A hot air heat gun comes in handy when you need to strip old paint from timber or pipework. The latest heat guns are lightweight and really easy to operate – you just need to make sure that you’re being sensible about how you use yours.
Heat gun safety
As heat guns can reach up to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit, they could cause serious burns if you try and use them without putting the proper precautionary measures in place first. Here are our safety tips.
Safety first
- Make sure you buy your heat gun from a reputable dealer, and follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.
- It’s important to register a new heat gun with the manufacturer so that you can be contacted if a safety notice or recall is required. It also makes it easier for you to return a faulty product or order a repair. To register any of your appliances, regardless of age, visit our Product Registration page.
- Use our Product Recall checker to find out if your heat gun has been recalled.
- Check that your appliance has a UK plug; if it doesn’t, don’t try to use a UK travel adaptor. Get in touch with the retailer and ask them to fit a UK plug.
- Do regular checks of the plug and socket for burn marks, sounds of ‘arcing’ (buzzing or crackling) or if it feels too hot to touch. If you have fuses blowing or circuit-breakers tripping then contact a registered electrician to investigate.
- Any socket you plan to use to plug in a heat gun should have RCD (residual current device) Protection. An RCD is a life-saving device that protects against dangerous electric shock and reduces the risk of electrical fires. If you don’t have RCD protection in your fuse box for your sockets, consider using an RCD plug to protect you and your property from serious appliance faults.
- Before you start work, ensure that the cord is long enough to easily reach the area you’re working in – if it isn’t, plug the heat gun into a fully-unwound extension lead to extend your reach.
- It’s a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher on hand in case of any problems.
Using your glue gun safely
- You should wear safety goggles and gloves when using a heat gun, as well as a respirator mask if you’re working in a confined area.
- Tie back long hair and don’t wear any loose clothing.
- Children, animals and pregnant women should be kept away from the area you’re working in as the fumes emitted by the melting paint could prove harmful.
- If possible, make sure the area you’re working in is kept well ventilated.
- Ensure that the surface you’re working on is free from debris like shavings and sawdust as they could catch on fire.
- Always use the heat setting recommended by the manufacturer.
- Take care not to block the air inlet grills on the heat gun when it’s in use.
- When you’ve finished using the heat gun, place it on a heatproof surface and leave it to cool completely before storing it away.