Portable Electric Heaters
With winter almost here, many people are re-evaluating their heating systems. If you run a central heating system, chances are that you are evaluating how much it costs you to run your system during winter, and deciding whether or not it is worth it to continue. Fuel prices are on the increase, and with the current economic downturn many people are actually opting for alternative heating, such as portable electric heaters.
One option for this winter is to turn your central heating down a few degrees, and dress more warmly. That will definitely prove to be a saving. If someone in your home isn’t comfortable with the lowered heating, or if they have special needs, (such as a nursery, for example) you could always buy a portable heater to put in the room so that only one room has to be warmer.
Alternatively you can switch off your central heating all together and simply buy electric space heaters. Portable electric heaters are much more economical to run these days than they were years ago, and it is a very real possibility that you could actually save on heating costs by choosing to heat your home with portable electric heaters. The great thing about buying portable heaters is that they can be moved from room to room, as needed, which makes them an ideal choice for small families, singles, or couples without children. Use them in the living room in the evening, then move them into the bedroom as you prepare to go to bed.
There are two types of portable electric heaters, radiant heaters and those that rely on convection or the circulation of air to heat a room. Radiant heaters are a great choice if you are only needing to heat the room for a few hours and providing you can stay in direct line with the heater (as radiant heat heats up objects within their line of sight.)
If you are planning on using the heater to heat up an area for an evening, or all day, then you would be better off running a convection heater as that will heat up the air in the entire room. Portable electric heaters are great as they do not need to be vented, and are safe to operate within your home.
No matter what type of portable electric heater you buy there are some safety guidelines to keep in mind. Remember that they should always be plugged directly into the wall socket (or into a very heavy gauge wire extension cord) and they should have built in safety switches that will turn the electric heater off if it happens to get tipped over. Remember too, that small children and pets have been burned by getting too close to an electric heater, so unless you are using an oil-filled portable electric heater, make sure that your children or pets can’t come in contact with the heater.
are a great choice if you are only needing to heat the room for a few hours and providing you can stay in direct line with the heater (as radiant heat heats up objects within their line of sight.)
If you are planning on using the heater to heat up an area for an evening, or all day, then you would be better off running a convection heater as that will heat up the air in the entire room. Portable electric heaters are great as they do not need to be vented, and are safe to operate within your home.
No matter what type of portable electric heater you buy there are some safety guidelines to keep in mind. Remember that they should always be plugged directly into the wall socket (or into a very heavy gauge wire extension cord) and they should have built in safety switches that will turn the electric heater off if it happens to get tipped over. Remember too, that small children and pets have been burned by getting too close to an electric heater, so unless you are using an oil-filled portable electric heater, make sure that your children or pets can’t come in contact with the heater.
