Member Comments

We recently went looking for a panel heater to install in the hall outside our bedrooms.We have a reasonably well insulated house and live on the coast near Tauranga so were only looking for a low heat output. We first checked out the Econoheat styles , but were put off as they didnot have a thermostat and the surface temp was such that we could not put the palm of our hands on it . We ended up with a 400w Dimplex [with a thermostat] which has proved succesful . John and Beverley

hello
we currently have a wood fire in our lounge area as our main source of heating.
We also made the wise investment of a HRV system, which is not advertised as a heating system but ventilation. But this has dried out our home so naturally making it easier to heat and generally rising the overall temperature by 2-3 degrees.
However our 4 bedrooms are at the opposite end of the house from the fire which in a straight line is 20m.
These bedrooms do get cold in winter and so we asked HRV what they recommended to go with their system. They suggested Econopanel style heaters or micathermic heaters that use convection style natural air flow that HRV systems help create.
Our question to consumer or anyone else out there that can help - which option is the best.
The bedrooms are large (20m2). So do we go for a 400w Econopanel ($199) or 1800w microthermic ($69.00).
What is going to be the most efficient overall in the long run?

Hi, I live in Marlborough where we can get to minus four. I have a nightstore heater in the hallway and now that we have teenage kids all the bedroom doors stay closed pretty much 24/7, I was wondering about a heat transfer kit to warm these rooms via the nightstore. I have a four bedroom house with two lounges heated by an inbuilt log fire which only just keeps up in the depths of winter. Is this a worthwhile proposal?

We have used a portable LPG heater for heating in the morning for a number of years but now need to replace it and I wondered what was more cost effective, LPG or an electric fan heater.
We have liked the LPG as it heated our living area quickly for a couple of hours before we all head off to work etc. But is it really cheaper than electricity?
We have a deLongi 1800w column fan heater for heating other rooms as necessary and use a woodburner in the evenings & weekends.

Hi

Could you advise on the Ceramic Heaters manufactured by LUCHT LHZ?

Do you believe these to be 100% efficient - or more economical than that as they claim?

These are two statements taken from their website www.electric-heating.co.nz/english/method.html -

"combination radiators are designed to store the heat directly into the Magmatic ceramic tablets without any loss of energy" and

"should use an average of between 3-5 hours electricity in a 24 hour day"

I'd appreciate any advice that anybody has on this heater. Many thanks.

what about these new econo heaters that claim to only use 4KW but put out enough heat for a normal bedroom?

Has comsumer tested the approve heaters and what brand would they recommend.
Carole & Paul Kennedy

I think you miss a very useful class of "heaters": the stand-alone dehumidifier.

While not as good as an installed heat pump, they provide many of the same benefits, including much better energy efficiency than a simple electric heater, while being far cheaper, portable, and not needing a landlord's permission to install.

I have a DeLonghi one which I leave on 24 hours a day from about the end of April. It uses 230 W of electricity (measured with a $25 meter from Dick Smith), but seems to put out about 900 W of heat [1].

A lot of the time it is the only heating that my three bedroom townhouse in Churton Park needs. If the outside temperature is 12 C it will keep the downstairs living room and kitchen at 20 - 21 and the upstairs bedrooms at 17 - 18. When it gets colder than that I have a 2400W oil heater on a thermostat to take up the slack.

It is also a real benefit that the humidity in most of the house stays between 40% and 50% all winter, which really adds to the comfort. It would otherwise be 60% - 70% or even more in overcast rainy weather.


[1] I base this on three different methods which all agree:

- the heating effect compared to a 2400 W oil heater with 3 heat levels, on lowest, measured to use 950 W.

- the estimated volume of hot (28 - 29 C) air coming out the top of the dehumidifier.

- the volume of water collected in a day, multiplied by the latent heat of vaporization.