Even a modern house may have cold corners and drafty areas on a winter day. Creaky, old houses that are full of air leaks are even worse in terms of indoor comfort. A remedy in both cases is the space heater, a small electric appliance designed to heat its surroundings—and people—nearby. There is a surprisingly wide variety of these small appliances, and they produce their heat output in different ways. Although there is some similarity and overlap between these designs, some have distinct advantages that you should know about to suit your needs.
How We SelectedHaving lived in a cold climate all our lives, we looked for heaters that appeared to be practical, versatile, and attractive enough that we wouldn’t mind looking at them all winter. When we selected these space heaters, we paid careful attention to the appliance’s size, shape, and color. But we also based our selection on electro-mechanical criteria. Some heaters are fan equipped and heat a large volume of surrounding air. Infrared heaters may or may not have a fan. Those that don’t, project their heat via infrared energy, much in the same way a light bulb projects a beam of light. The beam creates heat when it encounters a solid object, such as people or furnishings nearby. We selected a few heaters based on their manufacturer rating them as having a cool-touch cabinet. This doesn’t mean that the front of the heater is cool, but that its sides, back, and top don’t get hot enough to burn you. We also looked at how the heaters produce their heat. For example, some make use of ceramic heating elements. Although these take longer to heat up, the ceramic shroud has a high thermal mass and retains heat, permitting a gentler and more consistent heating cycle rather than one with pronounced peaks and valleys.
Post time: Aug-23-2019