Walton EMC's Space Heater Guide

Need a little extra heat in one or two spots of your home or office? Then consider an electric space heater.

"Electric space heaters are great for spot heating," says WEMC's Howard Turner. "They can actually save energy if you lower the thermostat of your central LP gas system, say to 60 degrees, and use them sparingly for short periods in the room you're occupying."

"Electric models have many advantages over gas or kerosene space heaters," continues Turner. "Most of all, they're much safer."

That's because electric space heaters don't use flames, dangerous fuels or produce carbon monoxide (CO). Manufacturers recommend actually opening a window when using fossil fuel space heaters to avoid CO poisoning. It just doesn't seem very efficient to open a window when the heat's on.

More Electric Advantages

And electric space heaters cost quite a bit less to buy than other types of space heaters. There's no gas piping to run or installation charges, either.

Since they're portable, you're not stuck with having to use the space heater in just one place or buying additional heaters for different rooms.

Unlike fossil fuel space heaters, electric models are 100 percent efficient, converting every bit of energy they consume to heat. Keep that in mind when shopping and watch out for claims that one electric space heater is more efficient than another. They're all 100 percent efficient.

Surprise!

Although space heaters are good for their intended task, they're not designed to heat a whole house or large area. Many consumers are surprised at next month's electric bill after buying three or four space heaters.

"You probably can run a heat pump and heat an entire home for less per hour than it costs to heat just one room with a space heater," says Turner. "Use the heat pump to heat your house and buy a space heater for things like working in the garage."

For example, running just one space heater at the 1,500 watt setting for twelve hours costs $1.08 on Walton EMC's winter rate. For one month, that turns into $32.40. If you run three heaters, that brings the grand total to $97.20.

Space Heater Safety

Space heaters can and have caused fires. Most of these could have been prevented if the heater's owner had followed these basic safety rules:

• Buy only Underwriter's Laboratory (UL) approved heaters.
• Avoid using extension cords with space heaters. If you must use an extension cord, make sure the wire size is heavy enough to handle the amperage requirements of your heater (you can figure this by dividing the heater wattage by 120). Never use lamp-type extension cords with a space heater.
• If the wiring or outlets in your home are old, consider a lower or variable wattage heater instead of 1,500 watt models.
• Buy heaters with safety switches that turn the heater off if it's tipped over.
• Make sure the heater you buy has a protective grill in front of the elements (some oil-filled heaters don't get hot enough to require a grill). Don't remove it.
• Keep all materials at least three feet from space heaters.
• Never use a space heater while it's unattended or you're sleeping. Use extra caution around children.
• Make sure the heater rests on a stable surface.

Choosing a Space Heater

Don't run out and buy any old space heater. First, stop and consider how and where the heater will be used. There are three main types of space heaters:

Radiant - these heaters warm the people and objects in front of them rather than the air in the room, so your body will feel warmer quicker. Choose a radiant heater if you'll be staying mostly in one place, like on the couch watching TV or at a workbench in the garage. They're good for spot heating in areas that aren't normally heated.

Natural Convection - convection heaters work by using natural currents of warm air. Choose both natural or fan-forced convection heaters if there are several people in different places in the room, if you're moving around the room or if you want heat the entire room. Oil-filled convection heaters are probably the safest space heaters of all, but they're also the slowest to warm the space they're heating.

Fan-forced Convection - these use the same principle as natural convection heaters but with a fan to assist natural air currents. They're the quickest for heating an entire room and probably the least expensive to buy. On the downside, the area right in front of the heater may be somewhat warmer than the rest of the room; the heater's fan may also make the room feel drafty.