Electric patio heaters are often the top choice that city dwellers use to provide warmth into their outdoor space. They come in handy when they would want to spend a relaxing time in their patio or decks at night. Whenever there are evening parties thrown in their balcony, they can extend the fun and merriment even in the late and cold hours of the evening and perhaps, even put them to use on winter months.If you have also chosen this type of patio heaters then you should know that there are safety precautions that you should observe during their operation. Although there may be safety switches present, it still helps to be aware of things that you should do or should not do with your heating devices. After all, they are electrical units so you should approach their use with great caution and care.When installing these devices, make sure that they are not exposed to any moisture or water. Preferably, you should install them in your verandah, gazebo or any outdoor space that has safe roofing over it. Simple science dictates that electricity and water do not mix so make sure that they are installed in a safe and dry location.See to it that the electrical wires are not frayed. If you have a portable heating unit, make sure that the cords are secured in such a way that people especially little kids and elderly do not trip over them. Ensure that the electrical cords do not come in contact with any of the hot surfaces, too.When using the heaters, expect certain parts to go hot. Usually it will be the emitter and the dome unit. During and immediately after use, do not touch the surfaces because you will surely suffer from blistering burns. If you must touch and move the units, protect your hands with thick gloves or mittens. During your operation of the device, keep any combustible materials away. Paper, curtains, synthetic flowers or any decorative item should be at least three feet from your electric outdoor heaters. This will avoid any occurrence of unnecessary fires especially when a sudden gust of wind can occur that could have your decors devoured in flames.If you have a free-standing unit, supervise its operation especially when there are kids around. After use, switch the units off and see to it that they are unplugged from the outlet. Unless you have the mountable type, you can have your portable ones stored indoors until your next use. Just have them cooled first before keeping them in storage cabinets.