Space Heaters

Introduction: It seems nearly impossible to get warm during the real cold days of winter. For small area heating, the space heater is the quick and easy way to add heat to your office or a small room at home.

Space heaters come in so many different varieties and styles it is difficult to choose one. I saw no less than fifteen different types of space heaters on display in a home improvement supply center this week that included; radiant/convection, oil filled radiator, baseboard convection, tower convection, and low profile convection. Most had some sort of fan, an automatic shut off, and controlled by a digital thermostat.  

The small portable space heaters that have fans are the best for small spaces or to direct warm air to a single person work station. Most space heaters usually have a ceramic element that gets hot very quickly. The oscillating space heaters are not very good at heating spaces because the breeze will dry out a room very quickly. The dryer the room the cooler it will feel. The oscillating space heater tends to be noisy too.

The reflector type space heaters have no moving parts, so they'll last longer, and are silent. Because they have no moving parts they are easy to repair. Essentially the heater consists of housing, a thermostat, and a nickel wire. The heating element gets very hot, and the reflectors are usually parabolic or u-shaped that allows aiming the heat in a straight line. They do get very hot so there is a risk in getting burned.

Oil space heaters are cumbersome to work with as they require being filled with oil periodically. The heating element is at the bottom of the unit and as the oil heats up the heat is released into the room. There are no moving parts, so they'll last longer, and are silent. However, the radiator fins don't get very hot because of the large surface area, which make them safe. Over time they develop leaks that become a mess to deal with. Fixing a leaky oil space heater is problematic at best as they usually require soldering of the oil tank. The oil filled space heater is slow to heat up and is not very efficient.

Mica panel heaters are the latest and best technology in space heaters. They are basically reflector heaters where a nickel wire provides the heat but the wire is wrapped in mica to form a panel that is attached to the radiator. They also have no moving parts, and are silent. They don't have as much surface area as the oil heater.

My preference is the oscillating tower heater that includes a fan and two heating elements. They are slim line and look great in any office or in the home and are easy to repair. They are among the safest to operate and put out a lot of heat very quickly. The mica heater is also a great choice, but, despite the impressive appearance, they are like single-sided sheets of heat. The airflow is poor because it doesn't accommodate bottom-to-top convection currents.

Before choosing a space heater for your home or work area, consider the safety hazards they may present and the energy they will require. Most apace heaters are not energy efficient and if not managed properly will cause an unexpected rise in utility cost. Always insure that space heaters are shut off before leaving the office or going to bed at night. Space heaters do offer a great way to heat a small space but if not managed properly can become a serious fire hazard. If you require extensive use of a space heater to maintain minimum comfort it may be time to review and upgrade the office or home heating system.

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