I have not used one for years.I am thinking of buying one but are the modern ones as smelly as they used to be.
We are moving soon and I want to heat the large hallway as cheap as poss.
Do you think one of these heaters is a good idea or not. ???
If you have cold outside walls they will grow mouldy because water will condense on them. Being a hydrocarbon fuel, when you combine it with Oxygen during the burning process you end up with H+O (as in H2O - water) and C+O (CO2 - Carbon Dioxide and CO - Carbon Monoxide). If it burns efficiently, you just get H2O and CO2 but there is no way to avoid producing H2O.
Thanks for that Ollie. :)
Looks like I won't be buying one then.
Back to the drawing board .
To be honest unless you get one on an out side wall with flu/chimney your going to smell the fumes from the burning butane, what im not sure about is whether propane unvented heaters are as smelly they do seem to be a little bit more money and also not as popular here as in America. Im sure propane is also safer then butane.
Hope this helps?
Thank you anthlane :)
get a tube heater like this http://www.screwfix.com/prods/43699/Heating-Cooling/Electric-Heating/Creda-Suntube-180W-Tube-Convector-Commercial-Heater
they are very efficient in power - heat, and ideal in hallways, utility areas , conservatories and greenhouses etc.
Oil filled rad on a timer. Clean, tidy and reasonably economic if you get a good make
I have a halogen heater for our dining room while I'm waiting for the radiator to be installed...it's brass monkeys in there. It seems fairly economical but then it's not on a lot-leccy bill higher than usual but not horrendously so.
Helpful or not...I dunno!
My friend has an oil filled rad-she loves it but it was v expensive to buy.
Can I just make the slightly geeky point that all heaters are 100% efficient. Some are cheaper than others to run, but that is because they make less heat. The one Tony posted is ideal for a hallway where you just want to take the chill off it but at 180W you are getting the same heat as 3 * 60W light bulbs which certainly wouldn't do anything in my hall.
The way they warm the air differs a bit - a Halogen one is ideal for sitting under as you feel the infra-red from it shining on you, but I wouldn't really put one in a hall. Fan heaters give you rather nasty dry air but of course take up very little space, convectors are a good way to warm the ceiling! You need something with a bit of oomf in it - like a 3kW oil filled one, which warms the air but also radiates heat so feels warm when you're in front of it, and as ACE says on a timer would be best (making sure it's a timer that is okay with that power - some aren't & will die quickly). It will also cost 20 to 30p an hour to run, depending on your tariff!
I once borrowed a Calor Gas Heater for a similar reason, but when I worked out the cost of the gas, it was no cheaper than electric and so it was quickly returned.
This was a long time ago and prices have changed a lot, so you may want to check the figures, but I would give Calor Gas a miss.
Avoid fan heater, you are hot if in direct line, but cold if you are not and just makes the whole room seem colder and drafty.
Anything else I would want to say has been covered by Ollie, except it you go for an oil filled, most now come with a timer and thermostat built in, which is the best thing to get.
IMO a calor gas fire would be cheaper. My leccy bill has doubled since getting rid of mine and buying an oil fired radiator.
However... my asthma improved dramatically, and it doesnt feel as damp. Am feeling rather torn now, as am paying £70 a month leccy in a studio flat!
Quote from: lewic on February 09, 2010, 19:15:42
IMO a calor gas fire would be cheaper. My leccy bill has doubled since getting rid of mine and buying an oil fired radiator.
However... my asthma improved dramatically, and it doesnt feel as damp. Am feeling rather torn now, as am paying £70 a month leccy in a studio flat!
I have done the maths, and Butane works out at 14p per kWh based on buying 15kg refills, not sure how that compares to electric as I am too scared to see how much I pay at the moment, but can't be that much different.
I think the problem with using the electric, is you can just switch it on and forget about it, where a calor gas fire you pay a lot more attention, so this is probably the reason for Lewic's huge bill.
B&Q Oil filled radiator 800w thermostatically controlled £25 Same 2kw about £65
Morrisons Halogen 1050watt heater £17.