Having heater during winter is necessary. Indoor space heaters can make the room warm throughout the cold season. There are many options for heaters from fixed to portable heaters. However, there is an ongoing debate about which one is best and useful for during the winter. There is a claim that portable heaters pose a dangerous risk and no one should have one in the house.
Before deciding which one the best, let go over some of the main pros and cons using portable space heaters. This can be a consideration for deciding whether having portable heater is useful and necessary in the house.
Advantages
The portable space heater is one of the smart ways to saving money. It does not require complicated system and construction. This means no money spends for installation. A portable space heater uses considerably less energy than an HVAC running at the same temperature, which will help save money on power. In addition to that, it heats only the area where they’re placed. Further saving can be obtained by turning down the HVAC’s thermostat while having the portable space heater on. The idea is staying as warm, and at the same time not wasting power heating rooms that aren’t used. The portable space heater only consumes power when it’s in use, so by unplugging it means saves even more. To maximize effectiveness, purchase a space heater that’s properly sized for the house and uses the safest and most effective power source.
Furthermore, in term of design, portable space heaters tend to be simple and elegant. Often, the best home space heaters tend to be electric, which is cheap, have one plug-in, and generate heat and power only when they’re in use. This is quite handy! In addition to that, portable space heaters are easy to use. To turn use it, firstly just plugging it into a wall outlet in the room, putting the button turns on, then setting the temperature desired, and let it do its thing.
A good portable space heater, it will have sensors that automatically turn the heat off when the room reaches the desired temperature or after a pre-designated time has passed. If a space heater stops working correctly or breaks, it’s usually easy to figure out what happened. Even if this can be done manually, portable space heaters are cheap enough that you could simply replace the damaged one instead of fixing it. It is worth to note, space heaters should never be considered an adequate replacement for an HVAC unit, but moderate, safe use of a space heater can be a good, simple way to save money and stay warm.
Disadvantages
It is very vital to choose a space heater that suitable with the right size, room, energy and power requirements. The reason is size, type, power source, output, maximum temperature, safety features, and design not put into consideration, the space heater will be ineffective and possibly dangerous. Next is in term of usage and storage. It is worth to note to be careful with how often the usage and where the portable heater is storage, which this needs to be safe and away from any children reach.
The safety part of portable space heater needs to get attention. The reason is more than 25,000 house fires are started by space heaters every year and according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, space heaters are in-part responsible for 300 deaths and more than 6,000 burn-related emergency room visits every year. Though most of these accidents can be avoided by paying attention and practicing safe space heater use, many homeowners argue that the potential hazards of space heaters outweigh their advantages. Thus, if portable heater purchased, homes with babies, small children, large dogs, high foot traffic, or particularly flammable furniture should be especially careful when handling this device.
Everyone using a space heater should follow these rules:
- Only run the heater when there is an adult in the room
- Only use electric or vented gas space heaters indoors
- Do not connect the heater to an extension cord
- Keep the heater away from flammable objects
- Only use heaters that turn off when knocked over
- Be careful around the heating element
- Read the instruction manual carefully
- Choose a heater with a built-in thermostat and timer
- Do not run the space heater overnight
It is recommended for never leave the heater on in an empty room and making sure to keep it where it can’t be tripped on or knocked over.
In addition to that, monitor how much energy the heater is using by checking the bills per month regularly. This point goes that if the heater isn’t saving money, it’s not very useful anyway. It is also advised not put anything directly in front of the heater or cover up the heating component. Another thing that can be done is periodically check to make sure the heater isn’t running too hot, or that it isn’t blowing air too violently.
Conclusion
It is worth to note that space heater is not a replacement for the HVAC system. Space heaters are a good tool for limited, specific circumstances if used carefully. Many of the problems portable heaters cause occur when they’re used too much or improperly. It wise to think of a portable heater as the inverse of a fan that normally used in the summer. Instead of cooling down a particular room, a portable heater can make it warmer. A portable heater cannot act as the primary or only source of heat in a space. At best, it’s a helpful little bonus heat and cost-effective way to heat the room.