Fans are not the only ones who need to be aware of the risk of having their batteries drained.
A battery operated fan can also pose a risk to your health and your family.
According to the National Consumer Law Center, “a fan can be a battery-operated fan when the motor runs continuously at a steady speed for more than 10 minutes, which means it will drain the battery over time.
It can also drain the batteries of other devices that are connected to the fan, such as an iPod, Bluetooth headphones or an iPhone.
When batteries are drained, the fan can overheat, resulting in a fire.”
It can be particularly dangerous for children, because they have a higher risk of overheating.
“Even if a child is using the fan and is not in direct contact with it, the risk is that the child could inhale or get in contact with the battery,” says Michelle DeAngelis, director of the Center for Consumer Protection at Consumers Union.
DeAngelises explains that batteries can be overheated and cause burns or other serious damage.
“The more exposure you have to the battery, the higher the risk,” she says.
De Angelis says that most of the time, children are not exposed to batteries, but the risk for those who do is high.
“Most of the children in this country are exposed to the batteries in their parents’ cars,” she explains.
“We know that most kids that are exposed are in homes with an electronic device in the car.
They’re sitting there with a laptop or a smartphone.
They don’t need to hear anything in their heads.
That’s why there’s so much concern about batteries in children’s bedrooms and playrooms.”
DeAngelists says that if you want to reduce your risk of developing cancer, you need to use the right type of fan.
“It’s important to know that even if you use a fan that doesn’t have batteries, it still poses a risk of battery burn,” she warns.
“Batteries do not need to last forever.
If you’re concerned about the batteries, there are some other things you can do.
You can use batteries as part of your everyday life, or you can use them for a few hours a day, and then let them go.”
For more information, check out the National Consumers Union website.