When temperatures plummet, you need extra heat. However, raising your home’s thermostat could raise your energy bill significantly. Using a space heater can be an economical and convenient way to quickly add warmth to any space. Available in a variety of sizes and styles, room heaters offer supplemental heat which can help offset utility costs during cold winter months.
When it comes to buying an electric space heater, fundamental questions like “Will this heater adequately heat my space?” and “How much will it cost to operate?” take precedence over a number of bonus features included with the unit. To answer these questions and others, let's examine the top 5 things to look for in a space heater.
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1. Heating Capacity
When looking for a space heater, one of the most important things to consider is the amount of space you need to heat. And, while calculating the wattage required for primary heat for any given square footage is quite simple—10 watts of heating power per 1 sq. ft., calculating supplemental heating is a bit more challenging. Here are the guidelines:
- Determine the Needed Temperature Rise: This is the difference between the current temperature and the desired temperature. For instance, if your room temperature is 65 degrees (thermostat setting) and you want it to be 75 degrees, the Temperature Rise is 10 degrees.
- Measure the Volume of Space: Not the square footage, but the cubic footage—L x W x H. For example, if you have a 12 x 12 room, such as a bedroom with an 8 ft. ceiling, you multiply 12 x 12 x 8 = 1,152 cu. ft.
- Calculate BTUs Needed to Raise the Temperature: It takes 0.24 BTUs to warm 1 cu. ft. of air 1 degree. In our example, we want to raise the temperature by 10 degrees. So, we multiply the cubic feet by 0.24 times the temperature rise (10 degrees). 1,152 x 0.24 x 10 = 2,765 BTUs required to achieve our desired temperature.
- Convert BTUs to Watts: Divide BTUs by 3.41 to find the watts. 2,765 ÷ 3.41 = 811 Watts. You will need to look for a space heater with at least 811 watts of heating power to adequately meet the need and warm up your room.
Check out the Space Heater Buying Guide for specifics on sizing by wattage and square footage!
2. Heater Type
The next thing to consider is what type of heater you need. While there are numerous heater styles, there are essentially three heating technologies under which every electric heater falls: convection, infrared, and fan-forced.
- Convection Heaters: These provide quiet, whole-room heating using one of a number of heating element types, plus natural convection to circulate the air, until the whole room is warmed. This includes oil-filled radiators, panel heaters, and some infrared heaters.
- Radiant/Infrared Heaters: These provide quick warmth, heating objects—that includes people—instead of air, so you feel instant heat. They work well in large rooms that may have a cold spot, underneath a desk, or in closed porches or sunrooms during the winter.
- Fan-forced Heaters: These heaters feature an internal electric heating element (micathermic, ceramic, coil, etc.) and a blower fan that distributes heated air throughout a room. The fan does create some sound, but not usually loud enough to disturb conversation or sleep.
Selecting the appropriate type of heater for your specific needs is the best way to ensure effective performance and the desired result.
If you’re looking for a more permanent solution for rooms that are consistently under-heated, you may want to consider a wall heater. Some models are simply hung on a wall with brackets, and others, like these King Electric heaters, are recess-mounted into the wall. These are commonly used in bathrooms and rooms that have been added on and are underheated, like bonus rooms, or even in garages and workshops. Typically hard-wired into your home’s wiring, they're powerful and effective heating options that Sylvane customers rave about.
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3. Energy-Efficiency
Conserving energy is not only earth-friendly, but it also helps to maintain lower heating costs. Although portable electric heaters currently lack a standard level of efficiency like the EER ratings found on portable AC systems, heater operating costs are easy to calculate by multiplying the watts per hour (found in the specs) divided by 1,000, by your local provider's cost per kilowatt-hour. Figure out how many hours per day you plan to use the heater to find the cost per day.
To keep your electric bills from skyrocketing, remember that most space heaters are designed to provide supplemental, and not primary heat, with the exception of baseboard/cove heaters and large wall heaters. You’ll want to choose a model that’s right for your environment and the size of your space, and consider a heater that draws a lower amperage.
Specialized features can make a big difference when it comes to energy efficiency. These include special energy-saving modes, adjustable thermostats, low wattage/amps, and programmable timers that help minimize power usage and contribute to economic operation.
Read our article How to Select an Energy-Efficient Space Heater to learn more about energy-efficient features for space heaters.
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4. Safety Features
Safe placement and operation of space heaters is essential, so it’s important to read the owner’s manual with attention to safety guidelines regarding power cord placement and unrestricted airflow. To significantly reduce the risk of fire, most manufacturers equip their electric heaters with internal switches that automatically turn off the heater should undue heat levels be detected (overheat protection), or the heater is tipped or knocked over. Cool-to-the-touch surfaces and OSHA-compliant grilles are other safety features applicable to some models.
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5. Noise Level
Like most electrical appliances, many portable heaters emit some noise during operation. Consider non-fan-forced units such as a baseboard heater or a freestanding convection heater for silent operation in quiet environments like your bedroom or office. Cadet wall and baseboard heaters, for example, excel at whole-room heating with little noise interruption. Radiant space heaters work well as silent space heaters for bedrooms and offices.
In Summary
The most important things to consider when buying a space heater are the size of the space you want to heat and the type that will best do the job. This can include fan-forced heating, convection, infrared, radiant, and micathermic heating types. Other considerations include energy-efficiency, safety, and convenience features.
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Questions?
For more information on heaters, read our detailed Heater Buying Guide. For specific questions on a particular model or help choosing the best space heater for your needs, contact one of our product experts at 1-800-934-9194. You can also connect with us through the Sylvane Facebook and Twitter pages.
