heating appliances

The question that many of us have when we are considering a new heater is not just “How much does it cost to buy?” but also and just as, if not more important, “How much does it cost to run?”. This is a very important point to consider because long after we have absorbed the cost of purchasing a new heating appliance we will be incurring a monthly expenditure based on how much we use it.

The good news is that as technology continues to improve, electrical heaters become more and more efficient. This means that the amount of electricity they require to produce a given heat is less than in the past. However we must be aware that the cost of electricity may also vary so even though the appliances themselves are becoming more efficient, if the price of electricity rises then this means even with a more efficient heater it may become more expensive to run.

Are oil filled radiators more economical than other electrical heaters?

All things being equal, an oil filled radiator is no more economical than other types of electrical heaters. However this is in terms of electricity used in relation to the amount of heat produced. For example, if you have an oil filled radiator and compared it to a electrical convection heater and turned both on for 1 hour at 1500W, the electrical cost would be the same. But the way that they output heat would be different. And this is where one style of heater may be more “economical” in your own eyes.

In the case of the convection heater, this will start to warm the room more quickly than the oil filled radiator as well as raising the temperature more quickly it will also raise the temperature to a greater extent. So it would seem that a convection heater may be more powerful for the same cost. But this may or may not be what you are looking for. As for the oil filled radiator, it is true that it does take longer to warm up than the other style of heater. It may also not make the room as warm, or if it did it would take much longer to do so. Where the oil filled radiator excels is that it continues to have a warming effect upon the surrounding air long after the power is turned off. Whereas the convection style of heater literally stops giving off heat as soon as it is turned off.

Therefore the determination of what is economical comes down to personal preference. If you are looking for a heater that warms a room quickly and gives off heat only when it is turned on then an oil filled radiator is probably not the style of radiator you are looking for. However if you are after a heating appliance that continues to produce heat long after the electrical power has been cut and offers prolonged warmth then an oil filled heater may well be exactly the style of electrical heating appliance that you need.

Regardless of the types of heating appliances that you use, it is important to ensure that they are in appropriate working order at the start of each cold season. This is to both ensure efficient operation as well as for your own safety. Gas heaters, electrical heating appliances, central heating radiators and HVAC systems can all be checked by appropriately qualified experts and may be worth thinking about if you are at all worried about satisfactory functioning of your equipment.

It is possible to find local heating service shops by simply doing a Google search for terms like heater repair or furnace repair and adding your location to narrow the query down. These types of businesses may or may not be expensive but when it comes to things like gas and electrical appliances it is always best to have them serviced by qualified experts.

Of course there are certain things we as individuals can do ourselves to assure the operating standard of our own heating appliances. For example, the power cords for our electrical equipment that attach to the wall power outlet from the heater should not be frayed. This is something we can simply observe with our own eyes. And for gas appliances, if we smell gas then that may be a severe warning sign that something is not right and that we may be best served by calling in the experts.

When it comes to dealing with HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning) systems and central heating, these are more complicated than stand alone electrical heating appliances or gas convection heaters so again actually having some professional help is a major advantage. Obvisously people who work with these types of installations will be able to do things themselves but for the rest of us, using qualified experts is probably the best option to ensure that we do not cause more harm than good.

In the U.S. HVAC engineers are typically members of ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers). Using engineers with this acreditation is one way to ensure that your system is being serviced by someone with the necessary skill set.

Oil filled radiators are a special kind of electrical heater. They contain oil that is used not to power the appliance but instead as a heat conducting fluid that transmits heat through the radiator. An oil filled radiator can be used to provide additional warmth to an area of a room or house. They are known as electrical space heaters. It is possible with high end oil filled radiators to warm a whole room with them. However they are more typically suited to providing warmth to smaller rooms and areas. For example if you are reading a book in the living room, positioning a portable oil filled radiator near by can give you just the right amount of heat to be comfortable. This means that if you use central heating as your main heat source then you may be able to turn the central heating thermostat down slightly and therefore save money. Central heating is great but can be considered wasteful as heating the whole house may not actually be necessary.

This is why spot heaters which includes oil filled radiators can be so useful. They are small and often portable. This means that as you move around the house, from say the living room through to a bedroom, you will be able to take the radiator with you. This means you will be able to heat your immediate vicinity and stay warm and comfortable. A great feature of oil filled radiators is their safety record. They can be moved while hot either on their wheels or by carrying them. A good thing is that even when they are hot, there are handle areas that can be touched without burning yourself. Also while the outside of the radiator does of course get hot, it does not get so hot that if you touch it you will cause yourself an injury. When you decide to move your oil filled radiator though it is very important to remove the power cable first. This is so that you do not cause any damage to the power cord or the area where it is attached to the radiator. A frayed or loose cord can be a fire hazard so therefore must be avoided at all costs.

Oil filled radiators can be found for well under $100. This is great for the budget conscious amongst us. On top of the cost of purchasing this kind of portable space heater is the running costs. Here is another area where these types of heaters perform well. They are fairly cheap to run. Cheaper options can be found if you start to look at gas powered heating appliances but as far as electrical units go, they are good performers on the energy efficiency scale.