Cheapest heater

Bob Z

What is the cheapest type of heater to run? Halogen? Oil? Fan heater?

MuffinsDa

If you are talking about electric heaters, to the best of my knowledge they are all exactly the same in terms of efficiency and neither is cheaper than the other in terms of heating per kw used. The only difference is in the way they heat up and distribute the heat.

Oil heaters heat up slower but keep the heat for a bit afterwards and are better for larger areas. They are also safe around kids.

Convection heaters heat up very quickly and cool down instantly too. Not the safest as kids can throw things in them or cover them, causing fire.

Fan heaters are very quick at heating a specific area (i.e. a bathroom) but are noisy!

Senna

Hard to beat the Butane Gas heater, instand heat and you can buy the ones with the front coating, so their safe for children.
Because you buy (and pay for) the Gas cylinder first, you know exactly what your spending. Other heaters maybe more efficent, but not having to worry about a bill coming in at the end of the month is a god sent.

tudlytops

Senna wrote: »

Hard to beat the Butane Gas heater, instant heat and you can buy the ones with the front coating, so their safe for children.
Because you buy (and pay for) the Gas cylinder first, you know exactly what your spending. Other heaters maybe more efficient, but not having to worry about a bill coming in at the end of the month is a god sent.

How though the gas heaters are great and we had one, it does not turn on or off with a timer and you can't leave it unattended, like popping down to the shops, etc.

It can also be hard if you run out of gas during the night or if you leave far from a shop.

And you have to place a bowl or something with water in the room you are using it.

Be ware, we had a fire 2 years ago and it was a halogen heater that started it, that was turned off but plugged, the fire man said they were known to shorten, we lost everything....

Victor

Senna wrote: »

Hard to beat the Butane Gas heater, instand heat and you can buy the ones with the front coating, so their safe for children.

Are you sure? Anything that is hot (and has a flame) is a potential danger to small children.

Because you buy (and pay for) the Gas cylinder first, you know exactly what your spending. Other heaters maybe more efficent, but not having to worry about a bill coming in at the end of the month is a god sent.

On the flip side, it means carrying and storing the gas. Compressed gas in an older, multi-occupancy building is not a good idea. A carbon monoxide detector is also advisable.

Senna

Victor wrote: »

Are you sure? Anything that is hot (and has a flame) is a potential danger to small children.

Just cant remember the name of them now, but there are ones with a front panel, it looks like foam with mesh in front. An office, shop or public area has to have this type, the old 3 brick ones are illegal outside of a home.

Victor wrote: »

A carbon monoxide detector is also advisable.

Defiantly, plus ventilation.

I still reckon they can work well for some people. I'll take your point on gas in an apartment block etc, but when i was growing up every family had one, and they were used regularly. They are no more dangerous than electric heaters, and i'm sure more home fires have been started by electric than butane cylinders. As long as the top connection is fitted correctly and the switch is always knocked off when not in use, i think they are fairly safe.

Also, as they give instant heat, they dont need to be turned on when there's no one in the room.