I have this distinct memory from my childhood, which I don’t think I’ll ever be able to shake. I was about six or seven years old, and it was a freezing cold night in the middle of winter. My mom and dad had just tucked me into bed, and turned on a space heater in the middle of the room. I was scared of the portable heating system, simply because it would glow an ominous red as it heated the room. Anyway, just as I was falling asleep, I thought I heard a popping sound. When I opened my eyes, I saw the portable space heater sparking! It was sending sparks all around, and some were reaching all the way to my bed! I jumped, ran to my parents for help and slept with them for the next week. Fast forward a few decades, and here I am – telling the exact same story from one week ago! I was foolish to trust a portable space heater, or so I thought. Now I know that you can’t use a portable space heater and power it using an extension cord. In fact, a portable space heater should be treated like a window A/C unit – and should have an entire wall outlet for itself. This is the best way to make sure the portable space heater is getting the correct flow of power. Even though I know what caused the space heater to crackle and nearly set my home on fire, I still think I’ll just stick to using the fireplace for warmth. At least I know how to quickly put out a controlled fire.