ELECTRIC HEATERS FOR YOUR HOME
If You Need To Heat a Single Room, Consider an Electric Space Heater
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Why Should I Consider An Electric Heater?
There are many reasons to consider using an electric heater. If your house is large (3,000 square feet or more) you could be spending $400-$500 a month in some areas to heat your home. If you have one thermostat which controls heat to your whole house, yet no one is in these rooms for the better part of the day, turning the thermostat down and using an electric heater in the room or rooms you are in will save money on your electric bill. If you have a baby in the house, have turned the heat down already yet don't want him to be too cold, a small electric heater in his room when he is sleeping will keep him warm, and save you money by not heating the rest of the house needlessly. Of course you probably won't want to put an electric heater in every room, but buying a couple of heaters for the rooms you use most could make sense. Electric heaters come in many different sizes and styles. Following is information on the top-rated electric heaters for your consideration.
Electric Heaters For Your Consideration
Here are just a few of the top-rated electric heaters if you are considering this type of heat source. As usual, there are many more heaters on the market than we could review, but this should give you a start.
- Holmes Micathermic CNSL heater BH3950-U
Howstuffworks and ConsumerSearch give good marks to this model, which costs between $95 and $150. While a little pricey, there are good features to consider if your budget can stand paying this much money. This heater uses the latest technology, including the mineral mica as an alternative to traditional heating elements. It heats up very quickly, thus saving money on electricity by not having to wait and waste electricity while it warms up. It has a thin profile with its 6-inch width. The only downside that howstufworks lists is its price. This heater is available at Sears and Amazon.com - Pelonis Disc Furnace V HC-461 portable heater
This one isn't the most attractive electric heater on the market, but is built ruggedly and has plenty of heating power. Works well in a garage or shop setting, but is especially useful when your primary source of heat is on the blink and you need heat quickly. This one has updated digital temperature read-out and electronic thermostat control. The latter means that the unit gradually tapers heat output as it reaches the temperature you've set on the thermostat, producing a more even heat. A little on the spendy side, too, running around $150, but if this isn't going to be a financial hardship, this is one to consider. Is rated a "Best Buy" by Howstuffworks. - Holmes Products HQH319-U Compact Heater
Priced around $50, this heater does well in large areas as well as small ones. Heats up quickly, has two heat levels and is powered by a 1,500 watt motor. If knocked over, it automatically shuts off. ConsumerSearch calls this one the best radiant space heater.
- Pelonis Digital Oil Filled Heater HO-158E
This is also rated "Best Buy" by Howstuffworks. This is a good choice for any room in your house, and in fact is very easily moved from room to room as needed since it's light-weight and has casters so you can roll it where ever it's needed. Other features include a timer that lets you set it for two cycles--turn it on just before you get up, turn it off when you leave for work; turns it on again just before you arrive home from work, turns off when you go to bed. Heat output is a maxiumum 52,000 BTU's, has a digital timer, clock, and overheat protection. There's also a safety cover to prevent accidental burns from touching the heating element. Operates quietly, doesn't dry out the air like fan-driven heaters do, and there are fewer mechanical parts to malfunction. Not suitable for use in a room with large windows, since the heat is radiated through the windows and is lost to the rest of the room. - DeLonghi TRD0715T Oil Filled Radiator Heater
Epinions.com and howstuffworks.com gives good reviews for this model, with price ranges between $50 and $95 at Amazon, Target, and Circuit City. It's sleek and slim so will fit in anywhere, even if you don't have a lot of floor space for an electric heater. The radiator is permanently sealed with pure diathermic oil, which never needs a refill. Might be a little slow to heat up compared to some electric heaters, but most users who reviewed it on epinions.com did not seem to mind. - Vornado DVTH Compact Heater
Features a top-mounted digital control panel which is simple to operate, LCD display with large numbers that track temperature and fan speed settings. Price ranges from $87 to $120, with a BTU output of 5,118. Reviewers who left comments at epinions.com all agreed that this heater had great output and was safe to operate. Only downside was the high price. - Honeywell Mini Tower 360 Surround HZ-2200
Called "best budget space heater" by ConsumerSearch, this heater has a price as low as $30. Don't plan on using this one with any good results in a larger room, but it does well in small rooms or under a desk. Owners rate this heater as very reliable.
Final Thoughts
We have presented the top-rated heaters here for your consideration, but there are other possibilities that may be less money and still pretty good. You can visit your local Target, Walmart, Circuit City, Home Depot or Lowe's stores to see them in person. Since the cash outlay isn't as great as if you were buying a woodburning or pellet stove or insert, you won't be out as much money if you make a wrong choice. You have no maintenance issues with electric space heaters, and most all of the heaters on the market today come with safety features such as automatic shut-off if tipped over or if they get too warm. Keep in mind that these little heaters will not heat your whole house, but are good choices for heating single rooms or small areas. And as with woodburning and pellet stoves and inserts, the best time for buying them, price-wise, is at the end of winter. Still, it's a good idea to research these heaters out and consider how you'll be using them, along with how much money you can spend, before buying.