Space Heaters
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Whether you want to warm up just one room or your entire home, space heater could be a good option. You may have noticed many different types of space heaters and you are having a hard time choosing which one will fit your needs.
Between electric heaters, gas space heaters and kerosene heaters, you have many options and styles to choose from.
Electric Space Heaters
Electric space heaters seem to be the most popular for indoor use but are generally more expensive. Convection models are portable space heaters which use a fan to circulate the warm air to the room.
Radiant space heaters are best used in one spot and use infrared radiation to warm the object in their path but are not suitable to warm the entire room. Each of these electric space heaters become very hot when in use which can cause burns on small children and pets if they touch them.
Natural Gas Space Heaters
The natural gas space heaters provide instant heat and are one of the most economical ways to heat your home. Natural gas heaters provide heat to a wider area than electric space heaters. Warm air is circulated around the room with the convective styles of natural gas heaters.
Radiant models of these space heaters produce heat from their hot surfaces, which are not sufficient enough to heat an entire room. Both convective and radiant heaters are not recommended for smaller rooms and without the proper ventilation, they can release hazardous amounts of combustible fumes.
Kerosene Space Heaters
The most inexpensive space heaters are kerosene space heaters. Kerosene can be stored for longer periods of time and are up to 99.9% fuel efficient. Kerosene heaters are nearly odor free and provide quick heat to the room.
Convection kerosene heaters distribute heat in all directions so they must be placed in the middle of a room to avoid the possiblity of a fire.
Radiant kerosene heaters models produce heat in one direction and can be placed against a wall. Both models produce fumes that can be potentially dangerous if they are not in a well ventilated area.
Choosing Space Heater
Before choosing a space heater, be sure to plan out exactly where you want to place it. Once you have picked out a room, make sure to note if the room is well ventilated and if small children or pets will be able to touch the heater. With this information, you will be able to choose a home or room heater that works best for you.
Space Heater Features
When choosing a space heater, there are several features that are important. Keeping these features in mind when making your decision about which heater to purchase will ensure that you will be warm and happy all winter long!
Space heater important features to consider:
- A space heater should have an automatic shut off if it is knocked over or becomes overheated. There really is no substitute for this and you should not buy a space heater without this safety feature.
- Some space heaters have a fan inside that blows the heat into the room. These can be noisy, but they deliver heat further. Other space heaters use the convection method, in that they have coils or a surface that gets hot and the heat is radiated out, but not blown. These are silent, but you must be close to them to get the benefit.
- There are space heaters that mount on a wall and those that sit on the floor. Space heaters can be strictly utilitarian in style or they come in colors and styles that may fit the room's furnishing.
Electric Heaters Vs Natural Gas Heaters
Space heaters come in both electric and natural gas models. Both heat effectively with the main difference being the power source. An electric space heater plugs into an electrical outlet, while a natural gas heater taps into a home’s gas lines.
Since most homes have many electrical outlets, but likely have a limited number of natural gas spigots, this means that electric models can be used in more locations throughout the home.
In addition, electric heaters do not generate fumes, as some natural gas heaters models can, and they are generally quieter than natural gas models. Gas models can create noise as the gas flows into the unit and is ignited.
Natural gas space heaters are often preferable, though, to electric heaters, since they are frequently less expensive to operate than electric models, depending on the price of natural gas, and natural gas units can operate even when electricity is unavailable, such as during a power outage.