Heaters Revealed

Diesel heaters are getting popular heating arrangement amongst campers these days. They perform efficiently and the fuel can conveniently be transported, thus encouraging for campers to go off the beaten track and camp in places that have no electricity or alternative sources of energy. Though the trend has so far not caught up with homeowners, the patronage of diesel portable heaters is certainly going up by the day.

An important advantage of using diesel as a medium over propane is its very easy and ready availability. The other important consideration is safety. This kind of heating is much safer to use than propane heaters because there is no emission of dangerous carbon monoxide. That’s the most important factor, especially considering that propane heaters have been know to be the cause of fatalities suffered by campers.

Diesel is highly explosive and inflammable when exposed to fire or even extreme temperatures. But these heaters are provided with a sealed furnace section for its storage, leaving no way out for dangerous fumes or burning diesel. The heated air transfers heat to the outside surfaces of this sealed section and thus spreads it out to the camper or room. They are designed to facilitate continuous movement of air so that the cold air that needs to be heated keeps coming in contact with the heated furnace and then continuously gets circulated in the area that needs heating.

The installation of diesel fuel heaters may necessitate help, unless you are somewhat of an expert. You can get detailed instructions for its installation on the Internet. Yet, it does require rather good handyman skills for a perfect installation. A heater bearing a reputed brand could cost anywhere from around $1500 to $2000. And, installation could set you back by another $500. Though cheaper alternatives are available, when it comes to handling diesel, it’s best to spend some extra amount and be on the safer side.

The benefit of having one is the kind of freedom you enjoy on the road, allowing you to camp at any place you deem fit. And, that’s what makes it worth considering!

If you are considering replacement of an old radiator, one of the options for you is to include is an electric panel heater that provides radiant heat. Such heaters have safety features, are efficient and reliable to use.

At some point of time it becomes necessary to improve the heating system at home. Often, he choice is restricted to renovation of old radiators or having a central heater. Rather than replacing one or two old radiators it is worthwhile to have a new electric panel heater that offers easy installation. You just need to fix brackets on a wall, next to an electrical outlet, house the unit onto those, and then plug it in before you switch it on. These units heat the area thru convection, thus warming up the area quickly.

Apart from offering easy installation, these heaters are energy efficient and come with an electronic thermostat so that temperature remains stable and you won’t have to adjust the temperature every now and then. The optional features include a twenty-four hour digital timer and a run back timer. Some may have a single-zone, pilot-wire program while others have a four-zone wall pilot wire and mains connected signaling multi-heaters programmer that allows the user to have a total control of heating system.

These are well-designed units and you may have an electric panel heater housed in a durable steel casing with temperature resistant thermoplastic components. They hardly require any maintenance and last for a long time. These are available in different capacities ranging from 500W-.50kW to 2000W-2.0kW, enabling you to have one that suits your requirements.

A very helpful feature of an electric panel heater is its near noiseless operation, unlike the noises and whispers of old traditional radiators. These are compact sheathed units that hang on the wall and quietly heat the area. Some of them are made splash proof with IPX4 rating, enabling their use even in wet areas like bathrooms. That means they can be housed in any room that has a power outlet.

You get these noiseless energy efficient heaters in many styles to match the décor of any room. One such style is akin to traditional radiator styling but has subtler curves
in a white finish with smooth modern looks. Then, there is another model with an elegant glass finish on the front and offers a choice of black or white color. Its sophisticated looks make it suitable for many room styles.

In due course, any heating system would need to be upgraded or replaced. An energy efficient heating device like an electric panel heater with aesthetic looks makes a very good choice for homeowners. While offering quick and noiseless heating they successfully maintain the required temperature.

Most of the heaters work on the basic principles of heating through conduction, convection or radiation or a combination of any of these. These systems primarily heat the medium thru which they pass, which in most of the cases is air present around. But, infrared heaters work differently in the sense that they heat the objects straight away, without heating the medium.

You may understand it as a kind of light that can’t be seen but it generates heat that can be felt. Its wavelengths are longer than that of light but shorter than radio waves. The primary construction of an infrared heater comprises of a tungsten wire element enclosed in a clear tube of quartz crystal. When we pass an electric current thru the tungsten wire, it gets heated up, but the quartz crystal entraps this heat inside the tube. That further raises the temperature of the wire and it starts emitting heat in the form of infrared rays.

It is very interesting to learn that all the objects, human beings included, are constantly emitting infra red rays, though of insignificant value, but the quantum of light emitted by quartz is much larger. On coming in contact with some object on the way, it transfers a part of its energy to that object, which gets heated in the process. Yes, you are right in concluding that if there is no hindrance in the form of an object on its way, this light simply passes thru the air. Infrared heaters are often provided with a mirrored coating at the back that allows them to remain focused in a particular direction.

Why you need Infrared Quartz Heater?

Infrared quartz heaters keep you comfortably warm during extreme winters and rainy days of autumn. These can be used in any area, including outdoor patios, where the temperature is below the comfort level.

Quite often I’m questioned which of the two heaters, the Comfort Zone, or the EdenPure is better. Well, both have continued to be in the market and shall remain there as neither can really outdo the other in all aspects. Yet, both have a few differences that need considered when buying one.

The Comfort Zone Infrared Heater delivers better results than the EdenPure as far as heat diffusion and operating lifetime is concerned. This is provided with a new stainless steel diffuser that is 14% more efficient than the competitive makes. The unique infrared heating technology employed by these heaters gives them longer life and the manufacturers claim these to have a life span of 20,000 hours. The EdenPure, on the other hand, uses infrared bulbs that are rated for 5000 hours of working life.

A common feature of both, the comfort zone and the EdenPure is the use of similar type of heat exchanger. Both make use of solid copper heat exchanger to enhance the absorption of infrared heat. Heat exchanger forms an essential part of any infrared heater as it transforms the infrared waves to a bandwidth of 9-10 microns, an optimum level for maximum absorption of heat. The process is called copper ionization.

The quality of heat delivered by The Comfort Zone is healthier, because it does not burn oxygen available in the atmosphere of the room. Therefore, the humidity of air around you is maintained and you won’t experience that dryness, which often accompanies the use of any heater. The Comfort Zone provides comfortable warmth that remains consistent from floor to ceiling.

Both the makes are provided with remote and thermostat, and a fan for dispersal of heat. The design of Comfort Zone Infrared Heaters incorporates a Dual DC fan, the operation of which is very quiet, a feature often found lacking in other makes but very desirable for any domestic device.

On comparing the prices one finds that the Comfort Zone is more expensive, with the most expensive models priced for $400 to $500. However, top of the line models from EdenPure cost 300-400 dollars. The lower end models of both the companies sell for 300-350 dollars.

To sum it all, both the makes are good for domestic applications. However, one should weigh the options and make a calculated decision. Though The Comfort Zone sells at a higher price, it offers better functionality. But, ultimately quality takes priority while deciding for a durable domestic appliance as it takes away the pains of maintenance and repairs.

I’m quite happy in having an online account with Consumer Reports and always review the same before buying any appliance for domestic use. Consumer Reports guided all the purchase of my dryer, space heater, washer and lawn mover and I have no regrets, whatsoever. Yet, at times while sticking to the objective measures, they tend to go wrong when problems arise outside the objective measures. Personally, I feel that somewhere their judgment of the Honeywell HZ-519 electric convection space heater was not so prudent when they compared it with the DeLonghi HHP 1500, which did not earn a very high rating.

Problem 1: Physical Dimensions

You’ll observe that the HZ-519 is a long and thin device. Such objects are delicate; requiring odd shaped shipping boxes. Just like me, another Amazon reviewer too realized that such items get bent in the middle while in transit and you are delivered a piece that has ugly bends in the metal. In my case the Amazon merchant compensated me to the tune of $24, rather than taking it back. Further, its cord is mounted on the right side, and if your plug-in happens to be on the left side, you may find the cord length just short of the point? On the other hand the solid HHP 1500 is square-shaped and comes in a standard sized box with a cord long enough to be fitted into a left or a right-sided plug-in point.

Problem 2: Temperature Control

Consumer reports award high marks to HZ-519 due provision of a digital temperature control and a timer. These are nice functions for a single use: set the desired temperature to be maintained and the time for heating, all thru pressing of a couple of buttons. But, the HHP 1500 has no arrangements or adjustment of temperature. You just turn it on and it takes its time to heat the room and tries to maintain it at the same temperature, but you can’t know the temperature. You may have to try a couple of settings over the first few nights to discover the most comfortable temperature for you. And, once you have realized that temperature, you are thru with it for long. While using the DeLonghi, you flick the top knob on; with the Honeywell you need to press the power button, press the “Temp/Timer” and select a temperature, hit a few more arrow keys for automatic turning off the unit, meaning more button presses for every operation. It doesn’t record the last setting; there is no memory unit. Well, there is a timer. It’s nice to have it as long as you don’t intend setting the temperature in a dark room in the middle of the night. (There are revised versions of this heater that come with a display backlight and a remote control that facilitates the operation)

Problem 3: Being Nice to Your Fuses

The HHP 1500 comes with two power settings, one drawing about 7 Amps, while the other consumes about 13 Amps, which may go up to 15Amps when there are spikes during voltage fluctuations and that causes a warning beep on Kill-a-Watt. The HZ-519 has only one mode that draws about 11 Amps. Normally a household circuit is rated for 15 Amps. So, two rooms drawing power from the same circuit may have one each of HHP 1500 and be operated at 7Amps rating. It will take slightly longer for the rooms to get heated, being operated at 7Amps. But, imagine having two HZ-519s in the same two rooms, and pop goes the circuit breaker!

Problem 4: Noise

As a consequence of the shipping episode, my HZ-519 arrived with twisted metal but it remains rather noisy during its operation, whereas the HHP 1500 is with zero noise.

Problem 5: Flexibility of Placement

The HZ-519 can only be fixed on the wall, whereas HHP-1500 can be fixed on the wall or dragged to the middle of a room

Energy Usage

That’s not a big issue in this case. The per night expense of running the HZ-519 in one bedroom comes to about one dollar, its consumption being about 6Kwh. But, that keeps the room temperature at comfortable level, compared to the rest of the house that remains chilly, though the HHP 1500 too consumes the same amount of power. Personally I would be pleased with nice warm blankets but it is good to have it for keeping kids warm, as they would kick out the covers.

Safety

Of course, the HZ-519 has additional safety features including an automatic switch off in case it gets knocked over, but you have to decide your priorities.

In Conclusion

Incase you are considering to have new electric convection space heater for the coming season, go ahead with DeLonghi. I insist on “coming season” so that you buy it during summer at discounted price before cold weather sets in when the prices are revised upwards. Late November, I paid just $80 for a DeLonghi and now in mid-January they are asking for $160 for the same heater.

In case you are looking for portable small heater, you can ill afford to overlook The Lasko 754200 Ceramic Heater. Very conveniently it sits on your table or could be adjusted in a corner of the room. It offers the versatility of being used as a small heater for the bathroom or even for heating a large living room.

The Lasko 754200 is provided with three settings: low setting of 900 watts, a high setting with 1500 watts and of course just the fan setting to circulate air without any heat. It comes with a thermostat enabling adjustments of temperature to suit personal comfort levels. And, above all, it is safe or use even if you have children and pets at home, because it is designed to include an overheat protection mechanism.

Some of the other facilities provided in this space heater include a quite operation and easy cleaning. Just use the brush attachment of your vacuum on its grills to get rid of the dirt that gets built up in the heater. Likewise, use a clean cloth to wipe off the external ceramic part of the heater. The manufacturers offer a three-year warranty period for this UL-listed ceramic heater that is quite compact in size. Here are the main features of the Lasko Ceramic Space Heater.

- It comes with a thermostat, enabling adjustments of temperatures to suit personal comfort-level

- Three settings are provided; high setting at 1500 watts, low setting of 900 watts and just a fan operation for circulation of air without any heating

- It has manual controls

- The ceramic element is self-regulating

- It offers a near noiseless operation

- Provision of an overheat protection system makes it use so safe

- It can conveniently be shifted because of the handle provided

- It measures just 7-2/5 x 6-3/5 x 10 inches

- It is covered by a three-year warranty

It’s quite often that one is naturally dissuaded from having a warm shower on a cold wintry morning just because the bathroom happens to be too cold for an enjoyable bath. You’ll find the installation of bathroom heaters quite motivating under the said circumstances. Apart from providing the warmth while you bathe, such heaters are helpful in keeping bath linen like towels and washcloths from getting mildew. Moreover, they cause evaporation of moisture and humidity that you can’t avoid otherwise in any bathroom. That helps to keep a check on bacteria and mold spores in the bathroom.

Whatever be the size and type of your bathroom you are sure to find a bathroom heater to suit your specific needs. There are many designs and types available and that includes: Ceiling heaters, panel heaters, overhead radiant heaters, under-tile heaters and radiant strip heaters.

Of all the types noted above, overhead radiant heaters continue to be more popular with most of the homeowners. The reasons are not far to seek. Their operation is economical and they can be used in association with other heaters. Typically, such a heater includes an extractor fan, lighting and the heating element that generates heat instantly. The other features that make them such a favorite are: Being out of reach of the children they are safe and can be so fitted at an appropriate height to avoid fogging of mirrors. You get them in two models, one with two globes for low heat and the four globe model for higher levels of temperature.

Infra-red heaters used in the bathrooms are also known as radiant strip heaters and employ the same principle of working as portable radiators do. As these are wall mounted, it’s safe for children and pets. They effectively provide safe heating of the bathroom and offer the advantage of eliminating cold drafts from there. They can also be used in conjunction with under-tile heaters.

As gets apparent from the name, under-tile heaters are used for heating the tiles and floor of a bathroom and not the complete bathroom, and thus necessitate the need of additional heater for heating the rest of the bathroom. These comprise of thin heating elements that are attached to a self-adhesive heat resistant mat. They can be installed on any type of a bathroom floor and are provided with a thermostat control for adjustments of temperature.

In-slab heaters are ideal for having warmth around the clock all the year round. Such a heater is built-in the slab whereas heating cables are tied to the reinforcing mesh located at the top of the cement before the slab is poured. Obviously you can have such an arrangement only when making a new floor or while completely renovating the floor.

Some of the helpful features that panel heaters offer are their versatility, economical operation and aesthetic looks. These are highly efficient and functional. A very distinct feature of these heaters that makes them an ideal choice for asthmatics is that they do not blow dust around. They can also be used for bedrooms.

Ceiling heaters were originally designed for cold Arctic winters but are now used at places that have severe cold climates. They are provided with thermostats and timers for control. These are filaments which are fixed over the ceiling plaster and the heat so generated is radiated down the room.

There are many options for getting your bathroom heated for those chilling winter mornings and enjoy your bath in the warmth of your bathroom. Going online to research the most viable heating arrangement for your bathroom, will be time well spent.

For quite a long time one of my friends had been appreciative of the Comfort Zone Infrared Heater and one day I decided to check for myself what’s so great about this heater. We have had a long discussion of the product and I sum of the features that really impressed me.

This friend of mine has had reasons to be happy about his possession. At the outset, it lowers your energy bills while effectively heating the surroundings. For a given area the Comfort Zone Infrared Heater uses less power than the conventional heaters. It’s not only the conventional heaters that lag far behind this heater; even the other models of similar capacity with the same technology consume about 14% more power than the Comfort Zone. This make has a rated capacity of 20.000 working hours of operation.

A very healthy feature of infra red heaters is that the temperature is evenly controlled to avoid burning of oxygen and water content present in the surrounding air. As a result, there is no loss of water content in the air around the room and humidity levels are maintained. That surely saves the users from developing a dry skin and avoids irritation in the eyes that one experiences at times on leaving a heater on for a long time. As there is no burning of any kind you breathe a better quality of air. As a matter of fact it imparts the feeling of being in a warm blanket.

The Comfort Zone, like any other infra red heating device employs a different principle of heat transfer that results to having an effective and efficient heating. It doesn’t allow the temperature to rise to the point of causing fire. So, you are able to sleep comfortably with this device on, without the fear of any fire being caused.

The Infrared Heater has many built-in features that include a fully electronic thermostat, a delayed start function and an entirely functional remote control. This combination of thermostat and remote is so well matched that you can control the room temperature even by one single degree, precisely to the level you feel most comfortable with.

Though my friend has not faced any problems with the functioning of the Comfort Zone, he feels comfortable at the back of his mind as the manufacturer has an outstanding Nationwide Service Plan.

It leaves little doubt in mind that the Comfort Zone, with its economics of effective operation and healthier breathing surroundings, coupled with zero maintenance, makes it an ideal choice for any homeowner.

A very convenient and practical alternative to portable patio heater is a ceiling patio heater. One these have been fixed, there is no problem of storage when the season is over, nor is there any maintenance required. You are saving your floor area! Just the flick of a button provides the needed warmth for the comfort of your family and the guests.

One can use gas or electricity for ceiling heaters. Should you already be using natural gas for heating your house, it’ll be a natural choice to use the same for your ceiling heaters of your patio. Else, you could certainly use electric ceiling heaters. You also get them for being used with propane, if you so prefer.

A very efficient way of heating is thru radiation as it heats the objects or the people without heating the air in between. Certain models of ceiling heaters for patios follow this technique. They offer improved efficiency and thus can be used to get the desired results even on windy days.

Different models of ceiling heaters are available for heating your patio. Some are designed to hang from the ceiling. These are provided with suitably designed reflectors to reflect and conserve heat as in the case of portable patio heaters. Natural gas or propane is the most commonly used fuel in such heaters.

Electric ceiling heaters being mounted on the ceiling directly help save floor area. These can safely be used indoors. You may enclose a part of your patio during winters and heat it with an electric heater.

Despite their capacity of heating rather large spaces, the operation of electric ceiling heaters is quite economical. There operation is efficient and they offer a good alternative to gas heating that may not be possible under certain circumstances. Making use of a regulator you may adjust the heat output.

An added advantage of electric heaters is that their operation is almost silent, whereas gas heaters are known to produce a hissing sound while under operation. Usually gas heating system has to be accompanied with a vent to avoid building up of unhealthy environments within the enclosure. Should there be plenty of ventilation one can avoid having a vent but using a gas heating system in an enclosed or even semi-enclosed are necessitates the incorporation a vent in the system.

The ever increasing bills of electricity and oil prompted me to explore the possibilities of using some energy-saving devices to have a control on the amount of bills for energy, and it zeroed down to an infrared heater. I got impressed by the efficiency of such heaters that provide steady distribution of heat that helps save energy costs.

I decided for EdenPure infrared heater because of the reputation that they enjoy and a wide range on offer. I am happy to add here that I have no regrets of my decision.

The EdenPure characteristically offers an even distribution of heat. This is helpful in effectively heating the total surroundings of any room. I keep it in the middle of my living room and in no time the whole room gets warmed up when set to “high heat” setting. The equipment offers comfortable heating for the simple reason that the patented heating element of EdenPure burns no oxygen present in the atmosphere. The resultant feeling is like the warmth of a blanket.

A very useful feature of EdenPure is that it allows you to have a concentration of heat in a particular area. For instance, you could adjust it to lower heat setting and adjust it to point towards a particular chair, when alone in the room. That saves a lot of energy and thus lowers the bill. As the unit is provided with a trolley, it can conveniently be moved to any part of the room to get the desired effect.

The most important technical feature of EdenPure is the safety of operation that it offers.
This is very important, especially when you have children and pets at home. Though I continued using electric heaters with heating coils for long, I always had an uncomfortable feeling of having a fire at the back of my mind. But that’s not so anymore since EdenPure arrived on the scene. It’s just warm to human touch, even while operating on full power. My wife, who takes care of the children at home, remains very relieved as there is no fear of a child getting burns on accidentally getting in touch with this heater. Of course, your pets would get drawn towards it because of the warmth, but remain safe even if their body gets in direct contact with it.

Before I wrap it up, let me admit that it has been a great experience to have EdenPure at home. It evenly heats the place and really helps to cut down on energy bills, true to its ads. It’s a worthwhile investment as it ultimately pays for itself by cutting down your expense on electricity. If you have been considering of having an efficient cost saving heating equipment for your home, you wouldn’t get a better option than an EdenPure.