One common question that most people ask is: how to dispose of space heater? For a quick answer, if your heater is mainly composed of plastic, it can be disposed of in the trash at home. But if it is primarily composed of metal, you need to bring the heater to waste disposal. A space heater containing oil or hazardous materials that you cannot drain should be brought to the hazardous waste site.
First of all, you must know what type of material your heater is composed of. A large portion of most heaters is made of plastic. For some heaters, wood is used, while others are entirely made of metal. Most often than not, you can find space heaters made of mixed materials. Some of its parts are plastic, while other parts are metal.
Suppose your heater is made of mixed materials. Look at the most present material when deciding disposal. Other people would also break the heater and divide its material. However, this would need plenty of effort, and you might hurt yourself through the process. Another risk is the leaking of its hazardous materials. Whether your unit is unfashioned, too old, broken, or you want to free up some space, disposing of it should be done correctly. This post will teach you how to dispose of your space heaters, depending on their type. We will elaborate on this further below, so keep reading!
Types And How To Dispose Space Heaters
In this section, let us discuss how to dispose of space heaters based on their type. Disposal is not as difficult as you think. Follow the disposal guide below!
#1. Infrared space heaters
Usually, plastic is used to construct this type of heater. It has electronic boards. You can leave those inside the unit or take them out. I suggest that you leave those electronics for safety purposes. Since infrared space heaters are composed of plastic, it means that you can dispose of them with your trash at home. You don’t have to bring it to the dumping site for hazardous materials. The heating element of an infrared heater is made of quartz or ceramic. Both materials are non-hazardous. But if the majority of its parts are constructed out of metal, you need to bring the unit to the waste disposal area.
#2. Ceramic space heaters
The heating element of this type of heater is made of ceramic material. This heater does not contain any hazardous material, so you can also dispose of them in the household trash. But since they often come in a larger size, you will need to contact a pickup service for bulky waste disposal.
#3. Electric space heaters
An electric heater will provide heat by simply using some think metal wires. This will heat up as the current flows. Meaning says the heating elements or electronics of electric heaters are not complex. You can find this type of heater in cheap gadgets or electronic stores. Since they often fall in the low price range, most of them are constructed out of plastic, facilitating household trash disposal. Most often than not, cheap heaters can be disposed of quickly.
#4. Kerosene space heaters
Kerosene or any other heater powered by fuel is hazardous. This is particularly true if there is still fuel inside the heater. The exception is a gas and propane heater that you can dispose of at home. Since gas heaters require gas tanks, gas is not contained inside the unit. Furthermore, most of its components are constructed out of plastic.
#5. Oil-filled space heaters
It is hard to dispose of an oil-filled heater. This type of heater distributes the heat over its metal body. Oil is filled over the metal body and sealed on it correctly. With that being said, it is not possible to drain all the oil. A big machine is needed for this. This makes an oil heater a hazardous waste. It would help if you did not dispose of them in your house. Instead, bring your heater to the hazardous dumping site.
Although most of its parts are made of metal, you should not dispose of them in the regular dumping site. They will accept your heater, but it won’t be adequately handled. To ensure that it will be disposed of properly, call the depot and ask a thing. They will know what to do best. Some would accept your oil-filled heater, while others will not. You may also want to read about space heater electricity cost.
It’s A Wrap!
Often, you can dispose of a space heater with your trash at home. Both infrared and ceramic heaters are safe to dispose of at home since they do not contain any hazardous material. But if the heater is mainly composed of metal, you need to take it to the special scrap deal or waste disposal site. With this, you can earn some bucks. Your oil-filled heater should be disposed of on the hazardous dumping ground.
But another idea to consider is to sell the unit online. You earn money while saving yourself from the hassle of bringing the unit to the disposal site. All in all, you must know how to dispose of space heater and the importance of doing it correctly. You may want to read related articles; know how does a space heater works and what is the most energy-efficient space heater. Thank you for being with us!