As winter approaches, many homeowners look for ways to stay warm without running up a large heating bill. One of the most dangerous tactics used is attempting to heat the entire home with a kitchen stove. While this may seem like an easy fix, it could have potentially devastating consequences.
Using a stove to heat your home is incredibly dangerous and can cause carbon monoxide poisoning or even a fire in the worst cases. Carbon monoxide is an odorless, colorless gas that can be produced when gas-powered appliances are operated in enclosed spaces. When too much carbon monoxide builds up in an area without proper ventilation, it can be fatal if inhaled by humans or animals that are nearby.
In addition to carbon monoxide poisoning, using your kitchen stove as a primary heating source also increases the risk of house fires exponentially due to improper wiring and overloading outlets with additional cords and appliances needed to keep your oven running all day long. Furthermore, using wood stoves as a form of heat has been known to cause fires from sparks flying out of the chimney flue onto combustible materials near the stove such as drywall or carpeting.
The bottom line is that attempting to heat your entire home with anything other than specially designed heating systems is very dangerous and should be avoided at all costs. If you’re looking for ways to reduce energy costs this winter, try adding extra insulation around windows and doors or get a programmable thermostat if you don’t already have one so you can better manage when your furnace kicks on during cold days.