Due to the high energy prices, people are looking for smart ways to heat your home cheaply. The internet is now full of flower pot heaters made of terracotta pots and tea lights. But how harmless is such a heater really?
You can find the terracotta pots in garden centers for less than one euro and a bag of 100 tea lights costs less than five euros. DIY videos are massively available on YouTube and even garden centers are sharing ways to make your own flower pot heater.
The flower pot heater consists of several tea lights under a terracotta flower pot that is upside down. The terracotta pot is heated by the heat of the candles.
“Danger is just around the corner.”
Fire adviser and risk manager Bertwin van Setten thinks the structures are dangerous, he says in the radio program Afslag Zuid on Omroep Brabant. “We see on social media how people are sharing ideas to get through this winter despite high gas prices,” he says. “And that’s where the flower pot heaters come in.”
“Danger is in a small corner,” says Van Setten about the flower pot heaters. Because the heat cannot escape and remains in the pot, the candle wax can also burn in addition to the wick. If the holder also gets too hot, the flower pot can break and cause a fire.
“If things go wrong, you may have had a warm house for a while, but it could also be that you will no longer have a house at all,” Van Setten adds.
In addition to fire safety, it also includes health care. Toxic gases, carbon monoxide and soot particles are released when such a candle burns. One candle is not harmful if you burn it somewhere in a corner, but several tea lights can be bad for your health.
“Read some energy tips first.”
“If you light several candles, you really have to ventilate to keep it healthy, and ventilation is not that energy-efficient,” says van Setten.
You need several flower pot heaters to heat your house. The heat of the tea lights is much lower than, for example, a gas central heating boiler.
“First read some energy tips,” says van Setten. For example, insulate your walls, floors and roof, use an electric or wood stove or curl up on the couch under a blanket. These alternatives are much safer than the flower pot heater.
So leave the terracotta pots outside for the flowers and use the tea lights for the atmosphere.