What space heaters are safe for birds? This article contains everything you need to know to choose the right space heater for your bird as well as safety tips to make sure your bird stays happy.
After reading this, you’ll know exactly which kind of space heater you should get for your bird and I’ve even included an easy-to-follow guide that shows you exactly what to do with a new heater to bird-safe it.
Birds are really sensitive to heat and humidity. So, it’s great that you care enough for your pet to take the few extra steps and research before you buy a heater that could harm your bird.
Here’s the quick general answer for you:
Question: What space heaters are safe for birds?
Answer: Generally, oil-filled radiators are the best space heaters to use with birds. They don’t expose heating elements, are quiet and don’t light up. Additionally, they distribute the heat evenly and oftentimes come with a thermostat that regulates temperature. Also, oil-filled radiators don’t emit harmful gases after you’ve prepared them for your birds. Later on, I’ll show you how.
First off: Never use a space heater with exposed heating elements. Exposed heating elements can easily hurt your bird. A heater with exposed heating elements is never bird-safe!
Why you should never use gas heaters for birds
Birds are very sensitive to gases. As you might have already heard, back in the days coal-mine workers used birds to detect carbon monoxide. A dead bird was a sign of toxic gases and the workers knew to get out of the mine as quickly as possible.
That’s why you should never use gas heaters, propane heaters and kerosene heaters with birds.
When burning their fuel, they produce an increased amount of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide – gases that are toxic and are dangerous for your bird.
Don’t use a gas heater for your bird.
Electric Space Heaters: Are they safe for birds?
Generally, electric space heaters are a much better choice as a heater for your birds.
The reason is that they use electricity to produce heat instead of chemical reactions. With chemical reactions, you can never be totally sure. At least our human nose can’t smell most of the bad gases.
Still, there’s one downside to electrical space heaters as well. It doesn’t apply to all of them, but some:
They have a nonstick coating that can emit gases. So, you either need to make sure you get a space heater without any coatings, or you get rid of the coating. You’ll learn more about this later on.
Here’s what bird experts say:
Electric space heaters are safe to use with birds, but according to the Bird Safety Corner
“You should NEVER run a new electric space heater around birds unless you are certain it does not have a nonstick coating on it.“
Bird Safety Corner by cafabirdclub.org
To get rid of the coating, you could, for example, leave the heater running on full heat for a few weeks for a few hours a day. This will get rid of a big part of the coating.
Some heater coils have a Teflon coating. This is, however, only dangerous if the heater gets too hot (just like with fry pans who shouldn’t overheat). A heater that doesn’t go over 400 degrees Fahrenheit should be safe even though it has a Teflon coating.
But: Some heaters use a so-called two-point controller. They are really cheap to produce because all they do is turn the heat on and off. These cheap on-off controllers could cause your space heater to get hotter than 400 degrees Fahrenheit and cause harmful gas emission.
Try to avoid such space heaters.
Instead, get a better-quality heater that has a built-in thermostat. Instead of switching full heat on and off, a thermostat balances the temperature evenly.
With a thermostat, the space heater is also less likely to overheat and much more energy-efficient. Such electric space heaters are safer to use.
Okay, so here’s what we need to look out for now:
- No coating (or burned off coating).
- Built-in thermostat.
If you already have an old electric space heater somewhere in your house, you can assume that this one is safe to use. Old space heaters either don’t have a coating at all or the coating is already burned off.
Oil-filled heaters
Oil-filled heaters oftentimes look like regular radiators. By heating the oil in its pipes, oil-filled radiators distribute heat evenly. Additionally, they have a big, wavy metal surface that distributes the heat.
Because of their shape, oil-filled heaters are not too hot to touch and they don’t emit gases.
Still, if you get a new heater, run it a few hours, because the paint could store gas that you want to get rid of first.
Unlike other heaters, oil-filled radiators don’t emit light. This means you can also use them at night without disturbing your bird’s sleep.
Our recommendation: Oil-filled space heaters are the safest choice for birds
Even though we have some more heaters to discuss, I’ll reveal our recommendation now.
For birds, oil-filled heaters are the best choice you can make.
You should get this heater for your bird:
Here’s why:
Oil-filled heaters don’t get too hot because their metal surface distributes the heat quickly. Still, they are able to evenly heat a room just like regular radiators.
Additionally, they are pet-safe and child-safe, because they don’t expose any heating elements. In contrast, other space heaters often have a protective metal grid that prevents you from touching the heating element. However, their protective metal grid gets really hot as well.
If you are concerned about your electric bill, you can stop worrying now: Even though they need 1.500 Watts of power like other heaters, they heat in a much more cost-effective way: More heat for less power.
Because oil-filled heaters are so massive, they retain their heat even when you shut them off. They don’t cool down instantly. That’s great if you want to keep your pet warm at night without leaving your heater running throughout the night.
Like other heaters, oil-filled radiators often have a built-in thermostat, overheat protection and auto shut off.
Ceramic Heaters
You can consider ceramic heaters as safe as well. They generate heat using a high-resistance ceramic heating element that can get really hot when electricity is applied to it. Metal parts then pull the heat out of the ceramic element and distribute it.
Because the main heating element consists of just ceramic, it emits very little or rather no gases at all.
Ceramic heaters don’t emit light, so it’s dark at night and your birds can rest.
I’d only get ceramic heaters if your birds are in a cage. The heating element can get burning hot which could hurt them, so you should keep ceramic heaters in a safe distance from your birds.
Also, ceramic heaters produce a really dry heat which might not be the best for your birds feathers.
We’ll cover a little about humidifying later, so keep reading.ve
Infrared Heaters
Infrared heaters are generally safe as well. But similar to ceramic heaters, you should only use them when your birds are in a cage.
Because these heaters can get hot to touch, oil-filled heaters are better for free-flying birds.
One thing I like about infrared heaters for birds is that you can point them at the birdcage and they’ll only heat the cage area instead of the entire room. Because of that, infrared heaters are pretty cost-effective.
Sadly they don’t retain the heat for long: As soon as you switch them off, your bird’s cage will be cold.
Additionally, infrared heaters emit light, so it will not be dark at night.
But: Unlike other heaters, infrared heaters are quiet because they don’t need a fan running to distribute heat.
What else to consider
To make sure your birds are happy, here are some points you need to consider:
- Air the room regularly
- Vent the heating system (only needed for oil-filled radiators) regularly to minimize carbon monoxide emission and maximize heating efficiency
- Install carbon monoxide detectors just to make sure your heater is safe
- Keep your room humid. Birds are sensitive to dry air. Especially tropical birds need humidity. A simple thing you can do to fix this issue is to get a humidifier (like this one (click me) on amazon).
- Make sure no coatings like Teflon are used in your heater.
How to bird-safe a new heater
Brand new heaters are not fully ready for your bird yet. There are some things you need to do to bird-safe them.
First, new heaters often have that “brand new electronics”-smell. If you recognize such a smell, your new bird heater needs some off-gassing first:
Take your heater to the garage or to your garden and run it for on full heat for about 3 hours. Do that every day for one week. This makes sure that most of the unwanted gases evaporate.
If you are using a heater that is not oil-filled:
Place your heater in one corner of the room and let it heat the room. Keep your birds in a cage. If you see that the birds show interest in the new heater, distract them with their favorite toys or other things they like.
You need to minimize the birds’ interest in the new heater to make sure they don’t burn themselves when they’re out of the cage. That’s why oil-filled heaters are generally the best choice for birds: They don’t get dangerously hot.
Don’t let your birds out until you think they’re used to the new heater in their room.
Can you leave your bird space heater on when you’re not home?
Generally, modern heaters don’t get hot enough to really damage something. They are equipped with auto-shutoff and overheating protection.
Still, I believe it’s best to leave the house with a peaceful mind rather than worrying all day about accidents that might happen in your absence.
Therefore, you should always shut off your heater when you’re not at home. Avoid the small chance that something goes wrong.
The Outline – What space heaters are safe for Birds?
For birds, oil-filled heaters are the very best choice. Use them together with a humidifier to make sure your birds feel good in the new environment.
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Also, check out the other heater guides!
FAQs
Which space heaters are safe for birds? ›
RADIATING/OIL FILLED HEATERS:
This is my choice of space heater. An oil filled heater provides a more ambient heat as it throws heat from all sides, not just the one it's facing. It remains cooler to the touch making it a safer choice for our birds.
Using space heaters, gas fireplaces and other human-oriented winter heating devices can lead to tragedies with our pet birds. Some space heaters contain components coated with polymers containing polytetrafluroethylene (PTFE), the same element in nonstick cookware that (when overheated) emits fumes deadly to birds.
Are Lasko space heaters safe for birds? ›Yes. Lasko heaters are not made with any materials that would harm pets. See question #24 if you have birds.
What are the safest space heaters to use? ›The safest type of space heaters are oil-filled radiator heaters. We are going to check the 7-point safety checklist of what to look for when choosing a safe heater, including checking for UL or EFT certificates, tip-over protection, overheat protection, inclusion of a thermostat, and so on.
Are electric baseboard heaters safe for birds? ›Central heating systems are generally safe for birds. These include traditional furnaces and boilers, electric heat pumps, radiant baseboard heat, and radiant ceiling or floor heat.
Do ceramic space heaters have Teflon? ›This heater uses a ceramic heating element, which is coated in PTFE, a Teflon-like substance. If you have any other questions please do not hesitate to contact our consumer relations team by emailing us at SocialSupport@helenoftroy.com. Thank you. Sorry, there was a problem.
What temperature should a room be for a bird? ›Considering how difficult extreme temperatures can be on pet birds, does that mean there's an ideal temperature range? “Yes,” says North Carolina avian veterinarian, Gregory Burkett, DVM. “In my experience, most pet birds' comfort range is between 65 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
How do you heat a bird room? ›Oil-Filled Radiators. One of the best options for heating entire rooms is the oil-filled radiator. I have used these with great success in bird and reptile holding rooms in several zoos, as well as at home. Oil-filled radiators provide even heat throughout the entire room, so that extra-hot or cool spots are eliminated ...
How do you keep birds warm without electricity? ›Keep your bird's cage covered with a sheet or blanket on three sides and point the open side towards any heat source such as a fireplace or a sunny window. Smaller cages are easier to heat up than larger ones and are easier to re-position throughout the day as necessary. Don't put your bird too close to the fireplace.
Are Dyson heaters safe for birds? ›I have used the Dyson hot+cool purifier with my macaw for over a year. It is very safe and quiet. There is no Teflon, no odor, nor blades, heats perfectly and purifies very well.
Do Lasko ceramic heaters have Teflon? ›
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." "Does my Lasko heater have Teflon?
What metals are bird safe? ›However, precious metals, like gold and silver don't harm the bird. It is other metals such as lead, zinc, copper, aluminium and chrome that are toxic to pet and aviary birds. Sources of metal within households are many and varied. In aviaries and cages, galvanized wire can be a source of poisoning.
Is infrared or ceramic heater better? ›Quartz infrared heaters offer very fast heat-up and cool down times. Ceramic heaters, however, require more time to heat circulating air and warm up the room via convection. Quartz heaters can be used to create quieter heating equipment as in most cases air movement from noisy convection blowers is not needed.
What is better than a space heater? ›A basic tenet is that electric space heaters are less efficient than HVAC systems. In most places, electricity is more expensive than natural gas, so a gas furnace is better for overall efficiency.
What type of space heaters catch fire? ›This could ignite a fire or cause an electrical burn. Electric heaters use a lot of energy and can easily overload circuits, causing a power failure or fire. Heaters that use natural gas, propane, or kerosene can be dangerous if their fuel leaks and ignites.
Are baseboard heaters safer than space heaters? ›Baseboard heaters are generally safe and have low fire danger. If you routinely use a portable space heater to heat an area, you should consider whether changing to a wall-mounted baseboard heater might provide increased safety and ease of use for your situation.
What can I use instead of a baseboard heater? ›Ductless heat pumps/mini split systems are one of the top alternatives to baseboard heaters if you're looking for the energy efficiency of electric heat but want to avoid the drawbacks listed above. A ductless mini split provides all the benefits of zoned climate control, and doesn't require ductwork.
Is electric heater good for budgies? ›When faced with frigid weather, experts recommend having an alternative heat source other than using a home's electric heater in case the heater goes out. From space heaters, oil heaters, to traditional furnaces, make sure the heat source you use is bird-safe.
Are ceramic heaters safer than space heaters? ›Ceramic heaters are easily portable and give off a great deal of heat from a small box. These heaters tend to be more energy efficient and safer than many heaters, so even though they heat up quickly, their plastic casings stay cool.
What is the difference between a space heater and a ceramic heater? ›A fan space heater is very similar to a ceramic heater. In fact, it operates in almost every single way except for the heating element. Instead of using ceramic plates, these types of space heaters heat up a metal coil, and that coil is what transfers heat into the air.
Can I leave my space heater on overnight ceramic? ›
Never Leave Your Heater Running Unattended
When you leave the room, you need to turn off your space heater. This is the very best way to make sure that it doesn't tip over and that nothing flammable accidentally comes in contact with the heating element.
Your parrot might be cold if it is fluffing up its feathers and burying its beak into its chest, squatting to cover its legs in feathers and shivering. A bird that is cold might also get lethargic and lose its appetite.
How cold is too cold for indoor birds? ›Thus, it is extremely important that the climate in which you house pet birds mimics their natural habitat. It often can be dangerous to expose a pet bird to an environment that is any cooler than 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
What temperature is too cold for birds? ›Birds (especially larger parrots) can generally tolerate temperatures as low as the 50s, but once the thermometer drops below that, they may get fluffed up (expending all of their energy trying to trap warm air between their feathers and their bodies to keep warm) and stop eating.
Can you put a heated blanket on a bird cage? ›You never want to put anything electrical near your bird. Even though the insulated wire filaments that run through the newer electric blankets work on only 12 or 24 volts, the power cord that runs from the wall to the blanket is on 110 volts.
Should I put warm water out for birds in winter? ›We recommend maintaining a source of clean, fresh water. In our backyard, we use a simple bird bath heater to keep water available all winter long. We've seen birds drinking and even bathing—which shouldn't cause alarm—when the temperatures are below freezing.
How warm is too warm for a bird? ›Usually the ambient temperature is lower than the bird's body temperature, and the bird's metabolism produces heat to keep warm. But when the outside air rises above about 40 degrees C (104 degrees F) the bird's metabolic heat will cause it to get too warm. So the bird needs to cool down.
What keeps birds from freezing in winter? ›Feathers: Birds' feathers provide remarkable insulation against the cold, and many bird species grow extra feathers as part of a late fall molt to give them thicker protection in the winter. The oil that coats birds' feathers from their uropygial gland also provides insulation as well as waterproofing.
Do birds need heaters? ›During the colder months of the year your birds will have a hard time keeping themselves warm and heating will be needed. There are several things you can do to make their aviary as cosy as possible. The covered, interior area of the enclosure should be fully weatherproof, and ideally insulated too.
Should I put water out for birds in heat? ›Offer Water
Wolf, who has been studying avian responses to extreme heat for over two decades, says that water and shade are the two most important things an individual can provide to help birds stay cool. That's because both are essential for the strategies birds use to avoid overheating.
How can I make my birds cage warmer? ›
Placing the cage in a warm area of the house, well away from heaters and open windows is a great way to keep them snug and warm at night. Pet birds are usually the easiest to help through the winter, most being kept in doors. Don't be tempted to use fabric huts or cuddle buddies.
What is the fastest way to warm up a bird? ›Heaters and heat lamps are a direct way to apply heat to a bird when it is very cold. Like a space heater, the heaters act as portable, plug-in heaters that can safely warm up a bird when they are under or close to it. The heater and also heat lamps can provide some pleasurable amounts of heat to a cold bird.
What temperature is too cold for a parakeet? ›They should at least come inside at night or when it's below 60 degrees. Forty-degree temps are too dangerous." But if you happen to be caring for wild parakeets or if your bird enjoys a supervised daily dip, the outdoor birdbath de-icer with a built-in thermostat will ensure your birdbath never freezes over.
Can I use a heat lamp for my bird? ›Some birds enjoy snugglies and snoozies to help keep them warm at night. Heat lamps can be used, and infrared bulbs will create a glow that does not interfere with the bird's sleep cycle. It's important to choose only a bird-safe heat lamp recommended for avian use.
How do you keep pets warm in winter power outage? ›Keep your pets warm with extra bedding.
Providing your pet with extra bedding can add warmth during a cold-weather power outage. For small animals, consider wrapping a blanket around the pet's habitat leaving an opening for ventilation.
Dogs and Cats
Blankets and old sweatshirts work great as temporary bedding. You can also place a few sheets of cardboard on the bottom of their beds for extra warmth, or cover their beds with a tent made out of towels or light blankets to keep drafts away in freezing cold weather.
No. Only heaters that burn a combustible fuel to create heat can cause carbon monoxide build-up in your home.
How do you keep aviary birds warm in the winter? ›Provide Heat
Heat lamps and heated perches designed specifically for birds can be purchased, and birds quickly learn to sit near or on them when they're feeling cold. Make sure birds can't come in contact with the source of heat otherwise they might get burned.
Often time you may feel the need to use your Lasko space heater overnight to keep the chill away. We do not recommend, under any circumstances to run a heater unattended. Heaters draw quite a bit of electricity and can reach high temperatures while running.
How long can you run a Lasko ceramic heater? ›Additionally, the timer mode allows you to set the heater to run up to 8 hours, then turn off automatically for peace of mind. Plus, there's a built-in carry handle for portability. Because safety is so important, this space heater features automatic overheat protection and cool-touch exterior. Comes fully assembled.
Do ceramic heaters emit radiation? ›
The combustion process happens within a ceramic or metal chamber, so there are still no open flames, and the resulting energy is emitted as infrared radiation rather than ordinary heat.
What is the most toxic thing to birds? ›Lead and zinc poisoning are the two most common heavy metal toxicities seen in bird patients. These two materials are also frequently found in and around the home environment.
Is cast iron safe to use around birds? ›A well-seasoned cast-iron pan is a no-stick pan that is bird-safe. Food can get low levels of inorganic iron if the pan is not well seasoned but that has nothing to do with the issue of “fumes” that are toxic to birds. Cast iron pans emit no toxic fumes.
What material is safe for birds? ›Safe Bird Toy Material
Pine, balsa, birch, basswood, poplar, maple, walnut, ash, apple, elm, cactus(cholla), manzanita. 100% natural fiber ropes such as cotton, hemp and sisal. Stainless steel is best, being non-toxic, zinc and lead free and easy to clean. Nickel plated is also acceptable.
- Safety. The coils of infrared heaters get extremely hot so they can be dangerous to use around children and pets. ...
- Limited Warming. For some, zone warming may not be ideal, and it could feel very limited if you're moving around a room a lot. ...
- Stops Heating When Off.
This is why animals have fur or blubber – to reduce this loss of heat. The skin naturally accepts and emits infrared (which simply means invisible radiation), therefore it is 100% natural and safe. A great way to heat your pet is Infrared heat supplied by infrared heaters which radiates heat in this exact way.
Is there a safe space heater? ›Sealed combustion heaters are much safer to operate than other types of space heaters, and operate more efficiently because they do not draw in the heated air from the room and exhaust it to the outdoors. They are also less likely to backdraft and adversely affect indoor air quality.
What is the most efficient type of space heater? ›Electric infrared heater
Similar to how the sun warms us when we're outdoors, radiant heat warms people and objects in a room, not the air in between. Since none of the warmth is wasted on heating empty space, an electric infrared heater is one of the most energy-efficient models.
- Radiant Underfloor Heating. Radiant underfloor heating systems create heat via thermal radiation. ...
- Solar Thermal. Solar thermal heating technology converts the Sun's warmth and rays into usable heat. ...
- Heat Pumps. ...
- Wood Stoves. ...
- Space Heaters. ...
- Alternative Fuels.
Heating your home with electric space heaters can easily double or triple your electric bill if you are not careful. Even though they are typically small in size, and often touted as 100% efficient, electric space heaters use a lot of electricity.
How do I keep my space heater from catching fire? ›
While electric space heaters can help keep room temperatures warm, they can also be dangerous and cause fires. Space heaters should never be left unattended or used within three feet of any combustibles and should always be plugged directly into an outlet.
Are Lasko heaters safe? ›Pro: Safe and Sound
Lasko's electric heaters come with multiple safety features, including overheat protection and cool-touch exteriors. Most heaters have a self-regulating ceramic element.
Safest space heater overall
The Vornado MVH Vortex heats your room safely and efficiently. It has a number of safety features, including a cool-touch exterior and automatic shut-off for overheating and tip-overs. The MVH Vortex has three heat settings and a built-in thermostat.
Space heaters do use less energy as compared to using central heat. However, they are not as efficient as space heaters. As such, having a space heater in every room in the home and turning them all on at the same will only cost you more, not less.
Is a baseboard heater better than a space heater? ›Baseboard heaters require little space, are energy efficient, and are not noisy like a space heater because there is no fan. Many homeowners like the way that baseboard heat comes out silently and evenly, instead of hearing the fan turning on and off periodically.
Do baseboard heaters need to be under a window? ›The gist is that cold air from the window mixes with warm air rising out of the baseboard, that warm air moves around the room, cools and sinks back to the floor, where it is eventually re-heated by the baseboards. That's why traditionally it's recommended to install a baseboard under a window.
Are ceramic space heaters safe for birds? ›If left on all day, such as during the winter, they can get very hot, so your bird should not have access to them or an accident could follow. Using space heaters, gas fireplaces and other human-oriented winter heating devices can lead to tragedies with our pet birds.
Which is a better space heater infrared or ceramic? ›Quartz infrared heaters offer very fast heat-up and cool down times. Ceramic heaters, however, require more time to heat circulating air and warm up the room via convection. Quartz heaters can be used to create quieter heating equipment as in most cases air movement from noisy convection blowers is not needed.
Can ceramic space heaters cause carbon monoxide poisoning? ›Overusing the heater or using an oversized heater can result in elevated levels of carbon monoxide or nitrogen dioxide fumes in the air. These fumes can cause cold or flu-like symptoms, headaches, and eye, nose and throat irritation. Don't use these heaters as your main heat source, even during power failures.
Are modern space heaters safe? ›But they can also pose a safety risk—no matter where you use them. Portable space heaters are responsible for 1,700 house fires a year, on average, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Fires started by portable space heaters result in about 80 deaths annually.
Are ceramic heaters safe around birds? ›
The heating element can get burning hot which could hurt them, so you should keep ceramic heaters in a safe distance from your birds.
Do Lasko heaters contain Teflon? ›Q:Do any of the parts in this heater contain teflon? A: Our products does not have Teflon.
Are ceramic heaters safer than other heaters? ›Ceramic heaters are easily portable and give off a great deal of heat from a small box. These heaters tend to be more energy efficient and safer than many heaters, so even though they heat up quickly, their plastic casings stay cool.
How do you know if your bird is cold? ›A chilly bird will frequently put his head down and tuck his beak into his chest. A cold bird will also shiver. Parakeets and cockatiels usually sleep on one foot with the other one curled up underneath them. If your bird's feathers are puffed up and it looks like he's sleeping on both feet, chances are he's cold.
Will a blanket keep a bird warm? ›The reason why blankets keep you warm is they trap a layer of air around your body, which is then warmed by your own body heat. This warm air acts as insulation from the cold air outside the blanket. Birds feathers can accomplish this same feat.