Comments for All About Heaters

Comment on Halogen Heaters by bobhander

bobhander — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:04:25 +0000

Ioana, it seems that the UV radiations from a normal home halogen heater are fairly minimal and not really enough to cause any harm unless you are using your heater 24/7 all year round and have it very close to you. Perhaps of greater concern is the use of fluorescent lighting or the new ‘energy saving’ light bulbs in a home or CRT computer monitors, as the lights for example are used all year around and have been shown to emit quite high levels of UV in some instances.

As far as their effect on human skin, they can potentially have the same effect as any other type of UV radiation though because the radiation is very much on the low scale it is doubtful if you would get a tan from sitting in front of one for example. Distance between yourself and the lamp also lessens any UV skin damage. If you were very sensitive to UV radiation, such as people with lupus or other photo sensitivities it may not be the best choice of heater. Hope this answers some of your questions, Ioana.

Comment on Halogen Heaters by Ioana

Ioana — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:26:36 +0000

Hello. I read a lot on the subject and it seems that this kind of heaters do produce UV radiations.
Could you please let us know some more details related to their effect on human skin?

Comment on A Chimney Free Electric Fireplace Is A Great Addition To Any Home by lara

lara — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:39:42 +0000

this website is great, thanks! it answered all my questions, very useful. One more question, is it safe to leave an electric fireplace heater on all the time if it has a thermostat and frost control?

Comment on A Chimney Free Electric Fireplace Is A Great Addition To Any Home by John C

John C — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 00:36:52 +0000

Great insights! Because of the flexibility, safety, and efficiency of electric, most modern electric heaters and fireplaces are now designed as furniture that can be used as decoration and a utility shelf. They are perfect for modern living. Also, these heaters and fireplaces are a big help for a business.

Comment on Is it Safe to Leave an Oil Filled Radiator On All the Time? by bobhander

bobhander — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:33:36 +0000

Shannon, as long as the heater is operating properly, does not have frayed cords or any other apparent damage to the unit you should be fine. Most are made to be moved around easily and as such they are made so that you can touch them without problem. Of course, keep the heater away from puddles of water! The main thing to watch out for with oil filled radiators is that you keep them away from curtains and don’t hang those ‘still damp’ clothes or towel over the heater to dry!

Comment on Ventless Gas Heaters by bobhander

bobhander — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:31:16 +0000

There could be several reasons for this — is the black mold or soot? The first thing to do would be to get your ventless heater serviced to make sure that the heater is burning cleanly. Oftentimes, and I’ve found this myself, heaters in the garage or basement are not serviced as often as those in other parts of the house. If a good service doesn’t fix the problem, or if it is mold and not soot, you may want to look into different dehumidifiers that can clean and dehumidify the air.

Comment on The Plinth Heater by bobhander

bobhander — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 20:25:01 +0000

Eric, it depends on the model you buy. As with regular radiators some are hot to touch while others are not. If you are specifically looking for something that is not, check out the heaters that specify that they have “touch safe” surface temperatures. Keep in mind, also, that they are often tucked away out of reach of most people and not something that you move around. Of course, if you have pets that love to curl up next to the heater you would definitely want to opt for the touch safe type. I still recall a beautiful fluffy cat we had that curled up too close to a heater and singed her beautiful coat — and the heater was not actually that hot, she just curled up almost on top of the thing! She was not harmed and we relocated the heater to a location she didn’t frequent, but still…you never know. Better to be safe, which is why I always go for the touch safe surface temperatures with heaters these days. Really, the main problem with heaters that end up being too hot to touch are the cheaper heaters, they have the main safety features built in of course but not all the features you may want.

Comment on Halogen Heaters by bobhander

bobhander — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 02:05:33 +0000

These heaters do not produce any rays that would be at all dangerous to your body–no radiation or anything of that nature. You can use them safely without worrying about risk to your body!

Comment on Halogen Heaters by Ringo

Ringo — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 11:38:38 +0000

Hey Bobhander, do you know if it is safe to use this type of heater at close proximity to my body? Is there a risk that radiation or something that could be exposed to me? I do want to have kids one day..

Thanks

Comment on The Plinth Heater by Eric

Eric — Fri, 26 Aug 2011 20:53:10 +0000

I see you mention the Plinth Heater is safe. How hot is the grate? Can it cause a burn? Thanks for the information.

Eric