How To Choose The Best Energy Efficient Space Heater For You?

At times when your boiler has broken down or is not providing enough heat in these freezing times, you would want to look towards getting additional heating equipment to heat your bedroom, living room, or any other place in the house. In such situations, many prefer to get space heaters however there are so many different types of space heaters. Which one should you get? Which is the best energy efficient space heater for you? Read on to know all about space heaters and reviews of some of the best energy efficient space heaters on the market as of 2021.

Types of space heaters

There are different types of space heaters, however for this article “which is the best energy efficient space heater for you”, we will discuss only 2 types of space heaters.

Convection

Convection heaters heat the air in the area creating a layer of warmth. It uses heat to warm up fluids in the heater that is responsible for heating the air around the heater. Some of the convection heaters come with a blower or a fan that spreads the warm air around the room. The convection heater uses oil in a modern way. Unlike traditional heaters and heater stoves that used oil or gas to create fire and heat the room, convection heaters do not release any harmful gases which can be highly toxic if you’re in a closed atmosphere. It simply heats the oil within using electricity and circulates it throughout the heater.

There are also models with ceramic plates that are heated up resulting in the warming of the air. The heater fan does not play a role in heating but simply transports warm air from the heater to the room. Convection heaters that are run on electricity are perfect for bedrooms, living rooms, and offices.

Infrared

Infrared heaters are a bit complicated in the way it works. Unlike convection heaters that heat the air around the heater, infrared heaters heat objects and people that come in the sight of the heater. It uses advanced infrared technology to safely heat anything in its line of sight. Think of it like a campfire. Usually cooking is done on a stove using a pan. The fire will heat the pan which will in turn cook the food. However, infrared heaters are like campfires. You simply barbeque your food without the pan. The technology heats things directly. This is why, whenever you turn infrared heaters on it immediately will warm you up, unlike convection heaters that take time.

Infrared heaters are known for the orange-red glow it emits and can be mostly found in outdoor settings like restaurants, pubs, outdoor seatings, clubs and more. It is considered to be one of the best energy efficient space heater types for outdoor settings.

What are some of the benefits of space heaters?

Here are some of the reasons why people prefer buying space heaters for their rooms.

Quick: Unlike traditional heating methods, space heaters are relatively faster to turn on and can heat a certain space quicker. Boilers and central heating take time to send heat your way while space heaters are a quick way to get immediate warmth.

Options: Space heaters come with a lot of options and features which can be great if you’re looking to control heating, save electricity costs, or more. It has safety features which is an added plus.

Maintain heat: This is one of the biggest advantages of space heaters. It can maintain heat as it is consistent. You won’t feel cold around space heaters.

What to consider when looking for the best energy efficient space heater?

Space heaters are a great way to save money on heating costs if you adjust your boiler accordingly. It will heat your room in the coldest of winters and won’t take as much space as a house boiler unit. However, there are many different space heaters on the marketing making it very confusing for the average buyer in terms of which space heater to buy. Here we will look at certain factors that one should consider before purchasing the best energy efficient space heater. There are different factors like type, capacity, efficiency, features, and noise that one considers before purchasing the best energy efficient space heater. Without any further ado, let’s have a look at these factors in detail and how they can help you narrow down your choices in the quest to finding the best energy efficient space heater for you.

Type

The first thing before buying the best energy efficient space heater for yourself is to consider which type of space heater would suit your needs. We’ve already mentioned convection and infrared but there are other types as well such as hybrid technology that uses convection and fan heating to spread heat across a certain space. Convection heaters are great for indoor heatings as it delivers a consistent and even heating while infrared heaters are great to heat certain spots quickly and efficiently.

You also need to check the setting first before deciding which heater to go for. See where you will be placing your heater, is it in a garage or your living room? Once you’ve narrowed down where you’re going to be keeping the heater, think about what size heater you require. There are standing portable ones or those that go inside a wall. See the structure of the room, available space and decide which one you would consider. Wall heaters are most commonly found in modern hotels and are a great way to heat rooms immediately while portable heaters are great for home uses since you can move them from one spot to the other without any hassle.

Capacity

So this is one of the most important factors that you need to consider before finding the best energy efficient space heater for you. You are buying a heater for heating purposes and it’s only fitting that it delivers accordingly. For that, you need to do some quick maths. A general rule of thumb is that for every square foot of living space, you need to have 10 watts of heating power. By keeping this rule in mind, a 1,500-watt heater will be able to cover almost 150 square feet of living space. This will help you determine how much heating power you require for a particular room. Get your measuring tape and start to measure the room you want the heater in.

As we’ve mentioned that the guideline provided is only a general rule of thumb and hence heating capacity will vary depending on the type of heater, ceiling heights, heating technology, and more. However, the general rule is sufficient enough to calculate your heating power requirements.

Efficiency

This is where your goals come in. Are you looking for an energy-efficient heating solution or don’t care about efficiency at all? With rising bills, many individuals would like to get the best energy efficient space heater not only to heat themselves during winters but also save on electricity costs.

You need to compare the efficiency of different space heaters available to you. Make a list of the best energy efficient space heaters for you and start to compare them. Research on how much electricity each space heater is consuming. Don’t panic, heater energy costs can easily be found by using a simple formula that you can find over the internet. Energy efficiency not only depends on the technology being used but your room size and also the type of space heater you’re getting. Many other features help increase the energy efficiency of space heaters and this can vary from the heater to heater with some having energy-saving mode while others might have low wattage or timers that can be used to restrict the usage of space heaters. These features ensure that the bill is reduced as much as possible ensuring maximum saving.

Features

Before purchasing the best energy efficient space heater for yourself, take a look at the features you want. Modern space heaters come equipped with an arsenal of features like cool-exterior, timer, tip-off, and others. These features can range from aesthetics to safety and efficiency. Safety features like tip-off are great if you have kids or pets around the house. Tipping standing space heaters can be dangerous and lead to fire hazards. With the tip-off feature, the space heater immediately shuts off if it detects imbalance eliminating the risk of fires if you have carpets or curtains in the room. There are other features like a timer that ensures the space heater is turned on during certain times in a day. This is great for those looking to have heating and even save on costs. There are many other features hence we recommend researching into the features and seeing which one you want.

Modern space heaters can get expensive as extra features push the price up north. However, you won’t be requiring many features. Try to find a heater with limited features that would work for you, it’s a great way to save on money. However, if your budget allows an expensive heater, then go all out on the feature. You’re bound to use them one day or the other.

Noise

This can be a make or break factor for many. People usually buy portable heaters so that they can move them to their rooms for a peaceful warm night but many heaters emit noise which can be highly disturbing. Oil-filled radiators are extremely silent while those that blow air (convection heaters) make noise. The level of noise produced varies across heaters. If noise is not an issue then you have plenty of options, however, if you’re looking for silent heaters then consider getting a non-fan heater.

Upfront space heater costs

The cost of the space heater depends on the type of space heater, size, features it has, and the brand. You can find small space heaters that can easily settle under your working desk and cost you around $30. However, if you’re looking to warm up a medium-sized room, be prepared to spend upwards of $150. Costs will increase if you’re looking for features like cool-exterior, tip-off, or any other.

Maintain a level of safety even when using the best energy efficient space heater

Safety should be everyone’s number one priority. We always ensure that whenever our readers read about products or services, they are aware of the safety aspects of things. Heaters need to be approved by safety regulatory bodies in the United States and tested multiple times before they can hit the shelves of stores near you. Besides the safety features provided in a space heater, it is always better to have your own best practices of using a space heater to avoid any mishaps in the future. Portable heaters are known to cause over a thousand injuries each year even after they’re filled with safety features. Therefore, before we end our discussion on choosing the best energy efficient space heater for you here are a couple of tips to follow to ensure safety compliance around the house when using space heaters.

1. Ensure that your space heater is away from all sorts of fabric or material that can easily catch fire. It is recommended to have a distance of around 2 to 3 feet between the space heater and any such material.
2. Faulty cords are the single biggest source of the fire. You need to take extra precaution even if the cords or cables are perfect without any damage. They can be damaged over time and you might forget about them. Hence, never keep cords under carpets or pass them through any fabric material. A simple short circuit can cause a fire outbreak in your house.
3. Extension cords are a huge no with space heaters. Extension cords are weak and space heaters draw on a lot of power. This can result in two things, melting off the extension cord or overheating of the space heater. In both cases, there can be a fire outbreak.
4. As with all electric things, keep it away from water. Even if you don’t have an electric heater, ensure that it is far away from water. Anyone can easily slip and hurt themselves leading to bigger problems.
5. Ensure that the heater is kept on a leveled surface so that it doesn’t tip over. Sudden movements can tip over a space heater that is not on a level surface leading to a massive fire.
6. This is the biggest safety warning, never leave your heating on during the night. Although space heaters might have safety options, it is always better not to take risks. During sleep time you’re highly vulnerable since you won’t realize when or how a fire broke out in case it ever did. Many people have fallen victims to burned down homes just because they had space heaters on while they slept.
7. When you get a space heater, make sure you keep the heater in an area that is inaccessible to children and pets. They do not know what a space heater is and what it can do and end up burning themselves. Hence, avoid the trouble of all that and keep the heater far away from their reach.
8. If you have a portable heater that has been turned on for a while and are now looking to move it to another room, simply turn the heater off for at least 30 minutes before you can transport it from one place to the other. Heaters remain hot for a certain time depending on the type of heater it is. Touching it right after you’ve shut it down can burn your hands.
9. Try to check the heater’s cord from time to time. Due to faulty manufacturing, it could have breakages causing short circuits. The cord might get hot slowly, so monitor it. If it’s getting hotter, turn off the heater and claim the warranty or return it the next day.