How to Utilize an Electric Room Heater to Reduce Heating Costs

We all want to spend less on winter heating costs. Portable space heaters can be utilized to help in this cause provided they are used in an appropriate manner and we have realistic expectations. Space heaters are limited in heat output to 1500 watts or the equivalent of about 5000 BTUs of heat per hour. Considering that many central heating systems are rated for at or more than 30,000 BTUs per hour, it is not reasonable to expect the same level of heating throughout a typical house with one or even several portable room heaters as with a central heating system. One of the keys to using portable heaters effectively is to not expect to heat your entire house, but rather just heat the room or space within a room effectively.

Almost all portable electric heaters fall within two primary categories. They either are convection are radiant heaters. Convection heaters heat the air by placing the room air in contact to a heated surface. Forced convection heaters use a fan to move the air while passive convection heaters such as oil-filled heaters rely in the natural movement of air within a room. Small ceramic fan heaters are an example of a forced convection heater.

Radiant heaters do not heat the air in the room but rather transfer heat from one warm object (in this case the heater), to a cooler object or objects such as furniture and occupants in a room. Radiant heat warms your skin and cloths in the same way as standing in the sun. The Optimus Infrared Quartz heater is an example of a common portable electric radiant heater.

With a basic understanding of the types of portable heaters on the market it is easier to make decision on the type of heater to purchase based on the intended application. For short- term heat like warming up a bathroom for showering and dressing in the morning a ceramic box fan heater is the best choice. The heating coils heat up instantly and with the fan you will have an immediate source of warm air. In my opinion forced air convection heaters are less than ideal for heating up a room throughout the day. The fans tend to be noisy and they have a tendency to dry out the air in the room. For clean quiet heat over several hours or all day a passive convection heater is your best bet, the most common being oil filled heaters. Once the oil and heater surface is heated they will produce an even supply of heat and are safe around children because the surface temperatures are modest. For localized heat, try a radiant heater. If you are sitting at a desk and need localized heat, a low powered Soleus Air radiant heater is a good choice.

There options when selecting portable space heaters. The key to using these heaters to save money on your annual heating bill is to have realistic expectations and use the most effective style of heater for the task at hand. The best space heaters are the ones that suit the power and confort requirements of the occupants.

Paul Eden