Electric space heater recomendation.

[jdempsey]

I have one area in my home that will need some supplemental heating. The area is around 25x13 ft. Im looking for an efficient and safe space heater.

Are those oil radiators efficient and heat well? How about the duraflame heater that looks like an edenpure? Sort of expensive though.

Open for suggestions.

 

[Papelletguy]

I'm definitely interested in this as well. I have a little addition on the back of our ranch that could not be more isolated from the rest of the house. I would hate to burn oil just to heat that room.

 

[briansol]

What type of room is it?

I've been tempted to get one of these for my bedroom (the farthest room from my stove and the coldest) for my tv/media center. double whammy!

Expensive though.

 

[Papelletguy]

Brian if that's a direct vent gas stove, I would stay away from it like the plague. From what I understand they will be outlawed in the us soon and are far from 99.9% efficient and not only dump co and other gasses into you home but also something like 2 gallons of water per 100,000 btus burned! Yikes.

This is all info from my dealer who stapped selling direct vent stuff 2 yrs ago.


Just a thought.

If direct vent propane stoves went so damn expensive I would do one of those in our back room.

 

[briansol]

no, it's electric. flame is 'faked'.

 

[Papelletguy]

no, it's electric. flame is 'faked'.

Gotcha, good fake job then!


Sorry to be such a direct vent Nazi but those things are bad juju. I would hate the thought of all those gasses going in your kids or my kids lungs and the thought of all that water I filtrating our homes interiors.

 

[briansol]

Yup, understandable.

Smaller ones are $400 at BJs.
http://www.bjs.com/twin-star-tv-sta...ic-fireplace---coco-cherryblack.product.40898

almost straight 5-star reviews too.

 

[IHATEPROPANE]

My inderstanding is they all cost the same to run and produce the same BTU's assuming 1500 watts.
I like the fake fireplace look and would get one if aesthetics is a priority. If not, I would get an oil filled radiator for a slower even heat. I use one right now to heat a back room. If kids will be running around then I would opt for a ceramic unit.

FYI

Off season clearence at places like Walmart they give these things away...I got an oil filled heater for $17 originally $59 and 2 ceramic ones for $14 originally $49.

 

[BrotherBart]

Be careful if you are looking at ceramics. Some of them don't have tip over switches to turn them off if knocked over.

I got home with several before I noticed that. While theoretically they shouldn't set anything on fire 1500 watts blowing directly in contact with drapes or carpet just seems like a recipe for trouble.

 

[RiddleMasterMorgon]

I would be interested in somesuch as well. Can someone crosscheck my math here please:

If they are 1700 watt and you need this running 24/7 say at 1000 watts (I am guessing they have at least three settings ?), then you consume 1 kWh per h, 24 kWh per day and 720 kWh per month. Looks like my energy bill tells me the kWh is 0.1 USD making this whole thing cost me about 72 USD/month.

My own experience is that my baseboard heater I used last year to test a guest bedroom and adjacent floor cost me about 140 USD (there were indeed two baseboards I was running at 68 deg F). That seems to make sense to me, but its failry expensive for one room !?

Is my calculation wacky or does someone know a better alternative ?

 

[IHATEPROPANE]

Your math is right.....$72 a month.

 

[RiddleMasterMorgon]

Brian if that's a direct vent gas stove, I would stay away from it like the plague. From what I understand they will be outlawed in the us soon and are far from 99.9% efficient and not only dump co and other gasses into you home but also something like 2 gallons of water per 100,000 btus burned! Yikes.

This is all info from my dealer who stapped selling direct vent stuff 2 yrs ago.


Just a thought.

If direct vent propane stoves went so damn expensive I would do one of those in our back room.

Well, actually the fact that they throw out so much water is a very good sign, because it means they burn all the stuff to CO2 and H2O (water)....given the efficiency of almost 100 %, operating an unvented fireplace with natural gas is a pretty cheap alternative to heat a space....

...and yes I dont like them either for safety reasons, they are not to code around here anymore anyway,...but money wise, quite a thing...

 

[BrotherBart]

I would be interested in somesuch as well. Can someone crosscheck my math here please:

If they are 1700 watt and you need this running 24/7 say at 1000 watts (I am guessing they have at least three settings ?), then you consume 1 kWh per h, 24 kWh per day and 720 kWh per month. Looks like my energy bill tells me the kWh is 0.1 USD making this whole thing cost me about 72 USD/month.

My own experience is that my baseboard heater I used last year to test a guest bedroom and adjacent floor cost me about 140 USD (there were indeed two baseboards I was running at 68 deg F). That seems to make sense to me, but its failry expensive for one room !?

Is my calculation wacky or does someone know a better alternative ?

1500 watts is the largest plug in space heater they can sell as far as I know of because of the 15 amp limit on residential outlets. The oil filled radiators I have run at 600, 900 and 1500 watts. The ceramics only 900 and 1500.

To run 24/7 at 1500 would take a seriously leaky guest bedroom in my experience. I heated our guest bedroom one whole winter with a radiator on low and it didn't run all the time. But we are aren't in the coldest part of the country but saw zero a few times that winter and a bunch of snow.

 

[BrotherBart]

Brian if that's a direct vent gas stove, I would stay away from it like the plague. From what I understand they will be outlawed in the us soon and are far from 99.9% efficient and not only dump co and other gasses into you home but also something like 2 gallons of water per 100,000 btus burned! Yikes.

This is all info from my dealer who stapped selling direct vent stuff 2 yrs ago.


Just a thought.

If direct vent propane stoves went so damn expensive I would do one of those in our back room.

Well, actually the fact that they throw out so much water is a very good sign, because it means they burn all the stuff to CO2 and H2O (water)....given the efficiency of almost 100 %, operating an unvented fireplace with natural gas is a pretty cheap alternative to heat a space....

...and yes I dont like them either for safety reasons, they are not to code around here anymore anyway,...but money wise, quite a thing...

I think you guys are talking about "vent free" not direct vent. A direct vent heater would take its input air from the outside and exhaust to the outside. Vent free dumps it all into the living space.

 

[Papelletguy]

I think you guys are talking about "vent free" not direct vent. A direct vent heater would take its input air from the outside and exhaust to the outside. Vent free dumps it all into the living space.

DOOOHHHHH I always do that. Yes you are correct. I was talking about "VENT FREE" units, NOT direct vent. I actually really like direct vent lpg stoves.

Vent FREE on the other hand are bad news in my opinion. My dealer showed me a picture of a recent install they did where they took out 2 vent free "fireplaces" and installed a pellet stove. The living room had mold and soot everywhere. It was insane. The pictures looked like a scene from a horror movie. now I will also include that this prticular home used these as a primary source of heat, not secondary as they are supposed to be used, but still....

 

[tjnamtiw]

All the electric heaters are 100% efficient meaning that they convert all the electricity to heat by one form of resistance heating or another. The big difference is the price. It will cost you just as much to use any of them with the same wattage rating. I supplement my shop occasionally with an oil filled one just to keep it from freezing. It's an expensive way to heat, that's for sure, especially with utility rates threatening to 'necessarily skyrocket' as someone promised....
You would be better off looking for a small window mount heat pump where the efficiency can be 2 or 3 times as good. Many countries in Europe are in the process of banning space heaters because of the inefficiencies.

 

[save$]

We put one of those fake fire log sets in our prefab fireplace. Then put a screen in front of that, I have had several people look at it and comment on what a good heater it was even when only the flame was turned on. It has two levels of heat output, and for the few minutes my wife may run it, the cost is rally hardly notable. But it keeps her happy and is easy to care for. It looks as real as any gas log set. We would love to put another pellet stove in that fireplace but it would cost about 4 thousand. Since that room seldoms goes below 72 F, it is had to figure how I could ever justify the additional cost of the pellet install v.s just turning on the remote control electric heat part. or letting he hot air furnace come on for the few minutes needed to bring the heat back up to my wife's comfort level.

 

[Bkins]

I spend a fair amount of time on a RV forum and most members there have gone to a Vornado digital heater. Does a very good job at moving the heat around and most only use 1 for their RV's. They can be set to a temp setting of your choice and also have a high/low fan setting. They come in white and black and the company also makes a cheaper non digital version. They are one of the best 1500 watt heaters I've ever seen or used. We have 2 that we move around to where ever we need them. I agree that electric is expensive depending on where you live but it sure is easy to move the heat to where you want it. We had 2 of the oil radiator units that we finally sold as they were just sitting and not being used. once we got a Vornado. We found the oil ones took a long time to get going and were heavy and bulky to move. They are not cheap to buy, about $80 to 90 but can be found on sale if you search. Rv'ers like them a lot because your electric is included in the camping price in most places. I like them because they work well at moving air and I like the way they cycle on/off. FWIW. The company has a patent on the way these heaters move the air.

Looks like they have gone up in price. Imagine that. http://www.vornado.com/heaters.aspx

 

[lbcynya]

All good points above. Yes, electric heaters are all 100% efficient. Anything beyond a heating coil is marketing (claiming brand A produces more heat than brand B = false) and preference. Heaters with fans react quickly and move the air, radiators react slowly and convect the air, all be it not as effectively as a fan. Don't get sucked into marketing claims about a $400 electric heater saving you piles of cash.

A built in thermostat is important to insure you don't waste money by overheating the area, wasting $$$.

I too like Vornado's because they have a thermostat and automatically fluctuate the current demand based on the input from the thermostat, are decent quality and are reasonably priced. Once the desired temperature is reached, they use only enough current (electricity) to maintain that temperature. That and they move air well helping mix the cold and warm air for comfort.

 

[imacman]

I bought this (or actually, one that is VERY close to it) a few years ago to warm a remote room in my house on the really cold nights, and it works very well. Plus, if you're going to have something sitting in the open, it might as well look halfway decent:

www.amazon.com/Comfort-CZ888-Design...HDJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319125041&sr=8-1

 

[save$]

I bought this (or actually, one that is VERY close to it) a few years ago to warm a remote room in my house on the really cold nights, and it works very well. Plus, if you're going to have something sitting in the open, it might as well look halfway decent:

www.amazon.com/Comfort-CZ888-Design...HDJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319125041&sr=8-1

I recently saw about 30 of those in the window at Mardens, Lewiston Me. Mardens is a clearing house for salvaged items. Lots of bargins! Didn't catch the price.

 

[IHATEPROPANE]

I bought this (or actually, one that is VERY close to it) a few years ago to warm a remote room in my house on the really cold nights, and it works very well. Plus, if you're going to have something sitting in the open, it might as well look halfway decent:

www.amazon.com/Comfort-CZ888-Design...HDJU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319125041&sr=8-1

I recently saw about 30 of those in the window at Mardens, Lewiston Me. Mardens is a clearing house for salvaged items. Lots of bargins! Didn't catch the price.

I bought 2 just like those except made by Lasko at Walmart this past spring on clearance. I paid 14 bucks for them....recommend checking it out next spring...I plan on grabbing another oil filled heater...or 2

 

[Ohio P43]

Anyone ever see or use the window mount pellet heater?
http://www.lowes.com/pd_95773-850-2...&currentURL;=/pl__0__s?Ntt=pellet&facetInfo;=

 

[Keys]

I use an Eden Pure as a supplemental heater in my house. If we have a guest spend the night and is in the furthest room from our pellet stove, if can dip down into the 60's the Eden Pure is nice and the guest like it because it is quiet. I use it ifor the main living area in the early fall just to take the chill off before I fire up the pellets for the season.

 

[tjnamtiw]

Anyone ever see or use the window mount pellet heater?
http://www.lowes.com/pd_95773-850-2...&currentURL;=/pl__0__s?Ntt=pellet&facetInfo;=

There's a few threads on here from people who own them. No one in their right mind, though, would pay $1600 for it when some bought it for $800 to 1000. Even at that price, it's a real toss up IMHO.