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...
heat from oil heaters stays right up against it and using a fan to circulate it cools the fins and reduces heat output. I tried to heat my rv living room with one and it never warmed the space but every other type of electric heater does. Oil filled heaters are the absolute worse.
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.
@@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 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 .
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.
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).
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.
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.
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!
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.
Thank You. I appreciate your honest words. In this video you're not trying to sell folks anything; you're just giving honest, good information. Thank you.
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
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.
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 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!
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.
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).
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
@@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
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 👍
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.
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..!
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.
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.
@@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 :)
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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).
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,...
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 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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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).
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.
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).
Thank you so much. My electricity bills during the winter make even buying enough food difficult, and now that I'm able to work from home, it's safe for me to use a space heater, so I'm hoping this year I can keep my place at an okay temperature and not be in debt at the end of the season because of it.
Thanks for the work you did on this. One problem with heating the room very fast is that the walls, furniture, etc. don't absorb all the heat so the room cools faster and the unit has to cycle more until the room reaches mean temps. This is why oil filled may be the best overall solution.
tf are you talking about? It doesn't matter. People really need to understand electrical and thermodynamic sciences better. Most of these ceramic heaters actually heat the air really fast. Over time the heat will transfer from the air to the furniture and walls. Conversely an oil heater also does the same thing just incredibly slower because it must heat up the mass of the oil first. There's no advantage to that. Who cares if it cycles more times? At least the ceramic heaters will heat the actual air in the room. The oil heaters will cause most heat to slowly travel upward toward the ceiling, you know, where most people aren't, and cause most of it to be lost unless you leave it on for ridiculous amounts of time. At least with the ceramic, it's 1) fast at heating the air, and 2) spreads the heat around more quickly so that it CAN actually transfer some of that energy into the furniture and walls and floors, instead of just going up the ceiling until hours later when it finally fills the entire room. Therefore, you're more likely to save more money with the ceramic as you run it less overall and the heat is in a place you use it and is not being lost thru the ceiling as much. Ultimately the best are probably all the radiative style heaters because they heat "black bodies" or YOU and your furniture directly. instead of your house.
@@johnjingleheimersmith9259 Both have a COP of ~1 so it depends on the amount of time you are in the room, the size of the room and what you're looking for. Ceramics cycle on and off, that's not a constant room temp, it depends on the hysteresis of the heater. You're not at a constant temp until the room approaches the set heat level, the human body senses that difference. Cycling with oil filled is different because the heat doesn't stop instantly, there's residual temp and you don't have a large temperature differential, it's also easier to control the temp. So, yes, until the room itself absorbs the heat oil filled is a more comfortable option. Over a long period where the room absorbs both systems they're the same and consume relatively the same power. If you're sitting in a room with an oil radiator next to you I think you're better off than heating the whole room room with air blowing around. My wife likes the fact that the oil radiator doesn't make noise and blow air and dust around or at her. No filters to clean either, so there are pluses and minuses to both systems, they're both inefficient, you need a heat pump before you begin to realize a higher COP. "tf"? Clean up your act and learn to be civil.
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.
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 🇬🇧
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).
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).
Much appreciated!! I've been going in circles online looking to buy a couple heaters. My apartment isn't well insulated & windows r terrible. The work I have to do on them every winter isn't fun. So I thank u for saving me lots of time
Spend your first money on sealing the windows. You can lose half the heat from leaky windows. There are a lot of youtube videos on window sealing and building inside storm windows.
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.
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.
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!!
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.
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.
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.
I found that using a ceiling fan set in reverse along with an oil heater, infrared or probably any space heater for that matter will circulate the heat and move it from the ceiling around the room. Helps the heater to heat a large room more effectively, quickly and uniformly, and it's extremely cheap to run.
@@pjo2386 excactly, unbelievable how many people is unaware of this simple fact. We started insulating all housing in the late 70'ies and building regulations has been increasing in demand every ten years or so.. Many in UK still has zero clue about this topic, and prefer dealing with extraordinary expenses and unhealthy living places!
It's not only cheap to run the ceiling fan, but it is absolutely free when you are heating electrically. The fan motor gives off some heat also to the room. Lights are also free. You don't save any money by turning them off.
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.
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 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
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
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!!
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
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.
We have been using our oil filled heater in the living room for the recent cold spells. 400 sq/ft room stays at 75 deg.F on High/3. We have a fan assisted quartz heater in the bedroom. Heats up fast on high, maintains comfortable temperatures on low. We usually turn it of around midnight.
Good review! First tip I would highly recommend and should be is to find areas where the cold comes into your room. Isolate as much as poss. That will reduce lost of heat. And save you money with keeping heaters turned on all the time. Wear practical thermally warm clothing if possible to feel comfortable and close doors. Sports stores sell good practical clothing to wear indoors which will keep the cold out of your body especially if you live in areas where humidity is a problem. I live in a micro climate where it’s hot during the year. and goes from one extreme to the next in winter! So building are not insulated as most of the year it is warm to hot. For my money, those oil filled portable heaters are the most practical as I have no kids or pets to get in the way. I set a thermostat and a timer and the room is warmed before I get to it. In reality, making a home comfortable for the cold can resolve many issues with the cold and save us money on heating bills as you demonstrate. A very decent “John Malkovich sounding” review I might add🤔 Indeed.
I switched to using a heating pad. 40 watts on medium. Keeps me toasty on the couch and toasty in bed. I use a Vornado for an hour to raise the room temperature 4 to 10 degrees depending on which setting I use.
Here in UK have been using lengths of tin foil (US: aluminium foil) behind radiators stuck to wall and It radiates the heat back into the room , pretty sure this will work with some of the heaters used here too but obviously the heaters placed need to be next to the walls for the benefits
It's like taking a class with a very professional textbook science teacher. Amazing look at space heaters, and so thoroughly tested and researched. This is why geeks are really the coolest, and Big Bang Theory is so popular. Fantastic job and thanks for all of your work! Fantastic, now I can make an educated choice. Safe travels!
I really enjoyed your video. It’s such a boring topic, but your detailed, direct approach made it interesting the whole time. Too many people do a lot of filler-mumbling, which is just annoying. I did, however, like the added comments at the end…not being able to predict the future & all. That cracked me up! Great job.💕
I have about 180 to 200 sq ft living room and I use a ceramic 755520 Lasko tower heater with digital display. It's about 7 years old but it actually keeps my room at 65 degrees where I like it. I use it during the winter because my heater that heats the whole house leaves some spots in the house cold. For instance my living room is freezing during the winter but the bedrooms are hot as hell because there's two vents in each bedroom and only one heater vent in the living room which makes no sense. I have guinea pigs and they can't live in cold temperatures so I used that Lasko tower heater to keep the room at 65 degrees and it works great
I use an oil filled radiator heater in my well insulated shop bathroom and I’ve been very happy with it. I have tried a couple of different electric radiant fan forced heaters, but they never could keep a consistent temperature in the space. With the oil filled heater, the temperature always feels the same and you can’t even tell when it’s on or off. Don’t know about whether it’s cheaper to operate than the other heaters I’ve tried, but it seems like it should be as it doesn’t have a fan to run, and I can set it to a lower wattage and still maintain a comfortable temp. Now that said, I have tried that heater in larger areas that were not well insulated and it was a waste of time to run. There, a large fan forced radiant heater was the better answer. It all depends on your application........
Love my oil filled. Got two of them ( both are about 20 years old) out in the one car attached garage in Iowa. Only one is currently and constantly on (600watt/900watt,1500 max watts). I currently have the 600-watt switch on only, and the dial thermostat is at about 75%. I'm guessing it's at approximately 400/450 watts output at that setting. It's currently 21.9 degrees outside and 37 degrees in the garage. I utilize a wireless thermometer sensor at approx. 24 feet away (complete opposite end of the garage) from the heater, placed on the floor right next to the 7X9 foot (new/ish Clopay with R-18 insulation) garage door. I figure that's gotta be the coldest spot in the garage. Just fine with me. As the reviewer said.. wear a jacket. I also got me a pair of flannel lined carpenter jeans (gravel gear) from northern tool recently. $25.00 shipped to my door. A medium duty jacket and some longjohns or lined jeans., a pair of jersey gloves,.and I'm good to go. I've even stepped outside at freezing temps to do some handheld spray painting (timing chain cover, water neck etc). I then set the parts on top of the heater to dry and cure. I even set a couple items I want to be on the ready about a foot and a half up, directly above the heater on the windowsill (a couple cans of spray paint and my bic lighters). Works awesome.
I like the oil filled heater the best because one thing he NEVER explained was cooldown......the mica and infrared and ceramic cool down almost instantly...the oil keeps the heat and gradually cools down....
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!
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!
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!
You measured surface temperature with that temp laser gun, which is not the same thing as ambient temperature. This would affect the infrared heaters the most. Giving it a big advantage. Great review other wise.
You missed the one heater that works in an old house or RV that is 1.draft prone and 2. heats the entire room: Vornado vortex fans. After about 1 year of testing oil filled, infrared, and a heat pump, the only heater that was able to heat an entire room or rooms (2) was the Vornado VH600 and the Vornado VMH500. Both purchased from Amazon in 2017 and both are still working. In short, should eith fail I'll be replacing them with the same brand and model. I'm sure that in a new not draft prone house a normal, oil filled or infrared would work, just not in an older home.
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.
We only have electric heat (way out in the country), I heat the main house to about 60-65 F, and then have space heaters throughout the house to heat personal space. It saves around $100 or so a month. I like the ones with fans. My daughter's house has a lot of leaks, so she used the oil heat near the leaks, she says it really helps.
Great help. I always wondered about my oil-filled heaters, and now I know. Saving money on heat is really important to me since I am a terrible person to be around if I am cold. Thanks again for all of your hard work!!
Don't be fooled by sales nonsense.. The amount of energy is excactly the same, never mind which source you are using! Try study insulation possibilities, instead of following physical nonsense.. ;)
@@OmmerSyssel The oil itself becomes a heat sink. Once that oil is heated it will cycle off and come on to keep it heated where as others run a fan and the element pretty much constantly.
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 enjoyed your objective look at heaters. I watched because I am aware that electric heat is 100% efficient all of the energy is changed into heat, what changes is effectiveness and perception.
A heat pump heater/AC unit is generally far more efficient than an electric resistance heater, because it can produce the same BTUs with less electricity. If you're heating a large space, this can save you a huge amount of electricity.
@@youngtiger1 A heat pump is like an air conditioner or a mini split, except it can heat things, too. It has two big pieces: the part mounted on your wall, and the box sitting right outside your house. These machines generate heat by compressing gas, moving it around, and expanding it, and the physics is complicated but interesting. This is totally different from electric resistance heating, and it's also (usually) a lot more efficient.
@dper1112 Thank you for your reply and explanation. It sounds interesting. I will do more research on this subject as I’m in need of a good heater system for my room.
@@dper1112 Sorry dper, heat pumps are not more efficient than the 100% efficiency of electric resistance. You have the wasted heat of the compressor, as well as the fan of the outside unit. Additionally heat pumps use resistance heat once the outside air drops below ≈45° F.
as far as comfort i'm really tired of my home's electric heating system because it turns on and keeps blowing heat until it starts to get uncomfortable and then stays off till it gets cold it's terrible at maintaining the temperature I set it at. I think a oil heater will save me money too and exactly what im looking for. Very good video
Good job! Everything is a trade-off. Just depends on how much heat you need, how quick you want it and how much you want to have to spend on it. Good research! Thanks!
@@TutorialGeek Thanks for a fine video and so is wood or oil. Just depends on who you want to deliver your heat. The power company, the oil truck or maybe go out and get some dead wood yourself and maybe build a fire if you have a place to build one. We're still going to have to pay someone or use our time, the most precious commodity of all. Thanks again!
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.
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
There are about 370 posts so this has probably been said but just in case, here it is anyway; - heating up a room fast isn't necessarily more efficient. Keeping a room hot (keeping up with heat loss) will in the end cost the same. (As has been said, "a watt is a watt"). Also, heating quickly has dry air issues which can make a room feel colder. - lastly, any heater that uses a fan by definition is less efficient. It simply has more 'work' to do than create heat. So, you can quickly heat the air of a room but the contents of that room will heat up less quickly. Try it. Take the rapid fan-based heater and once the room reaches a target temp, turn the heat off and see how quickly the temp drops. You should see the temp fall rapidly too. This is because the contents of the room are still cool. Compare this to a room that has more time for the contents to reach equal temp. The room will retain it's temp for longer. (And this is why faster heating isn't more efficient) On another topic, some distinctions you made are really product specific. There are plenty of analog ceramic heaters and digital/smart radiant oil heaters etc. Hope this helps
@@timcross9815 true but I thought he still did a pretty good job for the research you did most people don't do research on anyting look at how they vote haha
You have to consider that most of the people watching videos like this believe that they can cheat thermodynamics and heat a van in Moscow in January with a candle and four flower pots.
I like the oil filled one because it heats well and is quiet. I've got fan blown ceramic too but I run the oil one daily in winter. I'm betting it's more efficient due to no moving parts. The argument keeps changing so that the goal posts can be moved.Are we arguing about efficiency or what you think heats you up the fastest?
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....
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.
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.
Always good to check the cord at the wall to see if it gets hot , especially on high setting because most breakers are 15 amp, so a space heater can require all the amps on that circuit, but usually the breaker feeds multiple outlets meaning it can overheat if other things are on as well. I had an outlet that became very hot on high setting but other outlets were cool to the touch so it required to change the outlet it was old aged & dangerous. If at all possible have a dedicated breaker & circuit for the space heater. That's about the safest way to go if possible.
I had that same problem with a workhorse room air conditioner too in the 1980s. I fire the air conditioner full blast and I found out it gives off 13.5 to 14.3 amps - and in several minutes - my whole upstairs has its power knocked out as the circuit breaker opens up to stop the electricity due to that overload. So it is not just most space heaters that can give off way too much amps. Some room ACs can also give off too much amps too.
I watched the whole video. you did an excellent job. just so you know that Mica heater you used is one of the least efficient ones they actually have models that will use the same amount of electricity and produce two times the heat they cost more to begin with but they won’t really see a room in that higher range from 65 to 85° very efficiently you did an excellent job on showing the cost you did a great job on this video
I use a two part system in my 14'X14' rented room. When I wake up in the Winter, the room is around 60f, which is how I like to sleep. I get up and turn on the coffee pot and a built in wall heater which has a fan. That is my primary heater to warm up the room with. I also use an oil filled radiator which I keep on very low at night to keep the room from going below 60f. On top of that radiator I have a cookie baking sheet with a wet car washing mitt on top of it that I wet with hot water before going to bed. I also turn this up to the highest point of the 600W setting, and put my butter container on top of the wet mitt to start softening the butter up and go back to bed for 30 or so minutes until the room is warm. The reason for the wet mitt is for room humidity which is crucial for preventing respiratory infections and dry crusty nostrils. I used to maintain the humidity regulators in the operating rooms of a local hospital which had to be kept near 36 % humidity to prevent the patients from getting infections in their surgical areas. Once the room has heated I turn down the wall heater to about half way depending on the outside air temperature (OSA), and I also turn down the radiator heater to about half way on the 600W setting. That keeps my butter solid, yet still soft and ready for my breakfast. The Mitt has a 1 inch sponge inside so it can hold a fair amount of water without dripping. It has a sheeps wool fabric on one side and a vinyl webbing on the other. The sheeps wool should face down on the pan and the webbing upward. To keep the pan from sliding off, I drilled holes in the sides of the cookie sheet and fastened it with copper wire through the fins of the radiator. You can also warm up foods in a glass dish or ceramic cup, like cheese sauce etc.. but for that I remove the mitt. Then at night I turn the wall heater off and the radiator very low.
Surely 1 kw of electrical heat would deliver the same amount of BTUs. Radiant heat feels instantly warm if you sit in front of it, a fan heater would spread the heat around. Oil filled would be slow to heat up but continue to deliver after being turned off.
I wish there were a heating technology with the efficiency of a heat pump but that produced radiant heat. It's notable how a room won't really feel warm until you start getting more radiant heat from the walls and other surfaces, and the noise and "wind-chill" effect of convection/fan heaters are annoying.
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.
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.
WOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH ❤. What a Big Effort. I did similar experiment years ago. To make it easy to see usage amount per hour per heater I switched every electrical Equipment off. Wall Split air conditioning n Oil heater n portable electrical heater 3 bars. First hr the oil heater costed the most but long usage Oil heater was winner especially in small area. Portable heater cost the Most. Throw it away. I was looking to see if modern technology has done any better. In your book The Mica. Oil heater is better for people with Asthma and Alergies . Does not blow the dust around in Your Room. 😎.
I and my dog liked the mica heater for working at the computer because it projects the heat, this year Ive been using a oil filled radiator style, and it doesn't react as fast when it's windy and the leaky room lets in more cold drafts Good job collecting all that data
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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...
heat from oil heaters stays right up against it and using a fan to circulate it cools the fins and reduces heat output. I tried to heat my rv living room with one and it never warmed the space but every other type of electric heater does. Oil filled heaters are the absolute worse.
@@azarelthecreator7098 "Stay right up against it" that isn't how heat works... But yes I agree having a ceiling fan helps!
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 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 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
wow... this man is a gift to humanity, true dedication for the greater good and for KNOWLEDGE.
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.
You are a very intelligent and disciplined test engineer. Please produce more content like this. Thank you!
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!
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.
Thank You. I appreciate your honest words. In this video you're not trying to sell folks anything; you're just giving honest, good information. Thank you.
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!
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.
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 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
Thank you, you said it for me.
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 😊
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.
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
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
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 👍
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.
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!
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.
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 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?
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.
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.
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 and everyone who watched this video appreciate you sir !
I bought a Mica heater thanks to you. I didn't know such a heater existed.
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
.
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).
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).
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.
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.
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 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!
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).
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.
this is one of the best surveys I've seen. very well done. thank you for clearing up the ceramic heater 'scenario'. well done.
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).
Thank you so much. My electricity bills during the winter make even buying enough food difficult, and now that I'm able to work from home, it's safe for me to use a space heater, so I'm hoping this year I can keep my place at an okay temperature and not be in debt at the end of the season because of it.
Not sure how cold place you live in, wear more warm clothes. Good socks, one boxer brief and one boxer and other warm clothes.
Thanks for the work you did on this.
One problem with heating the room very fast is that the walls, furniture, etc. don't absorb all the heat so the room cools faster and the unit has to cycle more until the room reaches mean temps. This is why oil filled may be the best overall solution.
tf are you talking about? It doesn't matter. People really need to understand electrical and thermodynamic sciences better. Most of these ceramic heaters actually heat the air really fast. Over time the heat will transfer from the air to the furniture and walls. Conversely an oil heater also does the same thing just incredibly slower because it must heat up the mass of the oil first. There's no advantage to that. Who cares if it cycles more times? At least the ceramic heaters will heat the actual air in the room. The oil heaters will cause most heat to slowly travel upward toward the ceiling, you know, where most people aren't, and cause most of it to be lost unless you leave it on for ridiculous amounts of time. At least with the ceramic, it's 1) fast at heating the air, and 2) spreads the heat around more quickly so that it CAN actually transfer some of that energy into the furniture and walls and floors, instead of just going up the ceiling until hours later when it finally fills the entire room. Therefore, you're more likely to save more money with the ceramic as you run it less overall and the heat is in a place you use it and is not being lost thru the ceiling as much. Ultimately the best are probably all the radiative style heaters because they heat "black bodies" or YOU and your furniture directly. instead of your house.
@@johnjingleheimersmith9259 Both have a COP of ~1 so it depends on the amount of time you are in the room, the size of the room and what you're looking for. Ceramics cycle on and off, that's not a constant room temp, it depends on the hysteresis of the heater. You're not at a constant temp until the room approaches the set heat level, the human body senses that difference. Cycling with oil filled is different because the heat doesn't stop instantly, there's residual temp and you don't have a large temperature differential, it's also easier to control the temp. So, yes, until the room itself absorbs the heat oil filled is a more comfortable option. Over a long period where the room absorbs both systems they're the same and consume relatively the same power.
If you're sitting in a room with an oil radiator next to you I think you're better off than heating the whole room room with air blowing around. My wife likes the fact that the oil radiator doesn't make noise and blow air and dust around or at her. No filters to clean either, so there are pluses and minuses to both systems, they're both inefficient, you need a heat pump before you begin to realize a higher COP.
"tf"? Clean up your act and learn to be civil.
@@mosfet500 Don't make inane statements that induce such a reaction and you'll get less of them
@@johnjingleheimersmith9259 I clarified and supported my statement, address that.
@@johnjingleheimersmith9259 tbh both of yous can get fked.
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...
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).
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).
Much appreciated!! I've been going in circles online looking to buy a couple heaters. My apartment isn't well insulated & windows r terrible. The work I have to do on them every winter isn't fun. So I thank u for saving me lots of time
Spend your first money on sealing the windows. You can lose half the heat from leaky windows. There are a lot of youtube videos on window sealing and building inside storm windows.
@@kkarllwt inside storm windows? expensive?
better check with your land lord most do not allow these type of heaters
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
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.
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.
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!!
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
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.
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.
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.
I found that using a ceiling fan set in reverse along with an oil heater, infrared or probably any space heater for that matter will circulate the heat and move it from the ceiling around the room. Helps the heater to heat a large room more effectively, quickly and uniformly, and it's extremely cheap to run.
insulation is key
@@pjo2386 excactly, unbelievable how many people is unaware of this simple fact.
We started insulating all housing in the late 70'ies and building regulations has been increasing in demand every ten years or so..
Many in UK still has zero clue about this topic, and prefer dealing with extraordinary expenses and unhealthy living places!
@@OmmerSyssel yes, even a bookcase against a wall will insulate
You are right. Hot air goes up and cold down. Thus, a ceiling fan in reverse helps moving the hot air downwards.
It's not only cheap to run the ceiling fan, but it is absolutely free when you are heating electrically. The fan motor gives off some heat also to the room. Lights are also free. You don't save any money by turning them off.
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🥳
O
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
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 like when a normal person does and extensive like testing....it makes it seem real and not a commercial....I do appreciate all your work.....TY...
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
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
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!!
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.
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?
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.
We have been using our oil filled heater in the living room for the recent cold spells. 400 sq/ft room stays at 75 deg.F on High/3.
We have a fan assisted quartz heater in the bedroom. Heats up fast on high, maintains comfortable temperatures on low. We usually turn it of around midnight.
What model?
Good review!
First tip I would highly recommend and should be is to find areas where the cold comes into your room. Isolate as much as poss.
That will reduce lost of heat. And save you money with keeping heaters turned on all the time.
Wear practical thermally warm clothing if possible to feel comfortable and close doors.
Sports stores sell good practical clothing to wear indoors which will keep the cold out of your body especially if you live in areas where humidity is a problem. I live in a micro climate where it’s hot during the year. and goes from one extreme to the next in winter!
So building are not insulated as most of the year it is warm to hot.
For my money, those oil filled portable heaters are the most practical as I have no kids or pets to get in the way.
I set a thermostat and a timer and the room is warmed before I get to it.
In reality, making a home comfortable for the cold can resolve many issues with the cold and save us money on heating bills as you demonstrate.
A very decent “John Malkovich sounding” review I might add🤔
Indeed.
I switched to using a heating pad. 40 watts on medium. Keeps me toasty on the couch and toasty in bed. I use a Vornado for an hour to raise the room temperature 4 to 10 degrees depending on which setting I use.
@@wishingb5859 smart
Here in UK have been using lengths of tin foil (US: aluminium foil) behind radiators stuck to wall and It radiates the heat back into the room , pretty sure this will work with some of the heaters used here too but obviously the heaters placed need to be next to the walls for the benefits
It's like taking a class with a very professional textbook science teacher. Amazing look at space heaters, and so thoroughly tested and researched. This is why geeks are really the coolest, and Big Bang Theory is so popular. Fantastic job and thanks for all of your work! Fantastic, now I can make an educated choice. Safe travels!
How you doing Dan?👍
you are so original .. so unique .. so informative... so helpful ... Bless your soul.
I really enjoyed your video. It’s such a boring topic, but your detailed, direct approach made it interesting the whole time. Too many people do a lot of filler-mumbling, which is just annoying. I did, however, like the added comments at the end…not being able to predict the future & all. That cracked me up! Great job.💕
I have about 180 to 200 sq ft living room and I use a ceramic 755520 Lasko tower heater with digital display. It's about 7 years old but it actually keeps my room at 65 degrees where I like it. I use it during the winter because my heater that heats the whole house leaves some spots in the house cold. For instance my living room is freezing during the winter but the bedrooms are hot as hell because there's two vents in each bedroom and only one heater vent in the living room which makes no sense. I have guinea pigs and they can't live in cold temperatures so I used that Lasko tower heater to keep the room at 65 degrees and it works great
I use an oil filled radiator heater in my well insulated shop bathroom and I’ve been very happy with it. I have tried a couple of different electric radiant fan forced heaters, but they never could keep a consistent temperature in the space. With the oil filled heater, the temperature always feels the same and you can’t even tell when it’s on or off. Don’t know about whether it’s cheaper to operate than the other heaters I’ve tried, but it seems like it should be as it doesn’t have a fan to run, and I can set it to a lower wattage and still maintain a comfortable temp. Now that said, I have tried that heater in larger areas that were not well insulated and it was a waste of time to run. There, a large fan forced radiant heater was the better answer. It all depends on your application........
Love my oil filled. Got two of them ( both are about 20 years old) out in the one car attached garage in Iowa. Only one is currently and constantly on (600watt/900watt,1500 max watts). I currently have the 600-watt switch on only, and the dial thermostat is at about 75%. I'm guessing it's at approximately 400/450 watts output at that setting. It's currently 21.9 degrees outside and 37 degrees in the garage. I utilize a wireless thermometer sensor at approx. 24 feet away (complete opposite end of the garage) from the heater, placed on the floor right next to the 7X9 foot (new/ish Clopay with R-18 insulation) garage door. I figure that's gotta be the coldest spot in the garage. Just fine with me. As the reviewer said.. wear a jacket. I also got me a pair of flannel lined carpenter jeans (gravel gear) from northern tool recently. $25.00 shipped to my door. A medium duty jacket and some longjohns or lined jeans., a pair of jersey gloves,.and I'm good to go. I've even stepped outside at freezing temps to do some handheld spray painting (timing chain cover, water neck etc). I then set the parts on top of the heater to dry and cure. I even set a couple items I want to be on the ready about a foot and a half up, directly above the heater on the windowsill (a couple cans of spray paint and my bic lighters). Works awesome.
I like the oil filled heater the best because one thing he NEVER explained was cooldown......the mica and infrared and ceramic cool down almost instantly...the oil keeps the heat and gradually cools down....
Yep he did, I assume you are a goldfish
You need to pay better attention. He explained that long cool down multiple times.
Yes, he talked about the cool down for the oil heater but not the others. The op is correct.
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!
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!
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!
You measured surface temperature with that temp laser gun, which is not the same thing as ambient temperature. This would affect the infrared heaters the most. Giving it a big advantage. Great review other wise.
You missed the one heater that works in an old house or RV that is 1.draft prone and 2. heats the entire room: Vornado vortex fans. After about 1 year of testing oil filled, infrared, and a heat pump, the only heater that was able to heat an entire room or rooms (2) was the Vornado VH600 and the Vornado VMH500. Both purchased from Amazon in 2017 and both are still working. In short, should eith fail I'll be replacing them with the same brand and model. I'm sure that in a new not draft prone house a normal, oil filled or infrared would work, just not in an older home.
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.
We only have electric heat (way out in the country), I heat the main house to about 60-65 F, and then have space heaters throughout the house to heat personal space. It saves around $100 or so a month. I like the ones with fans. My daughter's house has a lot of leaks, so she used the oil heat near the leaks, she says it really helps.
Great help. I always wondered about my oil-filled heaters, and now I know. Saving money on heat is really important to me since I am a terrible person to be around if I am cold. Thanks again for all of your hard work!!
Don't be fooled by sales nonsense.. The amount of energy is excactly the same, never mind which source you are using!
Try study insulation possibilities, instead of following physical nonsense.. ;)
@@OmmerSyssel
The oil itself becomes a heat sink. Once that oil is heated it will cycle off and come on to keep it heated where as others run a fan and the element pretty much constantly.
Electric heating is 1:1. Burn 1500 watts electric and get 1500 watts heat.
Oil heating adds the inefficiency of heating 2 different things: Oil & then the air. Ceramic heats the air directly without the extra step.
Adding a fan improves efficiency by heating the whole area. Without a fan, the heat stays concentrated in one spot (not great)
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 enjoyed your objective look at heaters. I watched because I am aware that electric heat is 100% efficient all of the energy is changed into heat, what changes is effectiveness and perception.
A heat pump heater/AC unit is generally far more efficient than an electric resistance heater, because it can produce the same BTUs with less electricity. If you're heating a large space, this can save you a huge amount of electricity.
dper1112, what is a heat pump heater?
@@youngtiger1 A heat pump is like an air conditioner or a mini split, except it can heat things, too. It has two big pieces: the part mounted on your wall, and the box sitting right outside your house. These machines generate heat by compressing gas, moving it around, and expanding it, and the physics is complicated but interesting. This is totally different from electric resistance heating, and it's also (usually) a lot more efficient.
@dper1112 Thank you for your reply and explanation. It sounds interesting. I will do more research on this subject as I’m in need of a good heater system for my room.
@@dper1112 Sorry dper, heat pumps are not more efficient than the 100% efficiency of electric resistance. You have the wasted heat of the compressor, as well as the fan of the outside unit. Additionally heat pumps use resistance heat once the outside air drops below ≈45° F.
as far as comfort i'm really tired of my home's electric heating system because it turns on and keeps blowing heat until it starts to get uncomfortable and then stays off till it gets cold it's terrible at maintaining the temperature I set it at. I think a oil heater will save me money too and exactly what im looking for. Very good video
You need a better thermostat, more likely. Forced hot air is forced hot air. The air does not care what the heat source is.
Well done. Easy to understand, covered all points I am interested in.
Honest, fair comparison, no biasing.
Good job! Everything is a trade-off. Just depends on how much heat you need, how quick you want it and how much you want to have to spend on it. Good research! Thanks!
Agreed. All the heat is basically the same. Just depends on features you are looking for. Thanks for your comment!
@@TutorialGeek Thanks for a fine video and so is wood or oil. Just depends
on who you want to deliver your heat. The power company, the oil truck or
maybe go out and get some dead wood yourself and maybe build a fire if
you have a place to build one. We're still going to have to pay someone or
use our time, the most precious commodity of all. Thanks again!
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
There are about 370 posts so this has probably been said but just in case, here it is anyway;
- heating up a room fast isn't necessarily more efficient. Keeping a room hot (keeping up with heat loss) will in the end cost the same. (As has been said, "a watt is a watt"). Also, heating quickly has dry air issues which can make a room feel colder.
- lastly, any heater that uses a fan by definition is less efficient. It simply has more 'work' to do than create heat.
So,
you can quickly heat the air of a room but the contents of that room will heat up less quickly. Try it. Take the rapid fan-based heater and once the room reaches a target temp, turn the heat off and see how quickly the temp drops. You should see the temp fall rapidly too. This is because the contents of the room are still cool. Compare this to a room that has more time for the contents to reach equal temp. The room will retain it's temp for longer. (And this is why faster heating isn't more efficient)
On another topic, some distinctions you made are really product specific. There are plenty of analog ceramic heaters and digital/smart radiant oil heaters etc.
Hope this helps
@zezt zezter So did I, and whoever made this video was only partially correct and tested the heaters in his own newer home, not multiple environments.
@@timcross9815 true but I thought he still did a pretty good job for the research you did most people don't do research on anyting look at how they vote haha
You have to consider that most of the people watching videos like this believe that they can cheat thermodynamics and heat a van in Moscow in January with a candle and four flower pots.
@@mikeries8549 Very true, "any heater with a fan is less efficient" just about the most uninformed statement of the century.
I like the oil filled one because it heats well and is quiet. I've got fan blown ceramic too but I run the oil one daily in winter. I'm betting it's more efficient due to no moving parts. The argument keeps changing so that the goal posts can be moved.Are we arguing about efficiency or what you think heats you up the fastest?
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....
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.
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!
I like the sounds of an oil heater, snap, crackle and pop.
Always good to check the cord at the wall to see if it gets hot , especially on high setting because most breakers are 15 amp, so a space heater can require all the amps on that circuit, but usually the breaker feeds multiple outlets meaning it can overheat if other things are on as well. I had an outlet that became very hot on high setting but other outlets were cool to the touch so it required to change the outlet it was old aged & dangerous. If at all possible have a dedicated breaker & circuit for the space heater. That's about the safest way to go if possible.
I had that same problem with a workhorse room air conditioner too in the 1980s. I fire the air conditioner full blast and I found out it gives off 13.5 to 14.3 amps - and in several minutes - my whole upstairs has its power knocked out as the circuit breaker opens up to stop the electricity due to that overload. So it is not just most space heaters that can give off way too much amps. Some room ACs can also give off too much amps too.
I watched the whole video. you did an excellent job. just so you know that Mica heater you used is one of the least efficient ones they actually have models that will use the same amount of electricity and produce two times the heat they cost more to begin with but they won’t really see a room in that higher range from 65 to 85° very efficiently you did an excellent job on showing the cost you did a great job on this video
I use a two part system in my 14'X14' rented room. When I wake up in the Winter, the room is around 60f, which is how I like to sleep. I get up and turn on the coffee pot and a built in wall heater which has a fan. That is my primary heater to warm up the room with. I also use an oil filled radiator which I keep on very low at night to keep the room from going below 60f. On top of that radiator I have a cookie baking sheet with a wet car washing mitt on top of it that I wet with hot water before going to bed. I also turn this up to the highest point of the 600W setting, and put my butter container on top of the wet mitt to start softening the butter up and go back to bed for 30 or so minutes until the room is warm. The reason for the wet mitt is for room humidity which is crucial for preventing respiratory infections and dry crusty nostrils. I used to maintain the humidity regulators in the operating rooms of a local hospital which had to be kept near 36 % humidity to prevent the patients from getting infections in their surgical areas. Once the room has heated I turn down the wall heater to about half way depending on the outside air temperature (OSA), and I also turn down the radiator heater to about half way on the 600W setting. That keeps my butter solid, yet still soft and ready for my breakfast. The Mitt has a 1 inch sponge inside so it can hold a fair amount of water without dripping. It has a sheeps wool fabric on one side and a vinyl webbing on the other. The sheeps wool should face down on the pan and the webbing upward. To keep the pan from sliding off, I drilled holes in the sides of the cookie sheet and fastened it with copper wire through the fins of the radiator. You can also warm up foods in a glass dish or ceramic cup, like cheese sauce etc.. but for that I remove the mitt. Then at night I turn the wall heater off and the radiator very low.
Surely 1 kw of electrical heat would deliver the same amount of BTUs. Radiant heat feels instantly warm if you sit in front of it, a fan heater would spread the heat around. Oil filled would be slow to heat up but continue to deliver after being turned off.
I wish there were a heating technology with the efficiency of a heat pump but that produced radiant heat. It's notable how a room won't really feel warm until you start getting more radiant heat from the walls and other surfaces, and the noise and "wind-chill" effect of convection/fan heaters are annoying.
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.
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.
WOW. THANK YOU SO MUCH ❤. What a Big Effort. I did similar experiment years ago. To make it easy to see usage amount per hour per heater I switched every electrical Equipment off.
Wall Split air conditioning n Oil heater n portable electrical heater 3 bars.
First hr the oil heater costed the most but long usage Oil heater was winner especially in small area. Portable heater cost the Most. Throw it away.
I was looking to see if modern technology has done any better. In your book The Mica. Oil heater is better for people with Asthma and Alergies . Does not blow the dust around in Your Room. 😎.
I and my dog liked the mica heater for working at the computer because it projects the heat, this year Ive been using a oil filled radiator style, and it doesn't react as fast when it's windy and the leaky room lets in more cold drafts
Good job collecting all that data