A Rated Portable Heater?

uk1

The thing about oil-filled electric radiators is that once you’ve basically set your temperature at your chosen frugal comfort level it switches itself on and off as it needs.  The fact that it retains heat once it switches itself off seems to me to be a reasonably cost-effective solution if your alternative is heating through central heating.  I know it’s obvious but a closed door helps. 

kayeb

elsien said:

Can't you just have the central heating on and only leave on the radiator in that one room, turning off the TRVs in the other rooms during the day?

It’s a good point, although we don’t have a TRV in the hall as that’s where the main thermostat is.  Thank you though.

k_man

uk1 said:

The thing about oil-filled electric radiators is that once you’ve basically set your temperature at your chosen frugal comfort level it switches itself on and off as it needs.  The fact that it retains heat once it switches itself off seems to me to be a reasonably cost-effective solution if your alternative is heating through central heating.  I know it’s obvious but a closed door helps. 

The first point should be the same with any thermostat controlled heater.

The second point is balanced by the fact that they also take longer to heat up, so no net heating gain.

uk1

k_man said:

uk1 said:

The thing about oil-filled electric radiators is that once you’ve basically set your temperature at your chosen frugal comfort level it switches itself on and off as it needs.  The fact that it retains heat once it switches itself off seems to me to be a reasonably cost-effective solution if your alternative is heating through central heating.  I know it’s obvious but a closed door helps. 

The first point should be the same with any thermostat controlled heater.

The second point is balanced by the fact that they also take longer to heat up, so no net heating gain.

Oh … thanks for that.  It’s great to be put right.

markin

kayeb said:

elsien said:

Can't you just have the central heating on and only leave on the radiator in that one room, turning off the TRVs in the other rooms during the day?

It’s a good point, although we don’t have a TRV in the hall as that’s where the main thermostat is.  Thank you though.

People tried it last winter, The 2 rads just take longer to heat the house up, With not a great amount of savings to be had.

mumf

One of the quickest electric heaters is a little fan heater. They warm the room very quickly- especially a small one - and work on a thermostat too. You’ll get one for less than twenty quid.

k_man

uk1 said:

k_man said:

uk1 said:

The thing about oil-filled electric radiators is that once you’ve basically set your temperature at your chosen frugal comfort level it switches itself on and off as it needs.  The fact that it retains heat once it switches itself off seems to me to be a reasonably cost-effective solution if your alternative is heating through central heating.  I know it’s obvious but a closed door helps. 

The first point should be the same with any thermostat controlled heater.

The second point is balanced by the fact that they also take longer to heat up, so no net heating gain.

Oh … thanks for that.  It’s great to be put right.

Apologies if my post came across as condescending.

uk1

k_man said:

uk1 said:

k_man said:

uk1 said:

The thing about oil-filled electric radiators is that once you’ve basically set your temperature at your chosen frugal comfort level it switches itself on and off as it needs.  The fact that it retains heat once it switches itself off seems to me to be a reasonably cost-effective solution if your alternative is heating through central heating.  I know it’s obvious but a closed door helps. 

The first point should be the same with any thermostat controlled heater.

The second point is balanced by the fact that they also take longer to heat up, so no net heating gain.

Oh … thanks for that.  It’s great to be put right.

Apologies if my post came across as condescending.

Thanks.

The whole point of an oil filled radiator is that many other types of heaters are intended to heat a whole room and if fitted with a thermostat, switch it off only after the whole room has heated sufficiently to switch the thermostat off.  So it’s stop start. The oil filled radiators switch themselves off when the oil reaches the desired temperature and then heat the oil quickly and dissipates the retained heat slowly into the warm.  I really love this.  To be honest, I might be slow but I’d never thought of this difference as it’s not something I think about much!  

The reason why I suggested it to the OP is because I find myself in a fairly similar situation.

 I’m currently in a well insulated second home overlooking the sea that has gas central heating with the option also of hot water either from the central heating or electric immersion.  

We only spend a few weeks a year here.  The central heating is a pain.  Annual servicing and a less than reliable boiler.  When we arrive the house is always warm even in winter.  It’s due south facing and It’s a warm house.  

Sometimes in the evening it get’s a little cooler.  I realised I’d bought some De Longhi oil filled rads some years ago as back up to the gas boiler which I’d never used.  So I hauled one up the stairs to the lounge and out of curiosity plugged it into to a Tapo metered smart plug.  And it keeps the lounge warm from around 9pm until 3 am for a very very little power. And being a lazy b**er I can switch it on and off from the ipad without getting up from the couch!  We don’t need to heat up any other rooms and in fact the bedroom has windows open at night and we listen to the sea waves! 

So I really don’t see much point in using the central heating anymore. 

That’s why  I thought it might be a decent option for the OP.

BUFF

another option is a radiant heater which will heat objects (incl. humans) directed at rather than trying to heat up all the air in the room.