|
|
Room Heaters: Keep Warm In The Winter But Be Careful With What You Buy
Cold winters are a common occurrence in many parts of the nation, and one cannot always rely on whole house heating to get the job done. It may be inefficient to heat an entire house while own using a part of it, and it may also be worth having a back up system in case the central heating goes offline for some reason, or it could simply be a matter of not wanting to buy an expensive central heating system that will only be used for one or two months out of the year. Room heaters are cost effective products that address all of these concerns and more, but it is not as simple as picking a random room heater off the store shelf. One needs to carefully consider their needs and the different kinds of room heaters on the market in order to arrive at the best possible purchasing decision.
Remember that inaction has a price too, and going a whole winter without heat, or relying only on central heating systems is potentially risky. If there are children, pets, elderly, pregnant, or ill persons living and/or working within a home or office space that is not prepared to bear the brunt of a reasonable winter, then there may be serious consequences. This does not necessarily mean that one start stockpiling food, batteries, and battery powered room heaters and other electronics; there is such a thing as going too far. Instead, the two primary points are to avoid putting all of one’s eggs in a single basket as well as choosing the right tool for the right job.
Now that the problem has been framed and room heaters offered as a viable solution, it is time to consider the different types of room heaters. There is a significant difference between gas room heaters and their electrically powered counterparts which supersedes and discussion on size, radiant versus convection, fans, and efficiency.
There are numerous gas style room heaters on the market, but they all require access to some form of gas. The major advantage to gas room heaters is that if the electricity goes out, the gas may still be flowing from the gas provider. There are also personal gas storage bottles capable of powering gas room heaters for hours, but they need to be kept relatively far from the heater. 10 feet would probably be the bare minimum, as rapid changes in local heat can cause the gas inside the canister to expand rapidly and potentially rupture the nozzle or other structurally weak areas.
Gas does mean emissions, and so there are some limits on gas powered room heaters. It is neither practical nor safe to use gas powered room heaters for extended durations without proper air flow. Those who want to use their gas room heaters have to also pay attention to room heater placement. If the gas outlet is near the window, then that is where the gas powered room heater is likely to go unless one purchases sufficient lengths of hosing designed specifically for such an application.
Electric room heaters can be placed anywhere there is a functioning electric socket. This makes smaller electric room heaters possible in cases where only a portion of the room needs to be heated, say the area around the bed or the dining room table. It does not limit electric room heaters from servicing larger areas, but the innate portability granted via a very flexible electric cord and possibly extension cord(s) means that less expensive models can service limited areas instead of trying to heat an entire room.
The major downside to electric room heaters is that they use electricity. When bad weather settles in for the duration, power lines have a knack of snapping or otherwise being rendered useless. This means that a house or office with an electric heating system that services the entire floor paired with electric room heaters may not be a great idea for those concerned with the stability of the electrical supply and/or the serviceable lifespan of their main heating system.
Where both gas and electric powered room heaters best whole house heating systems is both in initial price, and cost of operation. Heating an entire house is an expensive proposition, and shutting off ducts does only mitigate a portion of the expense. The bottom line is that operating large heating systems versus smaller ones is much like comparing the fuel consumption of a massive SUV to that of a compact car at idle; both vehicle burn fuel just to stay idle, but the gargantuan 8 cylinder engine of the SUV will do so less efficiently. The same holds true for heating systems; using a whole house heater with vents closed in all but one room is probably a lot more expensive than using a single dedicated room heater.
There are both radiant and convection style room heaters. Radiant style room heaters project heat in a specific direction, and are therefore usually limited in size. After all, how much directed heat could one possibly want? Convection style room heaters, on the other hand, are usually liquid filled devices that are designed to keep an entire living or working space warm. Ironically, many apartments, offices, and homes have radiators, which are nothing more than convection systems on a much large scale, built close to the wall where they will be least effective. Proper placement would ideally be in the center of a room, provided that there are no significant obstructions.
Many modern room heaters have fans which enable them to more rapidly heat larger spaces. Some consumers find the sound output to be a distraction, so it may be advisable to find models that have adjustable fans or low-noise output fans.
Room heaters come in a variety of sizes as well, and paired with the type of technology and heating style amounts to a wide selection of room heating products ranging from inexpensive models that cost less than $20 to far more powerful variants running more than $100.
|
|
|
