Can I use an extension cord with a space heater?

Extension cords are utilized to deliver power to devices with cables that can’t reach any nearby electrical outlets. It’s more necessary to pick the right extension cord for your applicable devices to prevent your home from catching fire. Yeah, you heard right! Extension cords are usable enough for devices that possess short cables but each and everything comes with some side effects and demerits. Choosing the right option is vital to protect yourself from any jeopardy.

One question comes around sometimes that is it possible to use our space heater with an extension cord? Or can we use an extension cord with a space heater? To attain the answers to your queries regarding the relation of space heater and extension cord stick with me till the last.

What’s a Space Heater?

A space heater is an electrical device used to heat a room in your house or an apartment. Central heating is also enabled in space heaters which allows it to heat rooms of a house or connected rooms and as it’s an electrical device so it can be used with the help of electricity and can also work with burnable fuel, such as natural gas, propane, fuel oil, and wood pellets.

Can I use an extension cord with a space heater?

Extension cords are often made to handle a low amount of current or middle ranged current but the current required by space heaters are out of range of any power strip on an extension cord. Medium-sized space heaters pull nearly 1,500 watts and 12.5 or more amps. That is the estimate of what extension cords can hardly handle. The rating for your extension cord could be anything between 10-15A and if you have a cable which tolerance is up to 15 amperes, it won’t be enough as the excessive amount of current can melt the insulation easily. Moreover, a little fraction of fluctuation can burn your most trusted extension cord in seconds.

Therefore, the answer is NO. Never use an extension cord or power strip with any type of space heater to avoid a potential danger. Using a heavy-duty extension cord will make no difference but the same as space heaters require high amperage and must be directly connected with wall outlets. As the circuit will get overload or overheat by this action or even extension cord will be heated which can cause an electrical fire and if your thinking to set the thermostat of the space heater higher so it’ll be all in vain as it won’t make it any safer. Moreover, if your space heater has a plug that has a grounding prong, use only grounding (three-wire extension cord).

It's also stated by engineers and fire experts that extension cords or any other power strips aren’t prepared to hold the power a space heater expects. The current power supply is more than the capacity of any extension cord or power strip and it’s preferred not you use it or it’ll cause any hazardous circumstance like causing a fire.

If there's really no other option, you should limit your space heater’s power to 750W or 1000W as most of heaters have this feature and never leave the space heater unnattended. It may take a bit longer to heat up the space, this is a much safer solution than allowing your heater to run at full power.