Space heater

[mommy2allyandaveri]

There are a million out there. Looking for the most effective to heat a large room, as well as the most cost effective.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Is it more cost effective to use our house heater? We do have a large 2 story home. When using the heater, I generally just use the downstairs heater and close all the upstairs rooms we don't use.

 

[Cadiewampus]

I have never run across any spaceheater that is cost effective to you unless you go with some sort of kerosene heater ( have to worry about venting) they do make a a heater that you just connect to a propane tank but I am not positive how long a tank would last you before needing another

 

[KarenAylwood]

This is a page I found on the subject of heating and cost: http://freshome.com/2012/11/01/10-wise-ways-to-save-on-winter-heating/

We have a small space heater in DS's room because we turn the thermostat down really low at night and he moves so much he often doesn't have covers on (he's 3). We bought it at Costco and it does a great job, cost $40. I wouldn't use it for a larger space than a room the size of a bedroom. It is electric, not hot to the touch and will turn off if knocked over.

I have our thermostats programmed to be low when we're not there and at night and 68 when we're home (in the winter). It's cheaper to cut the heating down to almost nothing, then have heat when you're there than it is to leave it on all the time.

 

[Ranger111]

When I was in college moved into a house with two other guys. They insisted on turning heat off at night. They both had heated waterbeds. I had a $50 mattress on the floor. The window in my bedroom would often be a sheet of ice ON THE INSIDE by morning and I would freeze. And, good luck with getting any friends to "sleep over" LOL!

I finally bought a space heater, which ticked off my roomies (it will run up the electric bill -- well, yeah -- turn off your waterbed heaters and we will talk). Anyway, it was a lifesaver.

But, as said, they are not cost-effective. But, they do work.

Bought one for my son in college, as he was having freezing issues at his off-campus place.

This is the one we got him. He likes it.

Vornado TVH600

 

[Vijoge]

There are a million out there. Looking for the most effective to heat a large room, as well as the most cost effective.

Anyone have any thoughts?

Is it more cost effective to use our house heater? We do have a large 2 story home. When using the heater, I generally just use the downstairs heater and close all the upstairs rooms we don't use.

We have an old 2 story, four bedroom home. We have the registers closed in two of the bedrooms because they are not being used. Other than that, we just use our gas furnace to heat the rest of the house. An electric space heater would drive our electric bill through the roof. I can't imagine heating a large room with one.

 

[friend2Figment]

I like the Eden Pure if you are trying to heat a room. It may not save money really, but they are cool to the touch for children or pets so they would not get burned if they come in contact with it. It produces a more even heat over a ceramic space heater. If you are looking at space heaters be sure to get one that shuts off if bumped or tipped over.

 

[tvguy]

My mom saved a lot of money using a space heater. She spent all her waking hours in the family room and kitchen, which were connected and could be closed off from the rest of the house with pocket doors. She had an electric blanket on her bed, and had the furnace set at 55 degrees.
Using a 1,500 watt heater in a 400 square foot area is always going to be cheaper than running a 4,500 watt furnace to heat a 2,000 square foot house.

 

[eeyoresmom]

Just had this conversation with my mother who moved from new mexico to Massachusetts this fall. Her electric bill went from $190 to $285 in November. The only change she made was using a space heater around 10 days for a few hours each time. Actually she had bought a new energy efficient dryer and was expecting her bill to go down. I know electricity is even more expensive in California so I m not sure a space heater will save you money.

 

[tvguy]

Just had this conversation with my mother who moved from new mexico to Massachusetts this fall. Her electric bill went from $190 to $285 in November. The only change she made was using a space heater around 10 days for a few hours each time. Actually she had bought a new energy efficient dryer and was expecting her bill to go down. I know electricity is even more expensive in California so I m not sure a space heater will save you money.

Depends on where you are in California. I live in the SMUD service area and their rates are pretty good. I pay 10.38 cents per kilowatt hour. The national average is 10.44. Natural gas, however, through P-G&E is expensive.

 

[SharonZ]

They are not cost effective.

 

[bearzabout]

Have you checked out the Presto Heatdish Parabolic Electric Heater? We saw them at Costco and picked one up at a garage sale for $10. They are meant to heat people, not the room. Save money by only using it when you are sitting in front of it. You will use less electricity if you heat the people and not the entire room. It probably will not save you money but it will feel good if it is cold inside.

Also look into ceramic heaters. They are safer than some others. Safety is an issue with space heaters, especially if there are pets or kids in the house.

 

[tvguy]

They are not cost effective.

Not sure how heating less area with less wattage can be less cost effective.

 

[Lvsdisney]

My only recommendation is to find one with a thermostat so it will turn off when a certain temp is reached. We use one in DD/DS's room because they are right over the garage with very poor insulation. We set the heater to 68 and it turns off when reached, and then turns on again when the temp in the room drops.

 

[xlxo]

Thoughts....

• how much would you save with a space heater?
• where I am.... Natural gas is cheaper than electricity for heating
• it's great to heat a single room, what about the pipes around the house? To prevent pipe freezing, I decided to heat the entire house.
• how often do you have the furnace cleaned and serviced for efficient operation?
• is an oil filled radiator cheaper than a space heater?
• is there a fire hazad?
• space heaters have very tiny fans. I turn on my summer fan to help circulate the hot air better in the room.

 

[tvguy]

Thoughts....

• how much would you save with a space heater?
• where I am.... Natural gas is cheaper than electricity for heating
• it's great to heat a single room, what about the pipes around the house? To prevent pipe freezing, I decided to heat the entire house.
• how often do you have the furnace cleaned and serviced for efficient operation?
• is an oil filled radiator cheaper than a space heater?
• is there a fire hazad?
• space heaters have very tiny fans. I turn on my summer fan to help circulate the hot air better in the room.

Well put.
Electric rates clearly are an issue. Electricity is so much cheaper here that all electric subdivisions are common. Okay, in the winter of 1990, right after we voted to close our Nuclear Power Plant, electric rates soared. Some neighbors paid to have natural gas pulled in, and swapped out their furnaces, water heaters and stoves, to the tune of about $10,000 per house. The next winter, gas rates soared, electric rates plunged. Poor guy who organized the effort sold his house a few years later, and every offer he got was contingent on him replacing all the gas appliances with electric!

 

[xlxo]

I should add, that I live in Cascadia.... where most electricity is by hydro (40% cheaper than the East Coast). My average monthly electric bill is $35 with no electric heat and no air conditioning.
https://www.electricchoice.com/electricity-prices-by-state/

I still prefer natural gas for heating compared to the fire risks of a space heater. I feel my oil heater with a fan circulating is an optional choice when the furnace failed last Christmas.
https://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&page=1&rh=i:aps,kil heater