Oil heater query

jasdev

I rent a converted attic room in a houseshare; the house has central heating (effective when on, no good when the timer switches it off as heat leaks out) but my room does not.

I've got a convection heater plus an oil heater; since I was given the old heater by a departing housemate, I've been using it on a timer.

18:00-06:00, so from just before I get home to just after I wake up.

It worked well when it was 5-10 degrees outside, but now I'm finding it does not quite get my room warm enough, even after several hours on full power. I'm on a cheap fixed fuel tariff.

I've been toying with the idea of having it on a lower setting throughout the day or having it come on two hours before I return from work.
It's placed centrally in the room and 1 metre away from any furniture or other objects but I have misgivings about leaving it on throughout the day or setting it to come on earlier.

Does anyone have any advice, for or against leaving it on all day / having it come on 2 hours before anyone comes home?

Davesnave

Just butting-in to clarify.....

By 'oil heater' I presume you mean an electric oil filled radiator?

(There are are no free standing oil heaters, except those which run on paraffin, and I don't believe they have timers!)

So, as it's a conventional electric heater, why wouldn't you have it come on whenever you want?

jasdev

Yes, that's the correct name thanks!
I suppose I will have it on for longer then, whilst monitoring my fuel usage carefully.

Davesnave

There's nothing inherently dangerous about oil filled radiators, so they can be safely timed to come on in an unattended flat. The only thing the oil does is slow down the speed at which they cool when the thermostat cuts-in, theoretically making the heat they supply more constant.

Thinking back to the 1970s, when I used to have a paraffin heater in my 5th floor flat, that really was dangerous, but nobody thought it unusual in those days.

A._Badger

Davesnave wrote: »

There's nothing inherently dangerous about oil filled radiators, so they can be safely timed to come on in an unattended flat. The only thing the oil does is slow down the speed at which they cool when the thermostat cuts-in, theoretically making the heat they supply more constant.

Thinking back to the 1970s, when I used to have a paraffin heater in my 5th floor flat, that really was dangerous, but nobody thought it unusual in those days.

Paraffin heaters were a feature of my childhood and when I left home I routinely used them when I was living in flats, too. I've even slept in rooms with them running and somehow managed to survive.

I suspect the modern perception of risk is at a tangent to reality.

Davesnave

A._Badger wrote: »

Paraffin heaters were a feature of my childhood and when I left home I routinely used them when I was living in flats, too. I've even slept in rooms with them running and somehow managed to survive.

I suspect the modern perception of risk is at a tangent to reality.

Even more dangerous were the jam-jars full of paraffin with home-made wicks. These enabled students to still work thought the night prepare lessons for teaching practice and deliver essays on time, even in the depths of the 3 day week and power strikes! :rotfl:

A._Badger

Ah yes, I remember those days only too well!

Regardless of the supposed safety issues, you couldn't even afford to do it now. I have paraffin as a backup measure for my greenhouse and cold frames and I dread to think what it would cost if I actually had to use the stuff!

pothole50

Ah but in the good old days of paraffin heaters you had the draughts and ventilation from the old wooden windows and fireplace. Unlike now in your double glazed insulated sealed rooms