Should I get an electric heater or not???

[aprilrain1024]

Hello Everyone,
I realized today that it is almost September! I can't believe how quickly summer has gone by. Anyway, I was going over my fall/winter budget and I saw how outrageous last winters gas bills were. My DH and I keep our thermostat set on 65 degrees, so it is not like we are wasting energy. So, I am strongly thinking about getting a portable electric heater. Do any of you use a portable electric heater as a supplement to your main heating source? And if so, is there a certain type or brand that you would recommend? Just curious. Thanks!
~*April*~

[Palooka]

Well I am so hot blooded, I could probably live without the heat, but my family would freeze. Our downstairs is not very well insulated and my daughters room is there so we do use an electric heater. It's not a big one and has different settings, but seems to do the trick.

I have noticed that it does raise our electric bill here, but cheaper with the gas in the winter and the air in the summer, so not a biggie. Not sure of the brand at the moment.

If I was single, I would just get one of these and save a ton on gas and electric.

[lilk]

They have some new kind of electric heaters out that are supposed to be super enegry efficent, but I can't think of the name. The cost to run them is about, the cost to run a coffee pot (they claim). Maybe someone else will know what I'm talking about. They cost a couple hundred dollars.

[frugalfranny]

I have one but haven't used it enough to even rec. it....not sure what brand it is.

I think most of them have the feature now where if they get tipped over they automatically turn off..........but check to make sure. We have GOBS of house fires every year here from people setting them too close to furniture or curtains.........so be careful.

I leave my thermo. at 65 too and use a fleece blanket' when I sit down to watch TV. If it is REALLY cold I will turn it up to 68 when I sit down in the evenings.

[savvy_sniper]

I have two small ceramic heaters - $29.99. They heat surprisingly well for their size and use very little electricity.

I bought them when we were living with my mom to care for her. The den was about the size of a 3-car garage, had tile floor, faced north, etc. I would turn the the heater on when I woke up (about 5 a. m.) and the room would be toasty by the time mom got up (7 a. m. ish).

That way I could keep the thermostat on 65 for the entire house. I am VERY warm-natured; so it was a win win situation. Mom stayed warm and I didn't keel over from the heat.

We now use one in our bathroom and one in my office on chilly winter mornings. We don't use them all the time; just to take the chill out.

[2ndGenGranola]

We have a radiator style electric heater that we put out on the inclosed sunroom for the dog. We also have a fan forced that we heat the bathroom with (but are talking about getting a radiator style one for in there). We like our bathroom warm for showers but don't like heating up the whole house. We could easily tolerate the house in the 60's if we get the bathroom warm.

[Grainlady]

We've used a Sun Cloud Infrared Heating System (http://www.solarcomfortheat.com/) as our primary source of heat for several years now. After checking the energy use with a Watt-A-Meter, its cost is .02-cents an hour to run. We more than paid for the unit the first winter we used it with energy savings. We live in central Kansas where we get PLENTY of winter.... The only time we use our whole-house furnace is when we leave on vacation - so we only use our furnace about 7-9 days each winter.

After owning nearly every type of space heater over the years, this one is the most energy efficient and effective - it will heat more than just a small space, or your toes under your desk. It heats our living room, dining room and kitchen area in our small home. We have purchased 3 of them over the years - we gave one to our son for his apartment and we use one in our living area and one in the master bathroom (as needed).

A little known issue about "space heaters", not all homeowners insurance will cover their use because most are considered high-risk and dangerous to operate, so it doesn't hurt to contact your insurance agent on the subject. The Sun Cloud has been approved for zero clearance and A-1 Insurance rating. You can safely set it next to a wall, a cloth-covered sofa, or next to drapes - a blanket or clothing could accidently be tossed on the Sun Cloud and it would be perfectly safe.

The Sun Cloud will not burn or create a fire hazard and are completely safe for use around small children and pets. A friend of ours has one, and his 8-year old son likes to do his homework on the top of the Sun Cloud. The source of heat is from Infrared lightbulbs. We purchased our units from a well-respected local Mom & Pop store (3-generations of sales and service), so it wasn't a unit that was bought out of the back of a truck in a parking lot someplace.

The heat produced by the Sun Cloud is very comfortable, soft heat, and doesn't dry the air, like a forced-air furnace does. Another little benefit, you don't get moisture condensing on the windows. It's just as warm 10-foot from the unit as it is next to it.

For maximum efficiency, locate the Sun Cloud on an inside wall, exhausting toward the outside wall. If it is used in an area with bare concrete floors, you need to elevate the unit a minimum of three feet above the floor. It also works best with a minimum 40% relative humidity, so we use a humidifier in the area because winters are pretty dry here. It's not recommended for areas with exposed, uninsulated concrete or metal walls - like a garage or shed.

So to answer your question about getting a heater - I can only suggest a Sun Cloud or an infrared type (there are other brands available). All the rest are dangerous and NOT energy efficient, and not all that effective for anything other than a small space. The oil-filled ones smell and can leak, and most of the other are dangerous because of the heating coils.

[old_lady_in_the_shoe]

Electric Space Heaters
Electric space heaters are generally more expensive to operate than combustion space heaters, but they are the only unvented space heaters that are safe to operate inside your home. Although electric space heaters avoid indoor air quality concerns, they still carry hazards of potential burns and fires, and should be used with caution.

For convection (non-radiant) space heaters, the best types incorporate a heat transfer liquid, such as oil, that is heated by the electric element. The heat transfer fluid provides some heat storage, allowing the heater to cycle less and to provide a more constant heat source.

When buying and installing an electric space heater, you should follow these general safety guidelines:

Electric heaters should be plugged directly into the wall outlet. If an extension cord is necessary, use a heavy-duty cord of 14-guage wire or larger.

For portable electric heaters, buy a unit with a tip-over safety switch, which automatically shuts off the heater if the unit is tipped over.

[crafty73]

They have some new kind of electric heaters out that are supposed to be super enegry efficent, but I can't think of the name. The cost to run them is about, the cost to run a coffee pot (they claim). Maybe someone else will know what I'm talking about. They cost a couple hundred dollars.

My mom bought one, cost her nearly $650, its some sort of infered heater, she got it this summer while it was on sale, i'll let ya guys know how it works this winter...our winters are nasty, -50 C at times. I'm going with electric heaters in our basement as my 18 yr sleeps down there and there are no heating vents in there just yet. I bought this house in May 2009 and was told the insulation is only good to temps of -20 C...which sucks. To get extra insulation blown into our attic would cost around $800 + tax. Prolly get that done next spring though.

[ahmom]

We have an Edenpure heater. It works great and doesn't cost nearly as much as oil does. We love it.