Coping with Rising Costs and Lower Incomes

Electric Space Heater Reviews

I just had my oil tank filled, at a cost of 1.049 per liter. At current prices, the cost of heating with oil for the coming season will be about $750 more than electric heat.

I have only 60 Amp electric service to my home. About 20 Amps is the maximum used, other than the stove and clothes dryer. I can safely use about 30 Amps for home heating which is about 6000W. Using space heaters as my primary heat source, and my current oil furnace as a backup on the coldest days of winter, I should be able to save at least $600 on my home heating bill this season.

Electric space heaters were on sale at Canadian Tire during the third week of September, so I brought several types home to try them out. Here are my findings for the heaters that I tested.

Airworks Mini Oil Filled Heater

This small heater is priced at $49.99 and rated at 700W. It requires about 6 inches or 15cm of clear space at the sides and back, so the floor space required is significantly larger than the heater itself. The heater gets hot; hot enough to melt any plastic that it may come in contact with. Despite this, the heater only raised the temperature of my bathroom 2 degrees Celsius in an hour. I don't think this will be suitable as a primary heat source, even for such a small room.

Honeywell Ceramic Tower Heater

The $79.99 Honeywell Model HZ-3750GPC ceramic tower heater is sleek looking and takes up minimal floor space. It has easy to use electronic controls. Rated at 1500 watts, this model quickly heats a room. It's downfall is those easy to use electronic controls. Whenever the power fails, even for less than a second, it resets and turns off. It is therefore unsuited as a primary heat source.

Honeywell Baseboard Heater

Model HZ-617C retails for $69.99. The one I tested only operated at 1500 watts, despite the retailer's claim of two heat settings. It can operate as a convection heater, or provide Quick Heat with its small, almost silent fan. This is an excellent choice as a primary heat source. I suggest leaving it in the Quick Heat mode for coolest operation, and maximum heat.

Airworks Oscillating Fan Heater

At $24.99, the Airworks model AFH2010W is the lowest cost model tested. Despite its low cost, it delivers several attractive features. It can operate at either 900 or 1500 watts, so you can select the setting required to keep the room at the desired temperature. Its fan is relatively quite, making less noise than a forced air furnace emits into the heated spaces. It can oscillate to distribute the heat more evenly through the room when in operation. The fan only mode can be used to keep you cool in summer. Overall, I rate this as a best-value.

My Choices

I went with the Airworks model AFH2010W Oscillating Fan Heater due to the limited power available. Seven of these, at a total cost of $197.75, will be used as the primary heat source for my home this winter. They will operate at the lower heat setting, unless the room requires the extra heat.

If I had the power available, and money to burn, I would have chosen the Honeywell Baseboard Heater. Then again, I would not be looking for a cheaper way to heat my home

Feedback

I appreciate all of the feedback from my readers. If you wish to comment, E-mail me at agroot@biofueldepot.ca or write an article for the Uniacke Newsletter.