Honeywell HZ-709 Portable Radiator

[frugalityisgood]

I'm trying to cut down my heating and electric bill and I tried several options and I like this unit the best. It is a very attractive looking device, that works really well. I like it the most because it has three temperature settings, low (600 watts), medium (900 watts), and high (1500) watts. The unit is $59.97 at Walmart. It also has a 5 year manufacture limited warranty.

My electric bill usually runs higher in the winer, because I have to use the Heat Pump (3500 watts) more. Then if it gets really cold it kicks over to gas and gas really gets expensive. I'm hoping by using this unit, in combination with the Heat Pump, I won't have to use it as much and I won't have to use the gas at all. If I don't use any gas at all, that'll save me about $20 to $30.00 per month.



Digital controls
Silent convection heating
1-12 hour timer function
Auto shut-off

The fact I can set the temperature to only use 600 watts is fantastic. It also has a built in thermostat, which shuts the unit off at a desired temperature so it doesn't over heat the room or waste energy.

I keep my house at a nice 60 degrees. But if you keep your house warmer, this unit would allow you to turn your thermostat down for the rest of the house, while maintaining a nice warm bedroom.

If this unit ran 8 hours a night at 1500 watts and your utility company charged 11 cents per kilowatt, this unit would cost $40.15. Of course once the room is warm, you could maintain the temp by turning down the power to the medium or low setting at 900 watts it'd only cost $28.47 and at 600 watts $18.98.

Compared to an electric furnace that uses 10,000 watts or would cost $267 per month.

[PrairieRose]

We've been talking about getting a couple of those. We have 2 that are not Honeywell but another brand (can't remember which, sorry) that Gripey uses at his office and they work really well. We bought 2 really expensive Edenpure heaters which were great and put out a lot of heatfor very little expense BUT they only lasted about 2 winters. Won't be buying any more of those fur sure. We have a rather large living/dining room with laminate floors that is really cold at 68 degrees in the winter. We use our lap blankets, dress in fleece and such but still stay cool. I'm thinking one of the Honeywells or similar heaters setting near us would keep us toasty and not drain the pocketbook as much as the nat. gas heating does, as well.

[banana]

That looks like a really nice heater! I bought a couple of delonghi oil filled heaters a couple of years ago and they work just like the one you mention above. The only thing is when I use one in my living room dining room combo it doest really warm the room enough.

I just bought a vortex vornado for the living room dining room combo and since it has a fan it is doing a good job keeping the room at 70 on the low setting.

I'm dreading what my winter bills will be like with the current price of fuel oil. I am gonna try my best to keep my consumption down.

[djb202]

These radiator type heaters are very good if you desire to heat the "air". If you want to heat yourself a "radiant" type space heater works better and cost's less, because you are not heating the whole Room. A radiant heater glows red and heats those things (people) that the "rays" are directed at. You can keep the air temp. low and have the heater warm you. Also when calculating the cost of this heater to a heat pump, keep in mind that while the heat pump is in electric only mode (above 35 degrees F) you get 3 units of energy out for every 1 unit you put in (300% efficient). In resistance heating (all space heaters) you get a 1 to 1 ratio (100% efficient).

[Nightshade]

Yes, I can strongly recommend these heaters as both safe and effecient.

The concept of "zone heating" that these heaters allow is both sound and
used worldwide in one form or another. In fact "whole house" heating
is dumb from an energy consumption stand point. Why heat where
you are not going to be ??

We've used a simpler version of this heater to heat the two rooms
we occupy the most at night saving bundles of money in the process
on natural gas cost as well as furnace wear. These Honeywell heaters
use oil as a heat sink to hold the heat and meter it out in a nice
even flow while not being the fire hazard quartz and open face coil
heaters are.

[mikandmari]

We just purchased a similar heater, a Delongi space heater, for our daughter. It will be a Christmas gift. We use our fireplace to keep the living room warm, and then the heater doesn't run so the bedrooms are "freezing!" according to her (who, at 16, is hardly home anyway).

We have one that glows red in the garage, where we often work. But for her bedroom, I wanted one of these radiator-looking ones because they are safer. I don't need her setting her curtains on fire!

[EnergyBoomer]

Frugality is Good said

My electric bill usually runs higher in the winter, because I have to use the Heat Pump (3500 watts) more. Then if it gets really cold it kicks over to gas and gas really gets expensive. I'm hoping by using this unit, in combination with the Heat Pump, I won't have to use it as much and I won't have to use the gas at all. If I don't use any gas at all, that'll save me about $20 to $30.00 per month.

Energy Boomer says:

I think you may be costing yourself extra money if you are trying to avoid using natural gas by using electricity. The cost per BTU heat unit is much much higher for electricity than it is for natural gas. If the gas you are talking about is propane the equal value price of 11 cents per Kilowatt hour power is $3.55 a gallon for propane. I do not think it is that high yet.

The only way you will save is if you use the electric heater for just the two rooms and turn the heat pump/gas central heat way way down to the rest of your home.

It is not unusual for folks to need to use natural gas when the "heat" outdoors is too cold to pump into the home with a heat pump.

Natural gas is the least expensive heat source you can use this winter. Much less expensive than electric.

[banana]

Wow Energy Boomer you are a wealth of information!

[Nightshade]

Frugality is Good said

My electric bill usually runs higher in the winter, because I have to use the Heat Pump (3500 watts) more. Then if it gets really cold it kicks over to gas and gas really gets expensive. I'm hoping by using this unit, in combination with the Heat Pump, I won't have to use it as much and I won't have to use the gas at all. If I don't use any gas at all, that'll save me about $20 to $30.00 per month.

Energy Boomer says:

I think you may be costing yourself extra money if you are trying to avoid using natural gas by using electricity. The cost per BTU heat unit is much much higher for electricity than it is for natural gas. If the gas you are talking about is propane the equal value price of 11 cents per Kilowatt hour power is $3.55 a gallon for propane. I do not think it is that high yet.

The only way you will save is if you use the electric heater for just the two rooms and turn the heat pump/gas central heat way way down to the rest of your home.

It is not unusual for folks to need to use natural gas when the "heat" outdoors is too cold to pump into the home with a heat pump.

Natural gas is the least expensive heat source you can use this winter. Much less expensive than electric.

Some of what you say is true BUT it depends on the rate charged per
therm of gas compared to the cost per KWH for electricity. Using zone
heat to heat ONLY where you are will always save money on a per
hour basis compared to whole house heating by allowing you to
turn down the thermostat to keep the rest of the house cooler.

Most American today are looking square in the teeth of ever rising
fossil fuel cost be they oil or gas due to the depleation of both supplies
worldwide. Electricity can be made several ways and,in time,will become
the leading source of energy for all to use.