Space heaters?

[Iago]

Since winter is coming and it is getting a little colder I have placed a space heater in Iago's room to keep him cozy. I stumbled upon some info stating that space heaters could possibly be deadly but was pretty vague about specifics. Which space heaters are bird-safe and which should I stay away from?

The one I have is very similar to this (if not exactly it):
Lasko Products - Ceramic Tower Heaters - Model 5521

Does anyone else know any info on this?

 

[Jodi]

I was telling my husband that we may need to invest in one this year depending on how cold it gets. Our birds are kept in a draft free area which I read is key, and I also learned that they can handle temps as low as 65, as long as it's a moderate change and not sudden.

I also read about some space heaters containing teflon, which is deadly and I was unaware of this as well.
I found this web page, which may help guide you =)

Keep Your Pet Birds Warm & Safe This Winter

 

[bogo1]

Electric only and no teflon components... and even then they can be a gamble due to possible fire hazards if combustibles get too close.

 

[Von1983]

The best way to find out if your make and model is safe is to contact the manufacturer directly if you no longer have the documents that would tell you.

ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Bobby34231]

This subject has come up many times and the general consensus has been that oil filled heater are one of the safest, they emit no fumes and the temperature output is very stable.

 

[Iago]

Well I e-mailed Lasko and this was their reply:

Thank you for taking the time to contact Lasko Products, Inc. We understand your concerns and will gladly provide you with the following information. Lasko heaters are not manufactured with any type of Teflon / PTFE parts or materials. If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to contact us.

This makes me feel so much better!

 

[Sarahmorrow]

I found this forum online. Thank you all for the valuable information.

I wanted to mention one thing. One person lists oil filled electric heaters as being safe because they don't give off dangerous fumes.

While I appreciate this being mentioned, I have to say, it's true but it's also not true. Oil filled electric heaters that are working right don't burn the oil or give off combustion fumes, but they can have very toxic fumes. The problem is that when they are shipped for sales and storage, they are coated with a varnish to prevent rusting. When they heat up, this off-gases. The manufacturers recommend heating them on high for at least two hours to burn this off. Some people have said it can take 24 hours or longer for the coating to all get burned off.

When I got an oil filled heater, I got sick, my daughter got sick and my parrot got really sick. Luckily we all recovered. Once all the shellac had burned off, there were not any problems.

So I would say, get an oil filled heater by all means. But before you use it, temper it, as all of the manufactures recommend, in a well ventilated shed, by heating it on high for several hours. If you don't do this, it'll be slowly giving off noxious fumes as the shellac on it burns off, that could harm birds and other pets.

 

[TheDukeofGoodCleanFun]

Mentioned this before on a different thread, but we have a couple of these infrared panels, and they're fantastic. Can't recommend them enough:

Avitech Exotic Birds - Supplies, Equipment and Nutritional Supplements for Birds!

 

[DGSaxman]

Lasko's FAQ page for heaters states:
"24. Does my Lasko heater have Teflon? Can I use it around my birds?TOP
We understand that birds are more sensitive than other animals and to our knowledge, Teflon is not found in our products. However, there could be other compounds found in the product that could potentially be harmful to birds. Therefore, we do not recommend the use of our products around birds."
BEWARE lasko parrot heater teflon

 

[DGSaxman]

PLEASE go to lasko's faq page under heaters and read item 23 and 24. they do NOT reccomend their products around birds.

 

[suncon97]

I have an Eden Pure space heater.All safe been using it all winter in same room and no issues yet.

 

[baron1282]

Lasko says yes, than no? That makes no since!!

 

[crimson]

Living in Canada, you bet we get cold winters, but aren't any different than the northern U.S.
I decided to purchase 2 heaters, one for my bird room,(for breeding) the other in our bedroom where I keep my pet birds. None of them contain Teflon. I ran them in a separate room for 24 hours to burn off any shipping chemicals,odours etc... they've been in there for 2 years and haven't had a problem. they have an auto shut-off and temp. setting.

I also have two humidifiers going in the two rooms as well, cause it gets very dry in the house during the winter months.