All about Space Heaters
A Space heater is used for warming up a room.It works in a way that the thermostat is not turned up to assist in warming the house. The space heater is usually in portable sizes and can be used from anywhere, in the absence of any flammable material. These heaters can be used as supplement sources of heat and they help in reducing the homes overall heating bill. In this case, the electricity bill will slightly increase when these types of heaters are used, but it is deemed better off in electricity savings compared to other types of heaters.
On the other hand,heaters come in different types, which include convection, radiant and combination heaters. The heaters prices range from the heater type. While buying a the best space heater for a large room, it is therefore advisable to have an idea about where the space heater is to be used. Choose the type of heater to suits the cold situation in your home.
For fast room heating, a radiant space heater is the best in this case. In this connection, if one needs to warm an entire room, a convection heater is preferred in most cases. For a heater that is to be used on a daily basis, the combination heaters are a good way to go.
Before purchasing a space heater, the amount of heat to be generated is another factor that should be considered. This is because majority of the heaters consume power between 600 and 1500watts. In this case, the higher the wattage, the higher the power consumption will be. Consequently, the higher the electricity bill you incur.
When purchasing a space heater, look for one that has the following properties:
Safety certified by Electrical Testing Laboratories (ETL) or Underwriters Laboratory (UL) and contains a certification mark.
Ground fault protected.
Has a safety switch that turns the heater off if it tips over.
Is energy efficient.
To help you stay safe, below are a few tips to follow when using a space heater:
- Be sure to read the manufacturer’s instruction manual before using the heater.
- Keep space heaters away from all flammable items and materials
- Keep space heaters away from water
- Never lay clothing or other items on top of a space heater
- Be sure to keep at least a 3 foot radius of clear space around a space heater
- Make sure the power chord fits snuggly into the wall and avoid using and extension cord if possible.
- Never allow children or pets to play near a space heater
- Be sure the heater is placed on an even surface.
- Be sure to have properly working carbon monoxide and smoke detectors in the same room with the space heater
Consumer Reports is a trusted, independent nonprofit organizatino that has been testing products since 1936. Truly an independent operation, they pay for all products themselves, do not accept advertising payments, and have no shareholders. They are a subscription service that provides consumers with thousands of product ratings each year.
In November 2014, Consumer Reports tested dozens of space heaters and rated them based on the following criteria:
Output is verified during testing and is base on the manufacturer’s stated wattage.
Room Heating describes how effective the heater is at heating a standard sized room in 15 minutes. A family room would be considered a family sized room.
Spot Heating is the effectiveness of an electrical heater to heat an individual that is sitting in a room in 15 minutes.
Hot Surface testing evaluates the risk of being burned from touching the heat exhaust outlet. The score is a combination of the maximum temperature at the hottest portino of the outlet, the size of the hot area, and accessibility to the hot area. Models that receive a Very Good or Excellent Overall Rating are cool enough to safely touch. Heaters that are rated Fair or Poor can be hot enoughto cause a burn when operating at their hottest setting.
Fire Safety is the potential for ignition of flammable materials. Heaters that recieve a Poor Rating can cause ignition to cotton material when operating at their hottest setting.
Ease of Use indicates how easy the heater’s controls are to operate and easy it is to move the heater.
Noise is the relative loudness of the heater whe operating at its highest setting.
The space heaters are then assigned an overall score based on temperature control, noise, ease of use and of course safety.
Cost To Operate
When using an electric space heater, and trying to save on electric bills, it helps to be able to calculate how much it will cost to operate a space heater. Follow the steps below to determine how much it will cost to operate your space heater.
1. Determine The Heater Output Or Wattage. Most heaters here in the Uninted Sates have a heater output or wattage of 1,500 Watts.
2. Divide The Number Of Watts By 1000 To Find The Kilowatts (kW).
Example: 1,500 Watts /1000 = 1.5kW
3. Find The Numnber Of Kilowatt-Hours (kWh). To do this, just multiply the number of kW’s by the number of hours the heater will be running each day.
Example: If a heater runs for 10 hours each day, then 1.5kW X 10 hours = 15kWH per day.
4. Calculate The Daily Operating Costs. First, find the average cost per kWh charged by your electric company. Then multiply this number by the number of kilowatt-hours.
Example: If the National US average charged per kWh is $0.12, then 15kWh X $0.12 = $1.08 per day to operate.
5. Calculate Monthly Operational Costs. Multiply the daily operational costs by 30 days.
Example: $1.08 X 30 = $32.04 per month.
In this example, you could plan on paying $32.04 per month to run a space heater with a 1,500 Watt heating capacity for 10 hours a day.