An Indoor Heater Helps Fix Drafty Homes
It’s that time of year once again, as we start thinking about turning on our furnaces for the first time in the upcoming heating season. It’s a welcome change for some because it makes us remember earlier times with family sitting around a roaring fire in the fireplace keeping everyone warm.
Still, the fall weather forces us to realize that our homes aren’t the coziest places because of the drafts under the doors and near the windows. Alas, depending on where the cold air rushes in, we might find it difficult to escape the wrath of winter’s cold.
There is a foolproof remedy that’s perfect for times like this. An indoor heater removes the chill from the air and makes your space comfortably warm. Before deciding where to put yours, find out the best type of space heater for your situation.
Types of Space Heaters
There are many different heaters which can be chosen. Some of the best include:
- Convection Heaters - One of the first facts about space heaters you will need to understand is that they heat the air inside a room, but not people. The hot air they produce rises, which causes the cooler air to sink, creating circulation or convection air currents. It’s the circulation of warmer air that warms the room and you.
- Radiant Heaters - Unlike convection heaters that heat the air, radiant heaters heat people as best they can. The warmth they provide comes from sitting near or in front of the heater. They can heat people quickly, and it’s for this reason you will read plenty of safety warnings about sitting too close or placing objects near the heater.
- Combination Heaters - The third type of heater is a combination of the previous two discussed so far. While less efficient, the heaters use a fan to push and distribute warm air throughout the room. This type is suitable for use almost anywhere in the home.
Common Placement in a Home
Heater placement sometimes makes people start to worry more about their operating costs than the comfort they provide. You’re not fair to yourself. The reality is the price of running a space heater is much less than turning up the thermostat to heat the entire house.
The heater works best when used to heat an average room or other space, say around a desk as an example. It’s best if you can place the heater in a room closed off by doors, trapping the warm air where it’s needed more. Also, keep the heater away from the wall for more even circulation of warm air.
If you’re dealing with cold spots that won’t warm up, oscillating heaters work well to fill the areas with warm, fan-forced air, and they come in handy whenever you have that hallway that refuses to stay warm. Radiant heaters do a great job as long as you adhere to safety warnings. Recommendations suggest that you provide a three-foot safety zone around a radiant heater to protect you and pets, too.
Best Space Heater Models
You might wonder that after reading about space heaters today, which company makes the best one? As you probably know, there is no shortage of space heaters, but there are a few that people buy year after year because they work.
- Vornado VH200 - The Vornado VH200 is one space heater people buy and are happy with their purchase. The reviewers say that this model warms a whole room faster and more comfortably than others they tested.
- Lasko 754200 Ceramic Heater - According to the reviews, this heater is high on the list of many people, and it’s a fair priced and reliable heater. It warms up fast, and it’s compact and lightweight. At roughly the size of a loaf of bread, it throws heat directly in front.
- Dyson Hot+Cool Jet Focus AM09 - This Dyson heater boasts high-efficiency in both modes - heating and cooling. The reviewers like the focused fan-flow or oscillation to warm or cool an entire room. With a heater at this price point, it also dehumidifies, a common characteristic of air conditioning.
