For consumers looking to add more heating appliances to their home, there are many options available. As such, choosing the right heater can be a time consuming process, requiring shoppers to select a model that fits their needs and then determining whether or not it fits their budget. As such, we’ve created this list of some of the different kinds of heaters, how much they cost, and how they are best used.
Size Matters – Large Heater or Personal Heater?
The first thing that someone looking for a heater should determine is how large a space they will need to heat. If they are looking for a way to heat a large living room or bedroom, then they will need a larger model of heater. However, if they are looking just to heat a small space such as a desk or work area, they may be able to save money by purchasing something smaller.
When searching for your new space heater, decide whether or not you actually need it to heat an entire room, or just a smaller space. This will help you narrow down what you are looking for, and potentially save you money in the process.
Large space heaters have a larger price range. Small tower heaters and panel heaters for medium sized rooms can be found for as low as $50, while larger, more advanced models such as infrared heaters can go for between $200 and $400, or even more.
Available Space
The next thing to consider is how much space in a room is available for the heater to take up. If the space is particularly small, a tower heater or bar heater will not be a good choice, as they can take up several feet of space and present a tripping hazard.
If there is not a lot of floor space available in a large room, there are some micathermic panel heaters can take up as little 2-3 square feet in wall surface area and protrude only 1-2 inches from the wall. Tower heaters and other floor-resting models have a larger range of size. Some oil heaters and bar heaters can be as long as 3-4 feet and just as tall. Compact tower heaters generally have a base of about 1 foot, and stand about 2 feet tall.
Personal desk heaters, on the other hand, are much smaller. They generally stand only about a foot tall, depending on whether or not they are a floor model or wall-mountable.
Energy Efficiency
Another factor to consider is how much energy a model of heater uses. Several things, including size, type of heater, and the heater’s age, affect a heater’s energy usage. While space heaters are more energy efficient than many other heating devices, they can still be very expensive if not used correctly. As such, shoppers should pay close attention to the energy specs of the different models and factor that into their decision.
The key number to look for is wattage. A watt is one joule of energy per second, and a heater’s wattage will tell you exactly how much energy it produces. For a 120-volt heater, the standard rate of energy usage is up to 1500 watts at the highest setting.
Knowing how much energy a particular model of heater uses will tell you how much it is likely to cost you to run it. Because energy bills are measured in kilowatt-hours (the number of kilowatts used per hour), the average cost of the heater can be determined by multiplying the number of hours it is likely to be used by the maximum wattage (aka, 2hrs X 1500 watts), then dividing that number by 1,000 to convert it into kilowatts. Multiply that number by the cost of energy on your heating bill, and you will know the average cost of using the heater.
For example, let’s say you will use a heater rated at 1500 for 4 hours a day, and the price per kilowatt-hour is $.05. To determine the cost of using the heater, the formula would be:
(4 x 1500)/1000 x .05 = cost per day
Wattage can also help you determine how much space a heater will warm. In general, the ratio is 10 watts per square foot heated.
Safety Features – Pets and Children
Another thing to consider when looking for a space heater is whether or not they are safe for the environment they will be placed in. If the heater is going to be in a place where there are children and pets, then some models will work better than others.
Oil heaters are one of the less child-safe options, as they contain flammable material that can be spilled if the heater breaks or is knocked over. Likewise, bar heaters are hot to the touch and can be a fire hazard. Fan heaters and micathermic panel heaters are safer, as they are cooler to the touch and less likely to present a danger if knocked over.
Many modern heaters come with safety features to prevent accidents. When shopping for a heater, look for safety features such as:
• Automatic shutoff when knocked over
• Temperature control
• Timed deactivation
• Low external temperature
Noise Level
Depending on what room it will be used in, shoppers should also consider the amount of noise that a heater makes. Fan heaters can produce a distracting amount of noise, which makes them bad for use in TV rooms, dining rooms, bedrooms, and work areas where they might prove to be a distraction. Heaters that use radiant heat or convection to warm are much softer, and are often completely silent.
Keeping all of these factors in mind, look for a heater that meets all of your personal needs in terms of cost, amount of space heated, noise level, and energy efficiency. While it may require some searching, the variety in available heater models means that there is likely to be one that meets all of your personal criteria.
Leave a Reply