A room heater advertised online

Scot_39

Just to be clear there are no magical heaters out there that somehow defy the laws of physics.

In terms of raw efficiency of converting 1kWh electric to heat - most plug in radiators / convectors / fan heater types use simple resistive elements to generate heat - so all give pretty much the same 1kWh heat out for 1 kWh electric in over time.

But the way the heat is delivered - and how much of the room space you need to heat and for how long you need it - can however impact running costs.

To make you feel - at the position where you are sitting in particularly larger or lossier rooms - feel warm - doesn't mean you have to heat the full space to the desired temperature.

And whilst circulating air can give better temperature profiles across a room, a direct draft blowing unhet air could / would make you feel colder.

I'd probably - health permitting - look more into heating the person techniques than jump to the potentially spurious claims of any heater manufacturer though  if looking for improvements.  There might be something good about those heaters vs others in a given circumstance - but that might not suit you. 

A simple throw on the sofa - some prefer a heated one these days - can make a colder room comfortable in the evenings.  Heat pads - foot, seat or back etc on a computer desk in a home office the same. 

I wear light thermals in deapest winter - they work for both - and unlike the others dont lose the benefit when move around.

Others take clothing to outdoor levels and run cold houses.

There are choices out there that save on heating costs  - the problem is finding the ones that suit you and your property.

Scot_39

pseudodox said:

daveyjp said:

I've seen similar ads.  All that matters is the wattage of the heater.  The one I saw made all sorts of claims about how brilliant it was as rapidly heating rooms.  It was very low wattage, so would never heat a room of any size quickly.

You can buy branded low wattage heaters for little money.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Russell-Hobbs-RHPH2001-Ceramic-Heater/dp/B07V3FQ69Y/ref=asc_df_B07V3FQ69Y

I have one of those.  I had realistic expectations and they were fulfilled.  In my very small study on the coldest corner of the house it does take the chill off the room if I just want to spend 20 minutes in there, but I would not use it for all day heating or expect it to actually heat the room to any degree of comfort for hours on end without costing a fortune.  I plug into a socket a metre from my chair and I can feel enough warmth directed towards me to answer my emails etc without shivering but it is not what I would describe as "heating".

Good short term example.

I do the same in bathroom with wall mounted fan heater for drying after shower.  Say 5-10m a day - and even then only the very coldest days.

The rest of the time I don't need the room that warm. 

My 14C target plenty.

bob2302

I find that that a 300W heater can maintain my living room approximately 13C above outside. So 500W would maintain 18C in practically any circumstance. It's certainly possible to save money by using localized heating rather than full central heating - it depends on the circumstances. TOU tariffs can make a big difference too.

I don't think these things are intrinsically dangerous if they are plugged directly into a wall socket. 

mark_cycling00

Lots of those ads are served by businesses set up in Lithuania or Cyprus where there are less strict rules on advertising etc. 

If you're not paying premium streaming then it's assumed you don't have much money and you'll be targeted with silly "miracle" gadgets. 

There's no magic new way to heat the air in a room because all the Innovations and inventions have already happened. 

Scot_39

The only one I saw was when someone tried in the office instead of a floor 2kW heater.

The colleague in question said it was so hot he nearly burnt himself switching if off at the end of the first day. 

He returned it to store next day.

pseudodox

The instructions in the box with my plug in heater emphasise

1. Only suitable for well-insulated spaces or occasional use
2. Position away from curtains, furniture etc
3. Should be at least 30cm above ground and 50cm away from any object either side
4. Not left unattended.

It is not suitable to connect via an extension lead/socket - although no doubt people will do so.  Getting the paperwork out reminded me it is now out of its 2 years warranty.  I bought Russell Hobbs rather than a cheaper unnamed dodgy eastern European/Asian import.  

bob2302

Scot_39 said:

The only one I saw was when someone tried in the office instead of a floor 2kW heater.

The colleague in question said it was so hot he nearly burnt himself switching if off at the end of the first day. 

He returned it to store next day.

IIRC someone mentioned a 2kW fan heater melting during agile plunge pricing. It's not a good idea to run any heater at full power for long periods 

matt_drummer

bob2302 said:

I find that that a 300W heater can maintain my living room approximately 13C above outside. So 500W would maintain 18C in practically any circumstance. It's certainly possible to save money by using localized heating rather than full central heating - it depends on the circumstances. TOU tariffs can make a big difference too.

I don't think these things are intrinsically dangerous if they are plugged directly into a wall socket. 

My heat pump has averaged 562W today keeping our four bedroom detached house at 23c downstairs/21c upstairs and heating a 200 litre tank of hot water.

A 500W plug in heater is not good value for money in terms of running costs.

bob2302

matt_drummer said:

bob2302 said:

I find that that a 300W heater can maintain my living room approximately 13C above outside. So 500W would maintain 18C in practically any circumstance. It's certainly possible to save money by using localized heating rather than full central heating - it depends on the circumstances. TOU tariffs can make a big difference too.

I don't think these things are intrinsically dangerous if they are plugged directly into a wall socket. 

My heat pump has averaged 562W today keeping our four bedroom detached house at 23c downstairs/21c upstairs and heating a 200 litre tank of hot water.

A 500W plug in heater is not good value for money in terms of running costs.

I only  switch to electric heating in two case: 300W when electricity is 5p/kWh, and when I'm sitting at my desk in my smallest bedroom (typically around 100W, mostly at 14p/kWh). Both of these cases are inexpensive.

A 500W heater doesn't have to run at 500W, and comparisons between different homes with different levels of insulation are meaningless. 

Stubod

I regularly get those ads pop up whenever I go onto youtube. Obviously a scam regarding the claims made.

I did find a youtube of a chap who had got one out of interest, and he had run various tests that proved that the claims made in the adverts were false...(no great surprise really...).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ot1JsRyjLcg