Radiator oil filled space heater?

[Disneygrl71]

I'm looking at getting one of these for my living room (which has a vaulted ceiling that opens up to my upstairs) to help with cutting down on the cost of running my gas furnace this winter. Anyone have or ever used one, how are they on being energy-efficient? Are they safe to leave on at night while sleeping?

 

[Michblue]

They work well in small spaces. Not sure it will help you in a vaulted ceiling room. I have left one on at night when our central heat was broken as a short term solution.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I have one, I use it in my sons' bedroom, it's a large room over the garage and poorly insulated. As far as heating, it does a great job at keeping the room warm. It has a automatic temperature control, I turn it to 70 before they go to bed and have it set to shut off (it has a timer) after about 10 hours. I bought it at Walmart about 5 years ago and it still works great. You do have to be careful to make sure that nothing is close to it (fire hazard).

Since we've used it every winter since we've moved here I'm not sure about the energy difference, I don't have anything to compare it to.

 

[Ladygoldenhair]

I've used one too for years. Bought mine at SAMs Club. I don't have vaulted ceilings but a bi-level that opens to the downstairs. I put it on a very low setting and feel toasty.

The heat in the house is set at 65* and with the heater on a low setting it stays 70* in the house. I just love it. I've had ceramic, quartz, and even a fireplace with one of those heaters in it, but this has been the best bag for the buck.

Try one from SAMs you can always return it if you are not happy.

 

[manning]

In our area gas is cheaper than electric, especially with high efficiency furnace.

 

[ilovemk76]

Your electric bill will go up and probably more than you save in gas.

Space heaters are for keeping one area warmer than the rest of the house or for a place in the house that never gets as warm as the rest of the house.

For a vaulted ceiling, you are out of luck if you try to keep that room warmer than the rest of the house. Heat rises, so the upstairs will just keep getting warmer and warmer.

 

[tomeaine]

Like mentioned above..great for small spaces like a bedroom. Used it for when my kids where much smaller to keep thier room cozy at night while the rest of the house was low.

 

[laurafergie]

Agree with PPs. I have two in my house and they work great. I bought them last year when propane went up to almost $5 a gallon. In rural Oklahoma, electricity IS cheaper than paying for propane. Anyway...But I have a small one level ranch with small rooms. With a vaulted ceiling, I would have a ceiling fan installed to move the hot air back down.

 

[tvguy]

In our area gas is cheaper than electric, especially with high efficiency furnace.

Your electric bill will go up and probably more than you save in gas.

Space heaters are for keeping one area warmer than the rest of the house or for a place in the house that never gets as warm as the rest of the house.

For a vaulted ceiling, you are out of luck if you try to keep that room warmer than the rest of the house. Heat rises, so the upstairs will just keep getting warmer and warmer.

Gas rates versus electric rates certainly would be a consideration, as well as the temperature difference between outside and what you want inside.
But those little units don't use much electricity, and the oil continues to remain warm and radiate heat for along time after you turn it off so I find it hard to believe it would be cheaper to run the gas furnace to heat the whole house versus a little space heater for one room you want warmed.

But here, you pay a premium for an all electric house since historically gas is much more expensive.

 

[danygirl]

We have oil heat. I have one of these, it was one my parents used in their weekend house to warm up some rooms. Mom says I will see it on the electric bill but electric is cheaper than oil...