that talks a bit about children and these heating elements.
Safety organizations have tons of warning material out there, here's a security video of a baseboard heater causing a fire, many more available with easy searching.
TLDR: these are much more dangerous in terms of burning humans and ignition risk, compared most other common home heating systems. Do not freak out, but Ignore at your peril!
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:20 PM on March 3, 2022 [3 favorites]
In short: yes you will have to check this room for fire safety and not leave them in it for long periods awake and unattended, or risk severe burn to kid and/or a fire, with all that entails.
Here's a brief blurb I just googled up that talks a bit about children and these heating elements.
Safety organizations have tons of warning material out there, here's a security video of a baseboard heater causing a fire, many more available with easy searching.
TLDR: these are much more dangerous in terms of burning humans and ignition risk, compared most other common home heating systems. Do not freak out, but Ignore at your peril!
posted by SaltySalticid at 1:20 PM on March 3, 2022 [3 favorites]
Fyi baseboards can be replaced with convectors which are much cooler to the touch and generally a safer physical package (it is possible on many baseboards to touch the fins if you work at it and they can be pretty sharp). They take up more wall space though.
posted by Mitheral at 2:28 PM on March 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Mitheral at 2:28 PM on March 3, 2022 [1 favorite]
My toddler hid their toothbrush is a baseboard heater, presumably to avoid brushing teeth. I can confirm that plastic melts and smells horrible in the heater.
We kept the heaters off when kids were in the room, childproofed the knob so the couldn’t get it turned on, and after the toothbrush incident inspected the heater before turning it on.
Also, jokes on toddler - I had a box of extra toothbrushes, so they didn’t even get to skip a night!
posted by Valancy Rachel at 4:10 PM on March 3, 2022 [7 favorites]
We kept the heaters off when kids were in the room, childproofed the knob so the couldn’t get it turned on, and after the toothbrush incident inspected the heater before turning it on.
Also, jokes on toddler - I had a box of extra toothbrushes, so they didn’t even get to skip a night!
posted by Valancy Rachel at 4:10 PM on March 3, 2022 [7 favorites]
One of our baseboard heaters got covered with a blanket which caught on fire.
posted by miles1972 at 12:24 AM on March 4, 2022 [3 favorites]
posted by miles1972 at 12:24 AM on March 4, 2022 [3 favorites]
For more authoritative precautions and reasons to take this seriously, the NFPA says:
Based on 2014-2018 annual averages:
Most home heating fire deaths (81%) involved stationary or portable space heaters.
Half of the home heating fire deaths were caused by having heating equipment to close too things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing mattresses or bedding.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:36 AM on March 4, 2022
Based on 2014-2018 annual averages:
Most home heating fire deaths (81%) involved stationary or portable space heaters.
Half of the home heating fire deaths were caused by having heating equipment to close too things that can burn, such as upholstered furniture, clothing mattresses or bedding.
posted by SaltySalticid at 5:36 AM on March 4, 2022
This thread is closed to new comments.
*Very rough estimate
posted by soelo at 12:34 PM on March 3, 2022