What is the best, most money saving space heater? Infrared, ceramic, mica, oil-filled
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 23 เม.ย. 2018
- Check these affiliate links for the current prices. Mica is my favorite style: geni.us/pivquuL (Amazon)
Mica Panel Heaters: geni.us/UIChlW1 (Amazon) || Oil Filled Radiator Heaters: geni.us/x0AR (Amazon) || Ceramic Space Heaters: geni.us/DbnBg23 (Amazon) || Infrared Heaters: geni.us/KGLJyL (Amazon)
Here are the rooms/applications I recommend for the different types of space heaters:
Ceramic Space Heaters: geni.us/DbnBg23 (Amazon) - Small ones are good for personal spaces like an office desk or cubicle. Larger ones are good for large rooms like family room, living room, garage etc. The fan can be loud so keep that in mind.
Oil Filled Radiator Heaters: geni.us/x0AR (Amazon) - Use this type of space heater in a small to medium sized enclosed room that you are in for long periods of time like a bedroom. It is noiseless and ideal for maintaining a temperature. Good for when you are sleeping.
Infrared Heaters: geni.us/KGLJyL (Amazon) - Use these in larger or open areas. Make sure to point it to where people are. These type of heaters often look like furniture so they work well in a living, family, or dining room. They usually have a fan so you will have noise as an issue.
Mica Panel Heaters: geni.us/UIChlW1 (Amazon) - Because of its versatility, this is probably my favorite style of space heater. It is noiseless, and lightweight. This will work well for any room and for large open spaces (though a parabolic heater, or heater with a fan is probably a better candidate for open spaces).
Parabolic Space Heaters: geni.us/QKVKHw2 (Amazon) - The room type/size does not really matter much for this; use this for when you don't plan on moving around a lot. Watching TV, working on a workbench, etc (Note: I did not talk about this type of space heater in my video but I did use this type primarily when I was living in China. It is quite bright, so I would use this as a double for a light bulb. It heats up you and not so much the room, so if you move around the room a lot, this probably would not be the recommended style of space heater).
This is the Amazon list of my favorite space heaters: a.co/8UehfTC
The Experiment: Over the course of several months, I tested the room in the morning using various heaters. I tested the increase of temperature over an hour.
The Results: The results were varied and a bit surprising. Basically, the more energy the heater used, the more it would heat the room (I guess that is your basic common sense). I found that heating a room as fast as possible is the best way to minimize cost. The best heater you can get for saving money is the one that gets the room hot the fasted. For me this turned out to be the mica and infrared heaters.
Conclusion: Basically, there is no best heater. You need to find a heater that suits your needs. For me this was the mica heater. This is quiet and hot and was able to heat my room as fast as the infrared heater which is also good. I have seen ceramic heaters that work just as well as this.
Here is the spreadsheet I used: docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
A note about the spreadsheet. I used the spreadsheet to organize my data and I don't have all the notes and readings that I originally had; hopefully this spreadsheet helps explain what I was testing though.
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You missed one of the main points of heaters "Comfort". An oil filled heater takes a while to heat up but keeps the room at a constant temperature without kick on and making you hot and then off making you cold. It's a constant temperature, giving you a more comfortable room...
Infrared, ceramic, mica or oil-filled are ALL standard electric room heaters. They're ALL designed to pull roughly 12 to 13 amps from a standard 120V outlet (roughly 1500 Watts). At 1500 Watts it's producing roughly 5115 BTU's. It doesn't matter if it's oil-filled or infrared or whatever, 5115 BTU's is 5115 BTU's on this planet or any other planet. Since each will produce nearly identical BTU output for the same electrical energy input NONE are any more efficient than the others. Don't be fooled by those Amish infrared space heaters claiming to save you money, it's all advertising hype. The only difference is how quickly those 5115 BTU's get transferred to the air. For each of these heaters, every BTU generated will eventually make its way into the room's air. It's just that the delivery method is different for each of those heaters. If you're in a hurry to feel the warmth don't go for the oil-filled heater, select a heater with a built-in fan. If you want to feel the heat everywhere in the room you may not like the infrared heater. If all you want is to heat the room and you're not in a hurry then all will do essentially the same job. Avoid the hype, the bling and gadgetry. Read the label especially the one that ALL electric equipment are required to have. For ALL standard 120V room heaters the label will state power consumption which will typically be 1500 Watts for its highest setting. If it's a resistive element or infrared type electric heater and it's pulling 1500 Watts then it is producing roughly 5115 BTU's of heat. If either claims to be putting out more BTUs then look at the label, its almost certainly doing so at a higher wattage (drawing more current). There's no free lunch with resistive element or infrared electric heaters.
All true. But not at all what his video is talking about
There are cheaper lunches over time but that means getting a fancy heat pump heater/air conditioner, though there are also cheaper lunches imedietly like an electric blanket that focus on just heating your body.
But long term unheated rooms are bad for the building anyway and can lead to damp and mold damage.
If you can set house temp to 55 and you can feel like its 68. You can save money
The best space heater is an old PC. You not only get heat, but you can also entertain yourself.
@@cyrilvankeirsbelk7299 fr, my room is hot af after an hour of gaming
I love oil-filled heaters because they're quiet AND, once you have the temperature dialed-in, they radiate nice, even heat without drying out the air.
they will dry out the air equal to any other electrical heater, and much more so than a open flamed gas, kerosene heater or open fire ...eg log/coal type heat
also probably the only type you can safely dry your wet socks on
@@pjo2386 Technical thats true, but heating has alot to do with how comfortable it feels.
I to like the oil filled ones as well,. For the same reasons but also while it may take longer to heat up once you get it to where you want you can turn it off and it'll continue heating, leaving the room warmer for longer
Only problem with the oil filled ones they might claim to be 1500 watt but they'll max out at around 600watts before the oil boils and cuts off and constantly cycles the over-heat cut off switches which are not really intended to be cycled as much as they are so they have shorter life spans unless you know how to replace the sensor.
So yes they are quiet because the loudest they'll be is the bubbling oil as it over heats but no they don't dry out the air less, they just heat the air less since as the higher the temperature the lower the humidity that can stay in the air... But it does have the perk of staying warmer and radiating heat even after it is turned off but that can be a down side too.
I wasted hours reading/watching videos about heaters when all I needed was to watch this video to get all the information I needed. Great work
Oil filled electric heaters produce the most even and comfortable heat. The only drawback to them is that they take a little while to warm up. However once up to temperature the heat is even and very quiet as well.
Yup, My experience also!
No, all electric heaters produce the exact same amount of heat per watt.
@@randybobandy9828 he didn’t say it produces more heat…. Just more even and comfortable
@@rossmacleod4245 and they are great for grow rooms
Something most people don't realize as well is that the Thermostat on the Oil Filled Heaters(analog) do not measure the room temperature around the heater. It is a thermostat for the Oil. This is why it is so challenging to control temperatures with them.
(Simplified Example) Heater set to med high heat (100). Oil temp reaches 100, heater turns off. Radiating oil heat continues. Oil temp drops to 95, heater turns back on.
If you are trying to hold lets say 70 deg temps but the heater is set to a high temp, you will actually exceed 70 deg in the room. It is a balancing act between High Oil Temp, room temp, and outside ambient temp.
Oil might need to be at 120 deg if the room is not well insulated and cooling faster to keep a steady 70 deg, or to even bring a large temp change as quick as possible. And yet once the room is warmed up with a well insulated room oil temp could be at around 71-72 deg to keep a room at 70.
If you plan on being in the room for a while the oil filled heater is by far the best option for even, constant heat and the safest. If you are say taking a shower, something that heats the room quicker may work best. I think the oil heater is the safest space heater out there.
On the thermostat, I've found that the digital ones will burn out due to the circuit board getting too hot while the simple, no frills button style ones will last much longer.
I totally agree with the oil-filled heater.
Another advantage is that they are completely silent.
Two excellent posts!! 👏👍👍
@@reddawgrup1779 I keep coming back to oil filled!!
@@michael5089 that is all I have and I have three of them, only used as needed. Two large ones and one half size
@@jeffreybaker1725 Yes. I've currently got a couple of 9 fin ones but think I'll buy a larger 11 fin one. I also have a cheap converter heater and gas central heating but I'm limiting the usage of gas as much as I can 👍
I use an oil heater, and living in the mountains have found that the heat from the oil heater is comfortable and heats a room at an even temperature. If you heat during low energy hour times, they don't cost much to use if you put them on a low setting. My kids are grown, so I don't have to worry about someone knocking it over. I can also keep my room warm during the night when I am not using the room by leaving the oil heater on a low setting to keep the air temperature tempered and not too cold, making it easy to heat the room in a few minutes when turned up higher. I don't care for heaters with a fan that blows heated air because I have allergies and don't want to keep cleaning a filter. The oil heater seems to burn off the dust accumulated and requires less maintenance.
Good idea about keeping it on super low overnight
SPLIT or DUCTLESS heat pumps cost ~$800 and most efficient at single room heating. Then can produce upto 6 times more Watts of Heat than they use. (The units in the vid are only 1 time efficient.)
That’s because they don’t actually make the heat. They just “pump” it from the outside air to the inside air (thereby concentrating the heat inside your building).
CERAMIC WITH FAN would have beat the fanless mica, if he had used the full 1500 watt setting. Ceramic fans heat-up rooms very quickly
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Seems like most people prefer the oil radiator
Good video. As a former HVAC service technician with some knowledge of electrical, i will try to explain something to everyone. All electric space heaters are 100% effecient. By this I mean that pretty much 100% of electricity is being converted into heat and sent into the room. If you heat your house with a gas or oil furnace a percentage of the heat is lost up the chimney or out the exhaust. Your average space heater is rated at 1500 watts. The formula is volts x amps=watts. An average US household outlet is rated for 15amps and has 120 volts which is approximately 1800watts. This is why you almost never see a household space heater rated for more than 1500 watts otherwise it would trip the breaker. He is correct in saying that they are all pretty much the same efficiency wise. As far as how they distribute the heat, I guess that's a matter of personal preference. Just don't be fooled by claims of high efficiency electric space heaters. Look at the electrical rating, if it says 1500 watts it's going to use the same amount of electricity as the cheapo space heaters sold at Walmart.
It took me 15 minutes to learn months of research. Thank you so much for doing this! I did watch the whole thing by the way... where's my sticker!?
I appreciate your comment. I will work on getting that sticker for you!
here you go🥳
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I came here to learn something but I found that it is this youtuber that needs to learn some things from me.
He did not mention that the infra red heaters heat up the body rather than the air. This is an advantage because it means you can use them outside. It also means they use less energy as they don't need to heat up the whole room. They only need to heat up the body. They don't dry out the air too much either. All of these things should have been mentioned plus a lot more in the video but they weren't. It's really disappointing.
I wanted a guitar
I grow up at Malaysia that don’t have winter . 365 days every days is summer . This year move to Turkey during winter and don’t know anything about heater AT ALL . Thanks to your video a lot for sure cause it’s does give me the info that I needed most . Thanks .
Hope you can learn to enjoy the cold! It is not great all the time but sometimes it is super nice!
That is great.i do the winter thing and hate it.england.
I used to have night storage heaters that were really expensive to run and pretty useless as they were cold by the time I got home from work. One of them broke down last year just as winter was starting. I did a bit of my own research and found out about mica heaters. So glad I did, I was so impressed I bought two! I've now got 2 x 2000 kw Laptronix mica panel heaters that heat the whole of my small 2 bed house. Unlike the ones shown in this video mine actually look quite nice and have extra features. They have a digital control panel and remote control (which I don't need to use). I just set the thermostat to the temperature I want the room to be and that's it. They have proven to be so much cheaper to run than the old clunky storage heaters because they are not on all the time. The thermostat is so efficient. It only heats when it senses the room has dropped 2 degrees below the set temperature and then switches off once it's back up again. On days when I go to work in the office, I can set the timer so they only come on when I am home. I have had the big old heaters removed this year, which has given me some wall space back too. Win Win!
I heat an entire 425 sf home with a Delonghi brand analog mica panel heater. It does a great job for very reasonable cost. I use a small fan-type heater for a few minutes to warm the bathroom before I shower.
How much mould are you housing with that simple concept?
Wow, when I typed in the search bar I didn’t expect to get some home grown data, I expected to see a bunch of reviews and basically advertisements for particular sellers heaters, thank you so much for this!!! I too watched it all 😬
I've used Oil Filled heaters since 2006 and cut my electric bill in about half and never when back to using forced air/central heat since. 4 of then heat my home all winter. they store away spring summer and fall and only come out when it gets cold. They work so much more efficiently and your not blasted with cold air like central heat . My choice will continue with the oil filled heater until something comes along that's even better.
I just commented the same thing and then I read yours.
Like you, I will never give mine up.
@@shannon6352 I dont have a favorite brand, they are all made the same or equally as good. I will say when I turn mine on I turn on let the room warm up when it's comfortable i lower temp till it clicks off. then i leave it alone after that i don't really mess with it unless i have to. and there will be times you will need to adjust just not often. they are not instant heat it's radiant heat if you turn it off an on when it's cold u will have to wait a while for things to warm up. so it's better to set and leave alone and up if gets colder down if gets to warm but do it in small amounts till your happy and comfy :)
You're
I am a fan of oil filled radiators! Quiet (maybe too quiet, I have forgot to turn off a couple times) and mine is 30 years old and works like brand new. When I see the electric turn off and still feel the heat radiating from the fins I sleep like a baby!
I’m with you as a ac heating tech the radiator works great for me 😊
I and everyone who watched this video appreciate you sir !
I share my 900 sq ft home with my teenage son. I find that it's cheaper to simply heat the rooms we occupy rather than heat the entire home. It's also cheaper to conserve energy rather than produce it so make sure any/all drafty windows and doors get addressed. You also don't include gas heaters in your group, only electric. Naturally propane, kerosene and even butane heaters are far more expensive to use but are obviously ideal for power outages and emergency use. In my home I have at least 3 different sources of heat I can utilize if necessary. I love my Mr. Heater portable buddy and only need to run it for 15 minutes and it gets the room I'm in up to 70 degrees, then I shut it down for an hour or two, then repeat until bedtime. They're great not only for supplemental heat but also for camping, RVs, vanlife, ect.
1500 watts (120vac) can only give you 5100 Btus no matter what heater it is. The btu load loss is determined by how well the room is insulated. Other than that very good info.
Right. The amount of heat delivered by all types of heaters is exactly the same. The only real difference is how it is delivered: by convection, infrared radiation, or forced air.
The oil filled heater is my favorite and is the safest. I put it on low range, 800 watts, and put it next to the couch where I will spend time on my laptop. I throw a blanket over it and myself and let the heat build up under the blanket. The thermostat dial is marked and set to1/3 of the high setting. This combination makes for a very comfortable time in a cold house. I plugged it in to the EcoFlow during a power outage and it tends to be easy on the battery state of charge. I hear only a click from thermostat once in a while and otherwise it makes no sounds at all.
for us the safest and best heater is an oil filled unit.. they can be left alone safely for long periods of time..
we never use them on high and always use 2 in a room at lower settings..they last forever..
we set them so they cycle on and off..
.for use while we are home , ceramic heaters are probably best..we use them as supplemental to the oil filled units and never use them when we leave
GREAT VIDEO! Lots of hard work and it will be appreciated by many!
To the readers:
This may cut yours bill in half or more. It did for me.
We have heated our entire house with 3 oil heaters ( 3 bedroom, 2 bath, large laundry room, eat in kitchen, living room & den on a single level floor plan) Our air vents were located in the ceiling and the fuel to fill our tank cost $300+ for a month and with the oil heaters was $125 or so a month for the cost of electricity. And that was with them running on high around the clock even during the coldest months.
The ceiling fans did not help with the fuel but did help the heaters. Sold us for sure because it was cheaper and cozier.
You have to leave all inside doors open so that the heat can fill the house. We would close bedroom doors at night while sleeping and the room would cool to a perfect 65° for sleeping.
We did this for 8 years but now have moved.
If you have ceiling vents and high fuel cost, this may be an option for you.
Electric heaters are all 100% efficient. It's the one energy conversion device that is. Other than the minor issue of fans, the electric power is all converted to heat. Choices are all esthetics and what mix of radiant and convection you desire.
I was looking for this comment - fully agree
Thanks for the video. I have an oil heater in my bathroom. I have it at 1 1/2 dial. It does keep my bathroom comfortable. I have 2 infrared heaters. One in the kitchen and one in the living room. Considering that we are going through an ice storm, I only keep my kitchen heater on for 5 hours on low. After that, I shut it off. I do not have my living room heater on. This helps to keep the electricity cost way down. I do wear a jacket and a hat. We can save money with these heaters, We just need to be resourceful. Throughout the day I only have my bathroom heater on, until the next morning, I start the whole routine again.
Took your advice and bought myself a micathermic heater... Best decision ever! Thanks a million for doing all the research and providing a real solution!
Btw, there is no noise at all! That's the most important feature for me 👍
1500 watts equals approx 5600 BTU, that is all you can expect from ANY space heater. The real determining factors are the cubic feet of the area to heat and how well you can hold that heat in that area, ie insulate.
I think that is the key. Understanding your room and making sure you heat fast and don't lose that heat. Thanks for your comment!
this was going to be my comment - thanks for beating me to it!
So a small plug in heater in a small room is not so bad? 🤔 Oh well. I only use it when taking a shower. Otherwise, it's cold in there :/. I close off rooms.
My apt has baseboard heat so I bought an infrared heater. Heats a large room quickly and creates a heat that doesn't dry out my air or me. I love it!
Good video. I drop the house temperature at night 10 degrees and use an oil filled heater in the bedroom. I turn it on medium an hour before I go to bed and the room gets quite warm, then I put it on low and lower the thermostat to the around 20 percent of max so when the room temp drops, it kicks in at some point. When I wake up, the room is still quite warm.
SPLIT or DUCTLESS heat pumps cost ~$800 and most efficient at single room heating. Then can produce upto 6 times more Watts of Heat than they use. (The units in the vid are only 1 time efficient.)
That’s because they don’t actually make the heat. They just “pump” it from the outside air to the inside air (thereby concentrating the heat inside your building).
Probably more efficient to leave the house temp at normal, but close all the vents. The rest of the house will get cold, but your bedroom still hot
In my house I really only heat two rooms: Bed and TV room during daytime. The other rooms rarely get used, so those vents are closed
wow... this man is a gift to humanity, true dedication for the greater good and for KNOWLEDGE.
The most efficient space heaters are incandescent lamps. You need light to see by anyway, and 100% of an incandescent lamps energy is converted to heat when the light is absorbed by the surfaces, and no air exchange is needed. As I've converted from incandescent to fluorescent to LED, my electrical bill went down but my winter gas consumption rose.
The second most efficient space heater is a kitchen oven. All its energy goes into the space, and the small amount of air infiltration necessary is less per btu than a typical furnace. If you want to get the most bang for your bucks, install thermal draperies and close the doors to unoccupied rooms.
I consider a heating pad the best concept. 40 watts on medium. Versus 400 watts for some electric blankets.
I use a Pelonis oil filled heater on low [600 watts] all weather long here in north Idaho. no fans, no fire danger AND it's 100% efficient. twenty five to thirty five dollars on e-bay AND my coffee cup rests on top of it nicely. works for me. Doesn't eliminate all the humidity out of the room so my guitars don't get dry and crack. can't beat it. has more advantages but don't come to mind. good luck with your choice
how do you know this?
@@dufus2273 Ignore him, he's what's known as "a moron"... Bay Area electricity rates run 15.59c per kilowatt/hour (I found some San Francisco rates at 18.9c per kilowatt/hour) and Northern Idaho rates are about 8.67c per kilowatt/hour, if anything since he's a moron HE is paying nearly DOUBLE what you would have to pay for the same usage of power.
These are very efficient and definitely longer lasting than quartz infrared but take longer to heat and the thermostat on mine doesn't stop until around 70+ which bugs me. A timer used with one of these to turn it on an hour before waking up would be max efficient for space heaters. Just bought a quartz infrared to try them out but I'm just gonna fire up the wood stove. Lots of work and it's 80 degrees or nothing but it doesn't use any juice
Every electronic Heater is 100% efficient
75 gallon aquarium with a 400 watt heater will absolutely astonish you with how much more comfortable you'll be. The circulating water along with it being set at 75 degrees will raise the humidity and temperature in the room.
Great idea!
this is one of the best surveys I've seen. very well done. thank you for clearing up the ceramic heater 'scenario'. well done.
You seem to be sad.
Please don't be
You give joy and hope to folks who have little to spare for comfort......
What a blessing to help so many and to ask for so little..... You are admired for this shared effort you have given, even though it was difficult to do.
Blessings to you.
Thanks for your advice. I use oil filled radiator and sit inside a see through sports tent. Best way. Warms up in minutes.
I bought the oil filled radiator this year to replace the infrared (because they are not as good for as long as they used to be) and because I have a German Shepherd service dog and the fan in the heaters collected her fur so bad that it was blowing a lot of allergens into the room. The radiator type holds the heat. The sides of my long ranch house stay colder than the middle and keep the house comfortable and turning down the HVAC thermostat at night and just use the radiator in the BR.
SPLIT or DUCTLESS heat pumps cost ~$800 and most efficient at single room heating. Then can produce upto 6 times more Watts of Heat than they use. (The units in the vid are only 1 time efficient.)
That’s because they don’t actually make the heat. They just “pump” it from the outside air to the inside air (thereby concentrating the heat inside your building).
I bought a Mica heater thanks to you. I didn't know such a heater existed.
I found that a ceramic heater under my desk dried my eyes the heck out. I use a 700w oil filled heater under there now- much better. No fan.
I know this struggle. It's real.
I like oil filled too for the same reasons. The plants in my office prefer it too.
My system is simple 1st make sure your well insulated, 2nd the oil filled heater set to a very low setting something like between 60 and 65 degrees in a main room. Then an old Christmas tin container with holes punched into the lid and upper 1/4 and a 3 wick candle inside to create a foot heater. I find that with a little candle heater combined with the low demand on the oil heater and just using extra quilts at bedtime, that is enough to live frugally without too much discomfort. My view is that I do not need summer time in the winter, I don't want to be so detached from nature. Also I have a back up system if we have an extended power interruption consisting of a kerosene heater and a couple of lanterns. The fuel is expensive for them but it s stores well and will keep year after year if not used.
Just make sure not to use paraffin candles which outgas chemicals.
I found the oil heater to be the most efficient and effective in my front room of my house and I got a 300 square foot front room.
That is not how it works... They all use resistive elements as the heat source. The elements are 100% efficient, so it not possible to get more efficiency out of any of the heaters. So no, electric oil heaters are not more efficient.
@@Mr_Wh1 it is if your talking about human comfort!!
@@reddawgrup1779 Resistive load is 100% efficient.
News flash: Every 1500 watt heater puts out the same exact amount of heat. A 30 dollar one from Walmart puts out the same heat and costs the same to operate as a 300 dollar one you purchase online, or wherever.
@Trum P.S.A. Traitor fan doesn't affect the heat output, merely moves it around.
i love my oil filled heater it goes on n off and keeps me warm on low .
I use it as a permanent fixture near the window of an exterior wall to combat heat loss thru the poorly insulated wall and window.
Due to the poor insulation of the home and constraints of the furance ductwork design, the second floor doesn't heat well.
My oil radiator helps keep an even temperature in the space 11ftx12ft, on the lowest setting 600W.
Even on really cold days where the temperature in the room would otherwise be 3 or 4 degrees below the thermostat (located on main floor) setpoint, the radiator makes it comfortable and consistent.
Don't know that I'd use it to be the soul source of heat for the room (especially a larger one), in the instance where there was no furnace heat.
The middle and high settings cut out intermittently on the high temperature limit switch at higher integral thermostat settings, and such safety switches are not intended for controlling regular operation.
which is nice heater 1200W or 2400W which is better the higher w or the lower w?
I have an oil heater from the 1990s. Still works well! Unbreakable!
I have an oil filled heater that seems to work fine - slow to heat up, but can have a steady output. Drawback - mine seems to have been painted in an oil based paint, that out-gasses when hot. 3 years later, it still smells.
Thats the oil burning slowly, thats the smell not the paint lol
@@TechwithSTONE4 How do you refill it? Is it just 10W40?
I don't think the best heater is one that heats up the room the fastest, then you need to turn it off to cool down, then put it back on again to warm up. I think the best one is the heater that warms up the room, then keeps it warm, evenly without getting too hot, and it keeps it at a steady temp. That is what an oil filled radiator heater does. It warms the room, then cycles on and off to keep it at an even temperature. It's like the difference between forced hot air and baseboard heat. The oil filled radiators are the best, and do come with the temperature setting if you want it. And it is pretty accurate too. If you just want something to heat up the room till your baseboard heat warms up, then go for one of the faster heating ones, then turn it off when the baseboard kicks in. I'll keep my oil filled radiator heater. Thanks for the video, and all your work.
There are oil radiator heaters with digital readouts which makes easier to set. Plus, I put a fan behind mine to warm up room faster and stir air so more consistent heat in room.
Fan idea probably helpful......had one for a time....not much warmth unless right next to it....1500 watts...most of these heaters....thats all your going to get is 1500 watts worth.....not a whole lot,...
Ceiling fan works best to move the heat that rises to the ceiling and circulate it around the room. Plus it's cheap to run.
SPLIT or DUCTLESS heat pumps cost ~$800 and most efficient at single room heating. Then can produce upto 6 times more Watts of Heat than they use. (The units in the vid are only 1 time efficient.)
That’s because they don’t actually make the heat. They just “pump” it from the outside air to the inside air (thereby concentrating the heat inside your building).
This is the best review I have seen so far of anything in TH-cam thank you very much
This is the best comment I have received so far in TH-cam. Thanks!
This is a genuine and generous compliment. This video can make a difference in how people live and conserve energy.
@@TutorialGeek can you plug an oil heater into a surge protector
Thank you so much for this. I recently purchased an electric fireplace and I love it! Looking to buy something smaller and more easily portable for another bedroom. You really helped me out here! Thanks again!
Amazing analysis. So many options out there and in 15 min you taught me how to buy a space heater. Kudos from one excel guy to another.
Thank you so much !
This is one of the best reviews I have ever seen on TH-cam !
The oil filled heaters are by far the best, the are the most safe and by far the cheapest. I tested 2 oil filled heaters set on 600 watts against an edenpure quartz set at 1500 watts. The two oil filled produced more heat, even though they were using 1200 watts versus 1500, and they would occasionally cycle off, using much less power at that point. They are the most inexpensive to buy and operate. I use them to assist heat in cold rooms and even heat outside buildings (well insulated) to a normal living temperature. I always run them at 600 watts, the most efficient.
Agreed . the oil heaters I hated beacuse I never had before! About 3 years ago I bought one than I reailzed they are very good and safe especially with thermostat and last year I got another one..best time to by heaters is end of the season
@@swift4311 One of my family members had one and ran it for 18 hours as a test, it warmed up a large room from 15c to about 19c, but cost almost £6!
that's physically impossible
Hello. Can you recommend a brand pls?
I knew a firefighter who fought a fire that originated in the oil filled heater. Apparently, the thermostat stuck to the on position and the heat range was set to high, or 1500w. The oil heated up to the point that the pressure inside burst the casing, squirting hot oil onto the floor, causing the fire. I would suggest using any oil heater at the low, or 600w position. If the thermostat sticks in the on position, it would not likely get hot enough to cause a fire.
Thats a lie. Thats a definite lie.
All kind of heaters should have a safety thermostat
@@louisfriend1851 Agreed...
Wow. That's how you do a review. Data. Fact. Research. This guy needs to do budget oversight for the federal govt. This is the most in depth review I've ever seen. Thank you for helping me decide what space heater to buy. Da y um....
One of the most useful videos I've watched, and I don't say that lightly. Subbed!
This was a great service to all people looking to buy an electric heater. You satisfied my inner geek/comparison shopper wanting to buy a simple heater for my bedroom. This time I'm going to get a small ceramic, at the end of winter I think I'll buy another oil heater. Thanks for your months of research!
CERAMIC WITH FAN would have beat the fanless mica, if he had used the full 1500 watt setting. Ceramic fans heat-up rooms very quickly
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SPLIT or DUCTLESS heat pumps cost ~$800 and most efficient at single room heating. Then can produce upto 6 times more Watts of Heat than they use. (The units in the vid are only 1 time efficient.)
That’s because they don’t actually make the heat. They just “pump” it from the outside air to the inside air (thereby concentrating the heat inside your building).
Thank You , I was using ceramic heater heating my room and it cost so much. Glad I see this report and help me to decide what to buy "and" how to use it efficiently.
Well done. Easy to understand, covered all points I am interested in.
Honest, fair comparison, no biasing.
Thanks for the video and all the data assembly and analysis that lay behind it. From the first second of watching I kept thinking - the guitar isn't going to like this experiment going from really cold to really hot in minutes... way too much super-dry heat during this experiment and way too much noise from fans blowing interfering with music playing and listening. I'm not a musician, so others are free to take a fair shot at instructing me about any error I've made.
I’ve never seen such a thorough review and I look for reviews on everything! This has given me real help, answered questions I had, and now I know which heater to buy. Honestly I’ve never been helped by a review so much. Thank you 🙏 from 🇬🇧
very different now with oil/price/global supply chain issues/ukraine/russian shit
SPLIT or DUCTLESS heat pumps cost ~$800 and most efficient at single room heating. Then can produce upto 6 times more Watts of Heat than they use. (The units in the vid are only 1 time efficient.)
That’s because they don’t actually make the heat. They just “pump” it from the outside air to the inside air (thereby concentrating the heat inside your building).
The BEST analysis on YT. Great job.
Thanks for the video. When I had a small apartment I loved my oil-filled radiator. It was certainly cheaper than the baseboard heaters. Pro tip- get a DeLonghi or other Italian radiator. Why? Italians know how to make boilers and pumps. (The city of Venice; Italians invented espresso machines). I bought a cheaper one several years ago. It worked well until it failed within a week of purchase and leaked oil all over the floor.
Would it heat my 400sq ft home?? Thanks
@@silverhustlin1390 Yes. Easily.
Great video!
Thank you for all the work that you did, you answered so many questions I had. Going to go buy a new oil heater. Thank you again for sharing.
That was an excellent review-in that it is very helpful and time well spent to understand the specific strengths and weaknesses of each type. Thank you.
Outstanding! Great work! I can't thank you enough for all the time you put into this effort, not to mention on the superb way you delivered your results.
I use space heaters in two rooms of my home where the 1950s era forced hot-air duct system doesn't work well. I have used milk-box, oil filled, infrared, and ceramic heaters - all with varying degrees of results (forgive the unintended pun).
Your observation / conclusion of turning the space heater to its highest setting to heat a well insulated room as quickly as possible for maximum efficiency (least cost) was a true revelation for me.
I agree with you, what an outstanding work, really good results!
I live in a cool climate where I need moderate space heating for about 7 months a year, so what I've found that works best for me is quickly heating the room with an infrared heater, while simultaneously heating up an oil-filled radiator. When the room reaches the desired temperature, I turn off the infrared heater and only use the oil-filled radiator to maintain a comfortable temperature.
I've found this combination to be the most comfortable and economical.
Love the careful and thought out scientific processes! Thank you for the work you’ve put into this video
SPLIT or DUCTLESS heat pumps cost ~$800 and most efficient at single room heating. Then can produce upto 6 times more Watts of Heat than they use. (The units in the vid are only 1 time efficient.)
That’s because they don’t actually make the heat. They just “pump” it from the outside air to the inside air (thereby concentrating the heat inside your building).
CERAMIC WITH FAN would have beat the fanless mica, if he had used the full 1500 watt setting. Ceramic fans heat-up rooms very quickly
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Wow. Thank you for all the research you did, and for sharing it! I have oil, and ceramic heaters, but am considering a furniture style heater for the living area. Your research is helping me make a sound decision. Thanks!
SPLIT or DUCTLESS heat pumps cost ~700 and most efficient at single room heating. Then can produce upto 6 times more Watts of Heat than they use. (The units in the vid are only 1 time efficient.)
That’s because they don’t actually make the heat. They just “pump” it from the outside air to the inside air (thereby concentrating the heat inside your building).
Hey.. thax for your time & expense testing out these heaters. I’m sure many people asked the same questions on exactly what you presented. Well done!
Very helpful, thank you.
A mate of mine go back and forth about what kind of space heater works best and your experiment answered all our questions.
I would think any company that manufactures or markets heaters would be foolish not using your study.
Great tip: Have a certified electrician add several dedicated circuits for several 20 amp (better) or 15 amp (good) circuit breakers in your panel for only your space heaters in your floors of your home if you plan to use the space heaters at full blast at 1500w.
That way, the space heater circuits in the breaker can take in the high loads at 1500 watts in the dedicated circuits and will not trip the whole breaker. Dedicated circuits in circuit breakers already exists in existing homes for things like refrigerators, driers, washers, and similar electrical stuff that gives off high amperage.
Most homes cannot take more than one or two space heaters at 1500w and will cause enough overload in the high wattages (which in turn causes high amperage) from these space heaters to trip the circuit breaker and knock out your power. When you have no heat at all in your gas heater and your power is knocked out - that means no heat at all and you have to go to the circuit breaker to refire your power. If you don't have a flashlight to find the circuit breaker, especially in bitterly cold days, this can lead to a serious situation--hypothermia or even severe frostbite, which can lead to disfigurement, disability, or even death.
Thank you. Is it expensive to add circuits to your breaker box? I definitely don't want a fire to start because of a heater.
Crazy how america still use inferior plug sockets which means they are capped at 1500W, they supposed to be most advanced country. In UK our plugs go to 3000W since forever
This guy is awesome! Great video and information. I’d prefer the mica heater but my wife likes to drape her towel over a heater while she showers, so we have to stick with the oil heater…or burn down our house. Our oil heater has lasted almost 20 years now.
Just so you know no sticker is needed when the video is as informative as yours was and for that I thank you. Details mean everything, charts help immensely, stay warm out there!
What a great job you did!
Thanks for taking the time to share all this!
In my well-insulated home, the oil filled heaters are my only source of heat. I have the main one that stays on all winter, in the bathroom with a quartz heater that I turn on when I take a shower because of the infrared instant heat . That one heater on low heats the whole house to about 64 degrees F. for most of the winter. I find that a constant heat to a certain level is more efficient than trying to quickly heat up a room unless I am only going to be in that room rarely. My home is only 950 sq ft so it isn't difficult to keep warm enough for me. If I bake things, the gas stove heats up the house even more while cooking. For women, I suggest warm socks, slippers and a quartz heater extra as women seem to be cooler than men.
@@shannon6352 The oil filled heaters are all pretty similar as far as I can tell. I suppose some are made with higher quality switches but you can't tell that unless you take it apart. I don't like to leave heaters on that have hot coils like ceramic heaters because of the fire danger. The oil filled heaters are great even with little children because they can't burn themselves or turn a knob and make it dangerously hot.
Can’t believe I just sat here and watched the whole video but so glad I did. Thanks for taking the time to educate me with sum need to know tips and advice👍definitely need to do more study videos 💯
I opted for multiple, inexpensive, small, fan-forced-air heaters that cost $15 each at the local big W. These are simple with just a heating element and fan, no quartz or ceramic, 1500W, 5000btu, one in each room, plus one close to my feet. Heaters without a fan allow most of the heat to go straight up to the ceiling. One with a fan moves the warm air around closer to the actual living space a bit before it rises. I also have cieling fans set to blow air down, so there's a lot of circulation. I've had these little heaters through five Winters now and they show no sign of slowing down, so i think they are a great value.
Thank you for this video. Thanks to you I purchased a Mica heater and it is indeed amazing in 30min my room is heated and I only turn it on every 3 or 4h
It's nice to see a TH-camr actually calculating costs based on simple mathematics. I always get asked to do the same where I live in the Uk and most people don't understand, or care to understand the maths required to make an informed choice based on the real costs. Welll done for that..!
Thanks for your comment! I am definitely a lover of spreadsheets!
I love my Mica Panel heater in how fast the heater works. The down side is that the power cord get's hot and causes the outlet wiring to get red hot and melts the insulation in side the wall outlet and poses a fire hazard. If any one has one do not leave yours unattended as the wall outlet could become so hot that it starts a fire inside the walls before you even notice smoke seep thru the outlet holes.
dude; are sure you didn't just get a lemon? I've used a mica style for 2 winters now and my cord never gets hot - and i added a 6' appliance cord to it.
Now i Did have a very old oil filled melt like that but after replacing the plug i haven't have the issue...yet
I don’t mess around with electricity for heat, I tried many different electric space heaters years ago in a home that had no other source of heat (furnace nope) biggest thing I learned is even though these heaters are UL approved, that doesn’t mean their safe to use. Especially not for any extended amount of time! Always and I do mean always feel your power cords from the heater to the plug in and see if their hot at all? They may not be hot when their new, but as you use the heater the cord can get hot over time and actually catch fire! Which I had several that did just that! Luckily they only burned a small area on the floor and the fire didn’t spread. But it could have, you never know and it’s not worth the risk! But as far as space heaters goes, I found the infrared heaters were the best at putting out heat and I never had a power cord on those heaters get hot no matter how long I kept the heater running! But again I still be careful and still keep a close eye on your cords making sure the cord never getting hot!
Now what I finally switch to, which isn’t a cheap heater to purchase but is one of the most efficient heaters you can ever get and I believe they state on the heater it’s 99% efficient! It’s a propane ceramic heater that’s actually very safe with all kinds of built in sensors for carbon monoxide and it will automatically shut off anytime there a lack of air in the room as well! These heaters come in different sizes, the one I have is a 5 ceramic panel heater that when you turn it on will have you backing away from it in literally seconds from the heat it puts out! It doesn’t have a fan, but a fan can be added if need be. It has more of a time setting for how long it’s heating then a actual temperature setting. So you have to play around with the setting a little if it gets too hot in the room then turn the dial down a little. Gets cold turn it back up! If your looking for a heater to heat up a room super fast, I doubt you’ll find a heater that’s faster at heating a room! There’s a couple different brands of these heaters, I have the more expensive brand that’s called a Empire ceramic propane heater 5 panels and it’s designed to mount right on a wall. But I built a rolling cart for mine where the heater is mounted on one side of a piece of 3/4” plywood and on the other side of the plywood sits a 20 lbs. propane tank that supplies propane to the heater. Being there’s absolutely no heat coming from the back of the heater and all the heat generated goes out from the front and up towards the ceiling. The propane tank is perfectly safe right behind the propane heater as long as there’s no propane leaks anyway! Not much different then a propane barbecue grill with the propane tank right under the cooking surface! Having this set up on a rolling cart makes it very portable and very convenient to move wherever your at to heat up the area quickly! Mine gets rolled around from room to room I’m the house from the front room to the bedroom or bathroom and out to the garage as well when needed. A much better use on a rolling cart then being mounted to a wall where the heater has to remain in one spot! I’m a contractor/cabinet maker. So designing a safe rolling cart wasn’t no big deal for me to build and been using it for over 10 years with no problems whatsoever! Only catch is because this does put out a lot of heat you got to treat it kind of like a woodstove where there’s no burning material within 36” from the front or to the front sides of the heater and nothing burn able above the heater for least 60” and it needs to be around 8”-12” off the floor too! Which the heater does come with all the fire codes for distances too! Originally they told me this heater needed a bigger propane tank then a 20lbs tank to run properly! But their wrong, it been working flawlessly off a 20 lbs propane tank now for over 10 years and again no problems whatsoever! I’ve owned this heater now for over 20 years, originally I bought it to use in my motor home and my cabinet shop for heat. Later sold my motor home and moved to a different location when I decided to build the rolling cart to put this heater on! This heater given me little troubles in the 20 plus years I’ve owned it. If it’s not been used for a while it can get dusty and little spiders or other bugs can get into the propane pipes that will keep the heater from working. But I’ve always been able to take compressed air from a compressor and blow out the heater real good and have the heater up and running like new in minutes! It’s never yet needed to go in for any repairs of any kind! So other then the initial cost of the heater, once you got the heater it’s fairly inexpensive to have and operate! It’s hard to say how long the heater will run on a 20 lbs. propane tank? Since it’s not running 100% of the time except for a pilot light you can keep running if you choose to? I usually shut it off to save propane if I’m not using the heater very much though! If I’m using it in a descent home for my only source of heat and moving it from room to room where were at. A tank will usually last me a week. I do recommend getting quality propane and don’t get the cheap crap propane that will cause you more grief then it’s worth! But as far as efficiency and safety that’s built into this propane heater along with the amount of heat it puts out! You just can’t beat it! Two of these heaters could heat a 2500 sq ft home completely under normal winter weather in the northwest with no problems.which is great for when you loose power to your home and the furnace won’t run!
I really like the well thought out spreadsheet. Although I’m not a spreadsheet person, you were able to communicate the point across with substantiation
With all electric heaters, it's all about the wattage. If 2 devices are both using 1500 watts, they are putting the same exact amount of heat into the room, the only difference could be the delivery of that heat. For example, the oil filled radiator is just using convection while one of those small brick units may use a fan to blow warm air around. So from a whole room perspective any 1500 watt heater puts the same amount of heat in the room.
I agree, except that a fan, and to a much lesser extent, a lighted control, convert some of the wattage to light, rather than heat, so they are less efficient.
Precisely. It doesn't matter what type you use, the wattage is the only factor.
@@backcountyrpilot you are talking .00001% of the power used for a light or fan since the fan and light also produce heat.
Right? I had a good laugh when he pulled out the spreadsheet and tried to claim heating a room hotter/faster is more efficient. Anyone who knows basic electricity and thermodynamics should realize the efficiency is solely determined by your house's insulation and sealing if you want to heat a room since producing heat is the one process that is 100% efficient. That being said, if you want to heat yourself and your seating area then a heater with a dish radiator pointed at your sitting position is almost certainly the most efficient since you don't need to warm the entire room in that circumstance.
Not quite right, the oil- filled heaters come on and off to a thermostat so if the heating element is on only a third of the time, your heater rated at 1500 Watts is consuming 500 Watts. Please see TH-camr Mathias Wendell’s video on the topic. 😊
I appreciate the effort you put into this. We only have space heaters and I never know which ones are efficient. I subbed right away, this is very helpful!
SPLIT or DUCTLESS heat pumps cost ~$800 and most efficient at single room heating. Then can produce upto 6 times more Watts of Heat than they use. (The units in the vid are only 1 time efficient.)
That’s because they don’t actually make the heat. They just “pump” it from the outside air to the inside air (thereby concentrating the heat inside your building).
great test/review! I have switched over to those "dish" heaters. It warms me using radiant energy without heating the whole room up. And the heat comes on super fast.
Been using the oil filled heater for years and very happy with the performance and safety of it.
SPLIT or DUCTLESS heat pumps cost ~$800 and most efficient at single room heating. Then can produce upto 6 times more Watts of Heat than they use. (The units in the vid are only 1 time efficient.)
That’s because they don’t actually make the heat. They just “pump” it from the outside air to the inside air (thereby concentrating the heat inside your building).
Great video and thank you for all the info. I dont know how efficient it is but I use to live in a construction trailer and would use an oil filled heater and place a "milkhouse" heater behind it. The "milkhouse" heater would blow well warmed air thru the radiator heater and generate a very nice flow of heat. Again, I am sure it was a big energy draw but the trailer I was in was not very well insulated. And winters in Pa can be quite harsh.
Great info..I just bought an oil filled radiator to heat the hall and washroom areas in my condo. It works great, is safe and it has wheels so doesn't matter if it's heavy. I like them because we used them all winter long 24/7 in the cottage without any problems 👍
SPLIT or DUCTLESS heat pumps cost ~$800 and most efficient at single room heating. Then can produce upto 6 times more Watts of Heat than they use. (The units in the vid are only 1 time efficient.)
That’s because they don’t actually make the heat. They just “pump” it from the outside air to the inside air (thereby concentrating the heat inside your building).
I've owned every type of space heater there is....and honestly though I didnt think it would be in the beginning but the oil filled was my favorite! I could feel the heat better and longer with it!! I could also shut it off and still feel the heat from the heater/it stayed hot awhile! Also one time I had a baseboard type heater(it was long and not high at all.I forgot what they were called but it always too heated the room up faster and the room stayed hotter!! I havent seen one of those in a long while! And both used less electricity!!
This is why TH-cam was created. Thanks for the quality content. Also love that the spreadsheet is available!
I first watched this video over a year ago and as a result purchased a mica panel heater. I’ve been very happy with it and actually just purchased two more for other parts of my older, not very well insulated, two story home.
Anyway - I came across this video again when trying to organize my Favorites folder and decided to re-watch it. I love your friendly, direct style and your attention to detail (great spreadsheets!). Your blue eyes are pretty nice too! Thank-you for going to the trouble to share your research!! Looking forward to checking out some of your other videos!!
Wow man good space heater study, stats, and overall advice. Good work!
Watched the whole video. Thanks for the detailed info. I was gonna got an oil fin heater, but now my mind has swung to the mica heater.
Great video. Thank you for such a detail video on the multiple space heater comparison. I was able to quickly make up my mind on the right choice to make after watching your commentary on each type.
I own lots of each and oil filled are by far the best. The major biggie, it's the only heater I feel fully comfortable leaving _on_ while I'm not home.
Mica panels heat faster but they can make a high pitched whining noise. The micas also seem less safe compared to oil filled.
Infrared heaters are noisy and the fan can die.
Ceramics don't last and too many parts that can fail.
Also, with oil filled I can heat food.
umm, I dont hear anything from MICA panel )) nothing... but that weird IR/quartz thing enclosed in wooden box with fan is quite crazy, because if the fan stops (and it will stop one time), then it turns to be VERY dangerous device... on the other side, top wall mounted IR/quartz heater tube with THIN(!) alu foil reflector is very effective, as it simply really reflects ANY IR in the one direction (sometimes they are in fact parabolic, where IR waves form very narrow "beam") and there is not much conduction/convection of heat through/above back alu foil (also 2D parabolic "bar"), and its also totaly SILENT
While my mica heater does make a small hum or buzz, it is nothing compared to the noise made by a fan, especially a fan that is a couple of years old and ready for replacement.
I'm a huge fan of my oil filled so I'm with you. But....heat food with it???
@@kenworthNH iron skillet on top
I agree!
infrared heaters reduce condensation (and eventually mold) since it doesn't warm the air (moisture carrier) but objects.
So which do you recommend please
This sounds like another loaded claim of the manufacture....similar to how a lot of companies would claim "efficiency". It's probably somewhat true, but they are putting a spin on it to make it sound impressive. All heaters technical would help prevent condensation by not letting the area get cold enough to the dew point. Warming the air or an object would not matter because a warm object will heat the air around it ...and everything is surrounded by the same air as we don't live in a vacuum. If you really have problems with moisture then you might want to looking it the reducing the humidity of the air.
BRAVO. You EXPLAINED things. I watched 3 different vids from 3 different guys showing off the oil radiator type. "It has THREE power settings." And?????? Idk what that means or what that does. All 3 said nothing more than "It has THREE power settings" except "Low, Med, & High". And?????
So thank you for 1) reviewing FOUR different types; 2) being so thorough with the features AND the pros & cons AND the expense differences.... Much appreciated.
This is awesome. Thank you! The attraction to detail is next level.
Great video! I'm a fan of oil filled. Gives off heat between cycles, and no noisey fan going on/off.
Yeah but they take all day to heat up the room.
you are so original .. so unique .. so informative... so helpful ... Bless your soul.
Thanks, I've started installing electric space heaters and I wanted to get info on the best one. You answered all my questions. Very good information, Please keep posting
Thank you for an excellent and comprehensive review. Extremely helpful in enabling me to make a confident choice for different scenarios. And yes I watched the whole video - it was worth it!
Thank you for generating data, presenting it logically and being concise. Good job!