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Previous: Our advice
Previous: Our advice
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.
You have a lot of advise on here regarding home heating. You have specific advise on how to choose a heater and what size etc but although you state that for an older less well insulated home you recommend a radient heater you offer nothing in the way of information about any.
Hi Rosemary,
Radiant heaters are all much of a muchness. Some have a few features we regard as desirable - a thermostat and a switchable boost fan for instance.
But the single thing to look for is a tilt switch. This is, in our opinion, a vital safety item.
We have seen 2400 Watt radiant heaters with all of the above features for less than $100 in the hardware chains.
Hope this helps.
Kind regards,
Bill Whitley
Writer
Anyone got experience of micathermic heaters?
i'm considering buying this german made heater which seems to be the modern version of the night store heater. Has anyone experience of this heater and its effectiveness?
I have seen these heaters advertised and their web site looks interesting but how good are they really from a heating and cost point of view. We would like to heat several bedrooms when it gets particularly cold in Auckland but would not use them constantly throughout winter.
Many thanks
Hi, were are building a new house and are finding it really hard to decide what form of heating to use. Am not sure if anyone has used these heaters? Are they truly as economical as they are said to be? We live in alpine conditions, so it goes minus in the winter. Thanks