How to Choose of a Space Heater
The first big question when buying a space heater is knowing the right size to fit your needs. This means knowing the right number of watts or British thermal units (BTUs) that you need to heat a room. To do this, measure the length and the width of a room and multiply the two numbers to get the square feet. For example, a room 10 feet long by 10 feet wide is 100 square feet. Next, you calculate the necessary watts. You need approximately 10 watts per square foot to heat a room, so for a 100 square foot room you need 1000 watts. As far as BTUs, multiply the number of watts by 3.41, so a 100 square foot room requires a heater that produces at least 3410 BTUs. Another important consideration is safety. Space heaters are safe and have a variety of safety features including automatically shutting off in case that it is tipped over and front panels that remain relatively cool to the touch.
How Much Does It Cost Run a Space Heater
Small space heaters are inexpensive and are one of the cheapest ways of heating your home. Using a space heater may save energy and money, if you're only heating room you're in rather than your entire home. One important concern for many people is how much does it cost to run a space heater? Price ranges for a killowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity in the US can range from about 10 to 20 cents per kWh (your exact price would be on your electric bill). The energy cost calculation will depend on your space heater wattage, but turning on a 1500 watt heater for 8 hours a day costs us $1.80 at 15 cents per kWh or $54 dollars a month; leaving the heater all day long would cost $162 a month.
Lasko 754200 Ceramic Heater with Adjustable Thermostat
The Laskso 754200 heater is a ceramic heater, so what exactly is a ceramic heater and how does a ceramic heaters work? Ceramic heaters have ceramic ("ceramic" like a clay pot) plates with embedded heating wires that heat up the plates and then the heater fan blows against the plates to heat up a room. One complaint that a lot of people have with this type of heater is the new "ceramic heater smell"; this is normal and will go away with use. This Lasko heater can work at a hotter at 1500 watts, but can also run at 900 watts or with just the fan. The heater can work in a small room and is very lightweight, portable, and sturdy. This heater a safety feature that will automatically turn off if it overheats and this provides an adjustable thermostat that makes it much more energy-efficient than space heaters that run continuously.
Holmes Heater Fan with Bathroom Safe Plug
The Holmes HFH436WGL-UM Heater is one of the best small heaters available and one that can be used to warm a cold bathroom in the morning. This type of heater can heat up a room after about 20 minutes. Versus the other heaters reviewed here, one advantage of this heater is that it has a pre-heat digital timer that will automatically shutdown the heater after a preset time; the digital timer is one way this space heater saves money and electricity so it doesn't run constantly. A safety feature of this heater comes with a Appliance Leakage Current Interrupter (ALCI) plug that is safer for use in a bathroom setting. Additionally, the heater will turn off if it is tipped over.
Vornado VH110 Whole Room Vortex Heater
One advantage of the Vornado Vortex whole room heater has a powerful, yet quiet, fan that helps to distribute heat evenly throught the room that makes it require less energy, thereby saving you money on your electric bill. This is also a very speedy heater that will heat up a room in a matter of minutes. The Vornado Vortex vs the Holmes heater, it does not include a digital thermostat. None of the heaters reviewed here are oscillating heaters. Compare the Vornado vs Lasko 751320 Ceramic tower heater that rotates side to side to heat up a room more efficiently. The Vornado Vortex heater also has a large base that keeps it from tipping over.
DeLonghi HMP1500 Mica Panel Heater
Versus the other heaters reviewed here, the DeLonghi mica panel heater is not fan-forced so its operation is quieter. The DeLonghi panel heater will get hot to the touch, but you won't burn youself. Given that it doesn't have a fan, it is quiet tends to waste less money on your electric bill. One advantage of this heater is that the heating elements heats up very fast. One great safety feature of this heater in comparison to the other heaters reviewed here is that it is wall-mountable to keep it away from small children and pets. This heater is larger in comparison to the other heaters; it is 26 inches wide and 20 inches high. As with other ceramic heaters, this heater may give off a smell the first time it's used, but the smell will go away after a few hours. This heater does not have a digital thermostat like the Holmes heater reviewed here, so it might be harder to get the temperature exactly right.
No comments:
Post a Comment