Reviews of Cozy-Heater 250 Watt Electrical Wall Mounted Convective Heater

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I needed it to just take the edge off at room the most efficient way with electric heat. It did the job perfect at very low wattage.

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We bought this cozy heater for our converted school bus/ camper. I think it might take a bit too much juice but we have it plugged in for the winter in conjunction with another small heater to keep the bus dry.

Reviews of Lux Products TX1500E Smart Temp Programmable Thermostat

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List Price: $75.76
Sale Price: $29.77
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Lux Products TX1500E Smart Temp Programmable Thermostat

After researching thermostats, I replaced my builder-grade 1 week thermostats with a couple of Lux 1500E units. This was one of Consumer Reports' best buy models from last year (the other also a Lux). Additionally, I liked Lux's programming dial which simplifies programming; with the dial, there are fewer arcane button press combinations to deal with. Installation was simple and straightforward. The display on the 1500E is fairly large and has an electroluminescent back light that's activated by pressing any button. I'm farsighted but can read the display without my glasses. The 1500E is a 5-1-1 thermostat but also includes a "special" schedule that can used for vacation or holiday making this a 5-1-1-1 thermostat.

I found programming to be quick and simple and the unit works as advertised. I have one complaint and one quirk to mention. The complaint: The operating instructions aren't the best. In particular, there is precious little explanation of the "swing" function or what the swing numbers actually mean. I sent an email to Lux and received a phone call the next day with a thorough explanation. Fantastic customer service!! For the record, the swing setting numbers correlate to quarter degrees (the instructions should state this but don't). The default setting is 1 meaning the thermostat will cycle when the temperature deviates .25 degrees. Keeps the house temperature constant but heat or AC will constantly cycle. Setting the swing to 4 will cause heat or AC to turn on when temperature deviates 1 degree (4 X .25) from the set temperature. You can set the swing up to a value of 9 (2.25 degrees). Here's the quirk part: with my old thermostat, if I set the temperature to 69, the heat would turn on when the displayed temperature dropped to 68 and turn off when the displayed temperature rose to 70. The 1500E, with a swing setting of 4, doesn't work quite the same way. Even though displayed temp is 68, heat won't come on right away. It's almost as if the thermometer controlling the display isn't the same one controlling the thermostat itself. Either that, or a swing setting of 4 is working differently than I'm expecting. Please note, I do not find this a problem with the 1500E, just a little odd. Also note: most instructions accompanying thermostats are lacking.

Overall, I am very pleased with the Lux 1500E. It feels well built, has a nice display, and a competitive price. Add Lux's great customer support, and I'd highly recommend it.

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I ordered three Lux TX1500E thermostats. Before installing I tested them for accuracy by placing all three Lux thermostats side by side, and comparing the temperature and humidity readings with two additional thermostats and hygrometers I know to be accurate.

All three Lux units displayed different temperatures from each other. One of the three units was accurate. The temperature is easy to calibrate by setting the dial to run mode, and while holding the up button, pressing the down button once. A screen pops up allowing the temp to be set plus or minus five degrees. In this case the temperature on one of the units was 2 degrees high, so I entered -2 on the calibration, and since calibrating the temperature readings have been accurate.

The humidity readings for all three units were initially off by up to 7 percentage points. The unit allows for calibration up to +/15 percentage points by setting the dial to run, pressing the H button, and while holding down the up button, pressing the down button once. After calibrating the units, they are still off by a couple percent, and occasionally display a ridiculous reading like 95% relative humidity (RH) when the actual RH is 50-60%, but for the most part the RH is close enough.

The humidity reading on the unit does not display automatically. The "H" button must be pushed to display relative humidity. To clarify, the thermostat runs off temperature only, i.e. there isn't an option to run the air conditioner until the relative humidity reaches a certain level.

The display on the unit is puzzling. On the left the time is displayed prominently, and in a much smaller font the temperature displays on the right. A more helpful display would be: Actual temp, Set temp, and actual humidity all in large lettering, and then the time somewhere off in a corner.

The reason I bought a programmable thermostat is for the swing function. My old thermostat would constantly cycle the a/c (on for only 5 minutes at a time) because it was turning on the unit when the temp hit 79.25 degrees and turning it off when it hit 78.75. This 1) damages the a/c equipment, and 2) does not allow the a/c units to run long enough for effective dehumidification to occur, since the a/c doesn't really start to dehumidify effectively until it has been on for at least 10-15 minutes. Without proper dehumidification, the house feels warmer than it is (i.e. it's not the heat, it's the humidity).

This Lux thermostat has a default swing function of 1, which means that if you set the thermostat on 79, it will turn on the a/c at 79.25 and turn it off at 78.75 degrees. The swing function can be set between 1 and 9. Using a 79 degree setting, a swing value of 4 means the a/c will turn on at 80 degrees and turn off at 78 degrees. A swing value of 8 means the a/c will turn on at 81 degrees and turn off at 77 degrees. I don't understand why the default swing is at 1 (i.e. .25 degrees). A setting of at least 4 (i.e. 1 degree) seems prudent for the health of the a/c equipment and humidity control.

Moving on, I purchased this Lux unit instead of a Honeywell because 1) Consumer Reports gave the highest rating of all tested thermostats to the Lux TX1500E, which rated much higher than the Honeywell units, 2) These are $40 vs. over $100 for the Honeywell units, and 3)I called tech support for both Honeywell and Lux. Honeywell routes you to an overseas call center staffed by people who barely speak English. Lux has a call back system, but they called back within two hours, and the guy I spoke with was intelligent and located in the U.S.

Before purchasing I also considered the Lux TX9000TS, which is a touch screen thermostat that received Consumer Reports' second highest rating, right behind this unit. I purchased the TX1500E instead because 1) better pricing, 2) I read the 1-star reviews on Amazon for both products, and the TX9000TS seemed to have more problems than the TX1500E, and 3) The manual dial/arrow key set on the TX1500E is more intuitive for me to navigate than a touch screen.

I found programming the thermostat to be easy, although a little tedious, as the program settings must be entered 4 times (once for weekdays, once for Saturday, once for Sunday, and last for Special Programs).

One feature I'm not thrilled with is the fan setting. The fan can be set on "auto", meaning it runs only when the a/c or furnace runs. The other fan setting is "on" meaning it runs continuously (potentially causing some major humidity problems during the cooling season in a hot/humid climate). What I would like to have seen is a "circulate" option for the fan, meaning if the a/c or furnace hasn't kicked on in the past 30 minutes, the fan will circulate the air for 5-10 minutes in order to improve indoor air quality.

With a fan setting of "on", let's say the a/c has run for 20 minutes and the a/c coil now has water dripping off it. If the fan keeps running without a/c, much of that condensed water on the coil is going to re-evaporate into the air that the fan is blowing over it, which will raise humidity, partially defeating one of the two functions of air conditioning (lower temp and lower humidity). At least this is what happens in humid climates such as Houston where I'm located. A "circulate" function on the thermostat would avoid this problem.

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I did a ton of research before buying two of these thermostats to replace the typical round Honeywell ones. These are easy to install and are working well. I particularly like the ease of checking humidity levels, living in far Northern MN it is essential to keep the humidity level up during our winters. Easy to program and use.

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Replaced a Hunter thermostat which drove us crazy because it did what it wanted to do rather than what I wanted it to do. It was difficult to program and unecessarily complicated compared to the LUX. The LUX was easy to install and hasn't missed a beat since I put it in. Consumer Reports rated it a best buy.

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I installed the Lux TX1500E Programmable Thermostat in my house a few weeks ago and it was straightforward to install, reasonably priced and had all the features I wanted. Installation was especially easy because the mounting slots on the Lux aligned with existing wall holes from my old thermostat. The package even included small lettered & numbered flags so I could tag existing wires (sticker 'W' on wire attached to terminal 'W,' etc.) before removing the old thermostat!

The TX1500E provides 5/1/1 (Mon-Fri/Sat/Sun) and 'Special' modes, each of which allows temperature programming changes at four different times. 'Special' mode lets you switch over to a range of settings that you've programmed for when you want to quickly override daily settings. I like the notched circle molded into the door which prevents the door from closing in 'Special' mode, a passive reminder which lessens the chance of you accidentally leaving it there long-term.

I am quite pleased with this thermostat and recommend it to anyone who wants a programmable thermostat with a solid, basic feature set. Choose a different model if you want to set Mon-Fri individually, or switch automatically between 'Cool' and 'Heat' modes: I have no need for either feature and appreciate the programming simplicity of this model.

Installation tips:

* The new thermostat as did the existing one rocked a bit on the wall when I pushed buttons. I felt this would eventually work the drywall screw anchors loose so I stuck two strip of thin foam on the back of the base horizontally above and below the screws before final installation: it now feels nice and tight on the wall!

* Internal clearance is tight so take extra care when routing wires and stuffing excess back into the wall or it's a pain snapping the main unit into the base. This was probably the most time-consuming stage of the installation.

Q-Mark MLY 5KW 240V UNIT HEATER *, HUH524TA Review

Customer Ratings:

208/240v Electric Heater

Step 1: I wanted to work comfortably in an attached 22 x 22 (9 foot high drywalled ceiling) garage in the winter. Figuring I'd need lots of heat, I bought a portable 40,000 btu propane heater. It exhausts lots of carbon monoxide, so you have to partially open a door or window to the outside to let [cold] fresh air in -which seriously lowers heater efficiency. The heater warmed the garage, but the approach wasn't satisfactory -i.e., the fumes were so bad, I stopped using it. It was also very loud, like the hissing of escaping air from a large air boat; plus, when the propane tank ran out, the heater stopped; each time you needed heat, you had to drag it out, connect it to the tank, leave plenty of floor space around this self-contained-blowtorch; put it all away when you were done; and of course find a place to store it. Also, there was no thermostat. All in all, a royal pain in the keister. (Google search on: "propane heater carbon monoxide" to read about the serious risk of carbon monoxide from propane heaters.)

Step 2: I bought one of these electric heaters. It has only half the btu's of the propane unit, but there is no need to open a window or door for ventilation. It also has a thermostat, so you can set it (to a number, not a temperature), and come back 30 minutes later and be in relative comfort. On days in the low 30s, it will keep the garage in the 60s, which is fine for working.. (My attached garage ceiling and 2 walls are insulated.) My heater is mounted high up on a wall, but it can also be mounted to hang from the ceiling, as long as the clearances laid out in the instructions, are followed. In any case, once mounted, it is out of the way, and always ready. There's nothing to haul out or set up when you need heat -just turn it on. When done, just turn it off. This heater needs a dedicated 30-amp 220-volt circuit. You wouldn't want to use this every day, due to electricity costs, but for occasional use, it is perfect.

My advice is to skip step 1.

Note: As of this writing, Amazon sells this heater under several names:

Fahrenheat Ceiling-Mount Automatic 5000 Watt Electric Heater, Model# FUH5-4

Fahrenheat/Marley FUH54 Suspended Electric Heater

Dayton G73 Electric Garage Heater

Multi-Watt Horizontal Downflow Unit Heater With Thermostat 208/240v

These are all the same heater; it is manufactured by Marley Engineered Products of Bennettsville, South Carolina.

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Discount Sunbeam Royal Dreams Heated Blanket

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List Price: $82.38
Sale Price: $38.39
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stays warm, makes a nice blanket to snuggle in. would recommend it. giving 5 stars because it does exactly what it says it will do..

one thing to keep in mind with any heating blanket, make sure you don't walk on it, crawl on it, or what not, because the heating coils inside the blanket can break very easy, which means less and less of your blanket will heat up. take care of this blanket and it will take care of you.

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I purchased this blanket to pre heat my bed at night before getting into it during the winter. So far, I have not been disappointed. The blanket is a nice heavy weight, which I prefer and warms up quick. It is a pretty good quality compared to other electric blankets I have had in the past. The down side is the blanket is not as fluffy or thick as it appears in the picture, though this does not bother me, but would be good to know. It also doesn't have the satin edge, that many blankets of this variety tend to have, which may be a down side for some, but I find not to be a negative.

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After having this blanket for two months, it is NO good. Seriously, I had to keep hiking up the temperate to even be able to feel the heat from my blanket. At first when it was on 3, I would feel a nice warmth, now on warm, I could barely feel anything last night. That's not good. In the picture you see a nice flush, warm looking blanket but what I got was an itchy, uncomfortable full of WIRE blanket. I honestly would like to have my money back because I feel like it was wasted. Do not buy.

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This product is worth the price paid. It heats very fast and very even across the entire blanket. I have had several electric blankets over the years and this one, is one of the best I have ever had. In using this blanket, I reduce my heating costs by turning down the heat.

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We had been using a Sunbeam electric for years and it finally decided to give up the ghost. We had been looking for a new electric blanket for some time when we saw this one at about half the price of the others. We ordered it and it arrived within just a few days . . . much quicker than we had expected. We weren't really expecting much based on the price, but when we opened the box and put in on the bed and tried it out . . . it was way beyond our highest expectations: very soft and comfortable (even without the heat), heated quickly and evenly (10 heat settings and a 10 hour auto shutoff), dual controls so we each have our own comfort levels. We both love it and give it two thumbs up . . . and definitely a BEST IN CLASS award.

Supco 43154 Programmable Wall Thermostat with Blue Night Light, 45 Review

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List Price: $35.97
Sale Price: $32.87
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The thermostat at my cousin's house would no longer recognize the down button. So, I looked inside of it and found out what the product number was and found this on Amazon. It was a perfect match and now the thermostat does everything like it should.

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The item is pretty simple to use, fairly easy to program and easy to install with a person who can read a manual.

Problem is the actual thermometer inside the thermostat. It is having a great difficulty with the Hold temperature at my apartment. I set it to 71F, and once it reaches the temperature it turns off just fine. However, 30 seconds later, it shows that the temperature drops 2 degrees and kicks my HVAC in again. (And of course the temperature cannot drop this quickly). This throws off the circuit breakers on my HVAC, because they cannot withstand such sudden surge changes. My HVAC starts blowing cool air.

The problem is the construction of the thermometer. It is placed inside the unit (almost facing the wall), so my theory the temperature readings are not accurate.

Buy Nostalgia Electrics RRF325HNBLK Retro Series 3.1 cu. ft. Compact

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I just purchased this fridge for my "Man Cave" and I am very happy with the purchase. The fridge is great for the retro look. I purchased the black model and it is the color of "flat black" not polished which resembles the look from this era. The handles are plastic and held to the door with four screws so they are very sturdy. All decals on the door are from stickers and could be ripped off without proper care. All these things that are not well made are just cosmetic and have nothing to do with the functionality of the fridge itself. The freezer is good size and gets very cold. The fridge has all the compartments you would need from a 3.1 cubic feet fridge, which is a great size for any dorm or bar fridge. The fridge runs very quiet for you can barley here it when it's on. The regulator is very easy to read and easy to use. The light is nice and bright and I was very surprise to see a light inside a very small fridge. I do also recommend the Nostalgia Electrics Kegerator which I also have. One great thing about Nostalgia cooling products is that everything gets cold and stays cold. I would recommend this product for anyone looking for a small dorm fridge or beverage fridge.

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This is the best designed and built compact refrigerator I've ever owned. It reached temperature in just a few hours and the separate freezer is vastly superior to the usual plastic door. Both the freezer section and the refrigerator section are roomy and well thought out. Add that quality to the low price and this is truly a bargain.

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Didn't realize this fridge was a flat black. Thought it would be shiny black like the matching microwave. Otherwise very happy with purchase. Very quiet.

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I have this refrigerator in my office. The price was amazingly low and the item arrived in perfect condition. It's so quiet I don't hear a hum or anything from my desk 5 feet away. The "Nostalgia Electrics" logo on the front is a stick on and I removed it after one of the letters got bent. Very very pleased.

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I bought this for my daughter's college apartment. She shares the space with 4 other girls and refrigerator/freezer space is at a premium. I shipped it via Amazon and it arrived within two days in perfect condition. It gives her just the right amount of room to keep some of her things separate. Very nice looking. She is very pleased.

Discount Broan Model 192 Wall Heater, 1000/2000 Watt 240 VAC, White Painted

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List Price: $292.36
Sale Price: $135.31
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It looks wonderful in my bathroom and heats very well. The only problem is that it is noisy. I called the Broan company and he said if the blade was bent, or some other thing, then they would replace it. I haven't had a chance to look into that yet. I wanted that size because of my space.

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Discount WhisperKOOL® Slimline 2500 Wine Cellar Cooling Unit

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List Price: $1,644.50
Sale Price: $1,495.00
Today's Bonus: 9% Off

I really like this wine cellar cooler. It is located over the entrance door. That locatation is the best. #1 the cooler is out of the way dose not take away from your wine storage. #2 The cooling effect is great. When you open the door to enter your cellar and get a wine bottle. #3 After closing the door. The cooling is started where the cool air has left the cellar. Works great and super quiet.

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Buy My Heat Personal Ceramic Heater

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List Price: $49.99
Sale Price: $18.62
Today's Bonus: 63% Off

have used for one day so i cant comment on durability yet. this little thing after it warms up will put out some heat comparable to a normal 1500 watt unit. this does not move a ton of air, so its not good for room heating, just personal space as advertised. i tried mine out at work in a larger open bay type environment, room was 62-63 and put this little heater about 18-20 inches away and on a small box about a foot off the ground. you can feel a nice warm stream of air blowing over you, good for keeping the chills away. would recommend in an office environment working at a computer, case stays perfectly cool during use and is very quiet. front grille can get very hot and needs time to cool after use. other good things, its only 200 watts so no need to worry about tripping a circuit breaker.

UPDATE:

have been using this heater for just about a year now and still love it. (let me re-phrase this due the comments) i brought this heater with me while stationed in korea. my dorm room dosent have any other working heat, so its up to this little guy. my room is 10 X 12 with concrete cinder block walls and a 2 1/2" thick solid wood door. on freezing or warmer days outside it can keep the 10 x 12 room around 65-70 with the door closed. when the temp drops lower i need to get out the spare heater and they both do a great job of getting the temp back up. i have had only one problem, i went to turn it off and take to work one day and found that the case had gotten hot and started to melt. i'm not sure it the kids or dog knocked it over, but i have still used the same one leaving it on for days or weeks straight and havent had anything go wrong with it again. i still recommend trying this little heater out if you need something small for a small office type environment.

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I purchased this little heater to warm my desk area at work. We cannot use the high wattage heaters because of the risk of overloading the electrical circuit and shutting everyone else down.

The 200 watt MyHeat heater is just about perfect for my intended purpose; heating the space around my desk. It puts out a decent amount of heat; it seems to be more efficient than other heaters using five to seven times the wattage, quite a bit of heat for a mere 200 watts.

The only thing it could benefit from is a thermostat to shut it off once the desired temperature is achieved. For my usage the missing thermostat isn't a big deal, this is why I gave it five stars.

Summary: Nice looking (multiple colors available), small size(smaller than my PC speakers), quality power cord, low wattage, good heat output. A worthy purchase.

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I have 3 of these that I bought locally & really like them. I took one to work to use in my cold office & it heats it up a treat! The other 2 are at home. One in my tiny cold bathroom & the other stays in front of my armchair.

I don't need to crank up the central heat at home when I'm feeling a bit chilly & my tightwad boss doesn't complain about me running up his power bill at the office. It's great not to have to beg for a piece of coal from Mr. Scrooge!

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UPDATE after one year of ownership: This little heater continues to impress me. I don't know how it would perform in a really cold climate, but here in Northern California, where nighttime winter temperatures rarely go much below freezing, it's outstanding at heating a small space quickly. The room where I now work is unheated; it was converted from being the house's garage. I use a deLonghi oil radiator heater for the main heat in this room, but off course it takes a long time to warm up. The Lasko heats the area around my desk quickly while the deLonghi is warming up. After the deLonghi is warm, I switch off the Lasko. This combination works well for me, and using the Lasko this way allows me to conserve power by using the deLonghi at a lower power setting.

I was impressed enough with the Lasko that I ordered a second one (a model 103, identical except for having a red front). I use one in a separate building behind my house and the other in an unheated room inside my house. Neither Lasko is my main heater. They just provide heat while the oil radiators come up to temperature. They also occasionally provide a relatively low power supplemental source of heat as an alternate to using an oil radiator heater at a higher power setting.

After a year of ownership, I'm raising my original four star rating to five stars. The price is so low and the heater works so well that the little guy deserves it.

My original review:

This little guy puts out an impressive amount of heat. It won't heat a large or even medium sized space, but if you need to heat under your desk or very near your person, it definitely puts out the heat. It works well in my 8'x 9' office in a standalone unheated, uninsulated brick building. I've only owned it for two weeks, so I can't attest to its durability, but its three year warranty does offer some assurance.

Ironically, I canceled the Lasko after ordering it and ordered a Vornado Personal Vortex 375/750 watt heater instead, but Amazon was unable to cancel the Lasko in time and shipped it. I left it packed in the box for a week, intending to return it... until I became frustrated with the Vornado's pathetic heat and out of curiosity, opened the Lasko and tried it. I was immediately impressed with the heat it generates, so much so that I've returned the Vornado and ordered a second Lasko MyHeat.

My main use for the two Lasko's will be supplementing the oil filled heater in my office, which during the winter can be as cold as low forties Fahrenheit when I open it in the morning. The Lasko's will provide immediate heat while the oil-filled heater slowly heats up.

A secondary use for one Lasko will be cold weather camping in my truck. The power draw is low enough that I can power it using the deep cycle battery I carry when traveling.

My only real complaint about the Lasko is the lack of any tip-over protection. A thermostat would be nice, but for this price, I'm not complaining. However I am knocking off one star for the lack of tip-over protection. This is my one concern about camping with this heater. I don't use heat while sleeping so it won't be a problem for me, but for anyone who camps with it and leaves it on while sleeping, you'll need to be very careful to prevent it being accidentally knocked over during the night and starting a fire. I plan to affix Velcro to the bottom to protect against tipover.

Other than that, this is an outstanding little heater. Its looks won't impress people, but it will keep a small space warm while consuming very little power.

UPDATE: I've used my Kill-A-Watt meter to confirm the wattage of nine electric space heaters. Virtually all of them have actual wattages that are below the claimed rating. The exception: both of my Lasko MyHeats. Lasko claims 200 watts, but one of mine has an actual wattage of 211 and the other 202. By comparison, the Vornado Personal Vortex Heater, which I originally wanted but ended up returning, claims 375/750 watts, but the unit I had was only 326/696 watts. I don't say this to disparage Vornado. Nearly every other space heater I've tested had lower wattages than claimed, except these two little Lasko's.

General information about buying electric space heaters:

=============================================

I've owned and used electric space heaters since 1988, mostly DeLonghi oil filled radiators. When I recently began looking for a heater that would warm up a room faster, I was frustrated at the lack of hard, objective, facts about electric space heaters. Even the manufacturer websites often fail to mention or makes it hard to learn the most basic information you need to know, such as wattage ratings and warranty lengths. Not even Consumer Reports has enough information to really inform a consumer. Therefore it's up to us as consumers to share what we know. The rest of this review shares some of what I've learned.

In case you're wondering what heater I decided on to replace my DeLonghi, I didn't, at least not yet. I tried a Vornado PVH and a Bionaire BH1331-U, but I ended up returning both heaters. I'm sticking with my oil-filled heaters for now.

Basic electric space heater facts:

1. All electric space heaters are equally efficient. All heaters rated at 1500 watts output the same amount of heat, but may do it very differently. You have to choose the one that heats the way you need it.

2. Power consumption is determined by two things: the power setting you're using and how long the heater is actually on. Turning up the thermostat setting doesn't increase the heat or power consumption; it just lengthens the time that your heater will be running.

3. To reduce power consumption, use the lowest power setting on your heater that produces the heat you need.

4. An electric space heater will save you money only if you turn your central heating down or off and use space heaters to heat only the rooms where you need heat.

5. The only kind of electric space heater that's likely to provide adequate heat in a large or draft space is a radiant heater (not to be confused with a radiator heater, which is very different), but radiant heaters pose a fire hazard.

Don't take manufacturer wattage claims too seriously. When I used my Kill-A-Watt meter on six space heaters, I found variations of up to 200 watts between the claimed and actual wattage for each space heater. In most cases the actual watts were less than the claimed watts, but one of my DeLonghi's 1500 watt heaters turned out actually to be a 1600 watt heater.

Two crucial steps in finding the electric space heater that's right for you:

============================================================

1. Learn which heater is right for your needs. A huge percentage of complaints by reviewers about space heaters are due to reviewers buying the wrong type of heater for their needs. Your first step should be to decide between the basic types: Ceramic heaters with a fan, oil-filled radiator, micathermic, and radiant. First learn the conditions in which each one works best and works best and then select the type that will work best for your needs. There is no one single "best" heater for all situations. Each one has conditions in which it works well and conditions in which it's terrible.

2. Look at the warranties. Warranties on space heaters range from one year to five years. Delonghi and Soleus heaters that I've checked have one year warranties. Other companies, such as Bionaire, Honeywell, Lasko, and Vornado offer three year and five year warranties on many but not all of their models. If a company offers only a one year warranty on some models but a five year warranty on others (such as Bionaire), it raises question about the durability of the heater with the shorter warranty. However a long warranty is only as good as the company offering it. Read reviews to learn what experiences people have when their heaters die while still under warranty.

In most cases, you'll have to download the manual from the manufacturer's website to get the length of the warranty. It's a nuisance, but it's worth taking the time to do.

Don't let anyone tell you that any particular type of heater is "the best". The best type is the one that best suits YOUR needs. The best heater for me might be the worst heater for you. Some heaters heat up a cold room faster, some keep a room at a steady temperature, and some will work better in a large space.

Some questions you need to ask yourself before deciding which type of heater to buyWill it be keeping a room at a steady temperature? (oil-filled radiator or micathermics heaters might be best)

Will it be heating up a cold room? (a heater with a fan or a radiant heater might be best)

Are there children or pets who might be injured by touching a hot surface? (oil-filled radiator and radiant heater might be a problem)

Do you want to heat just a particular spot rather than the whole room? (radiant heaters might be best

Are you concerned about fire risks? (oil-filled radiator or micathermic heaters might be best, though no space heater is completely safe)

Oil-filled radiators:

These are my favorite heaters. These are the heaters that look like old-fashioned steam radiators. The oil retains its warmth after the thermostat cycles off, which is important if you want to keep a room at a steady temperature. The downside is that the oil takes longer to heat initially, which is why these heaters take so long to warm up.

I have two DeLonghi oil-filled radiators; I've been using one of them for 23 years, and the other is about eight years old. I love the heat they provide. It's steady, warm, with no noise and no drying out of the air like with some other types of heaters. They are ideal for maintaining a steady temperature in an enclosed room.

Oil filled heaters have a huge drawback, however: they are terrible at heating up a cold room. It can take an oil-filled heater hours longer to heat up a cold room than other types of heaters.

The US Department of Energy recommends oil-filled heaters as the most efficient, because the fins generate warmth even when the heater's thermostat cycles off. However this efficiency is only when the heater is continually on, keeping a room at a constant temperature. If you turn the heater on and off frequently, you'll lose most of the efficiency that's inherent in these heaters.

If you have children or pets, look into one of the shielded radiator heaters. I prefer the unshielded ones because they radiate more heat laterally, but the surface can get very hot and be a hazard if touched. DeLonghi claims that their shielded radiator heaters circulate heated air more quickly. Both of mine are unshielded, so I have no way of confirming that. My concern about the shielded radiators is that they would direct more hot air up rather than to the side, where I need it.

If your electric rates are different for different times of the day, you can use this to your advantage in setting your radiator heater toswitch on and warm the room from cold when rates are low, then let it provide steady heat when rates are higher.

A word of warning about oil-filled radiators: if one is poorly made or damaged, it can leak oil and permanently damage rugs and floors or even start a fire. Only buy from a reputable manufacturer and don't accept one that has any visible damage.

Ceramic fan heaters:

These are great at heating a room quickly, however many people including myself don't like the heat they blow. I don't mind it in my Vornado Personal Heater (375/700watt), which is located under my desk, but I thoroughly dislike it in the old Honeywell ceramic oscillating heater that came with my house. I much prefer the warmth that comes from an oil-filled radiator. Ceramic heaters can be most effective at quickly warming up a cold room.

Radiant heaters

Radiant heaters (don't confuse them with radiator heaters!) work by heating whatever they are pointed at rather than heating the air in the room. If you have a large, drafty space, a radiant heater might be your best choice, because it doesn't heat the air, only the objects and people it's directed at.

Micathermic heaters

Micathermic heaters work similarly to oil-filled radiators, except that instead of heavy metal fins filled with hot oil, micathermic heaters have thin sheets of mica that heat up. I've only had experience with one micathermic, a Bionaire BH1331-U, and found that it's exterior surface remained very cool except for a few very warm spots on top. There would be less risk of young children being burned by touching a micathermic heater than an oil-filled radiator. Micathermic heaters are slower heating than ceramic fan heaters, but are faster then oil-filled radiators..

Baseboard heaters

I have a Lakewood oil-filled baseboard heater I bought five years ago that has many of the advantages of a micathermic heater. It heats faster than an oil-filled radiator but has no hot surfaces and low fire risk. My Lakewood does an excellent job of heating my 12x15 bedroom.

However I have not researched baseboard heaters and only have experience with this Lakewood, so I don't know whether others are as good as this one. I was impressed that when I measured the actual wattages of my various space heaters, the Lakewood's actual wattages came closest to its claimed wattages of all the other heaters I tested. Lakewood unfortunately went out of business in 2009 and had a major problem with oil leaking from its heaters a few years earlier. Despite this, it's in many ways my best heater and has the lowest cost of operation.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for My Heat Personal Ceramic Heater

I ordered 2 of these units last month. They are the perfect size for my small offices and they only draw 200w so they won't stress the electrical system at work. They both worked great for about 3 weeks, then they both started to die. They started sputtering, then the fan wouldn't turn on at all. This happened to both units within 2 days of each other. Now one is totally dead and the other is still sputtering away.

There are ton of positive reviews of this heater, so I believe I just got a bad batch. I contacted the manufacturer and they will do an RMA.

White Rodgers 1C20-102 Single Stage - Low Voltage Thermostat Reviews

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $26.14
Sale Price: $14.99
Today's Bonus: 43% Off

I purchased this to replace an identical Thermostat. It gets the job done, but sometimes it feels like the temperature is noticeably fluctuating, so not very accurate. But still it's better than the old one.

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I needed this item on a small heater and it works great. I hope it lasts longer than the previous one which was just like it.

Easy to install but I could use instruction on the settings within the unit.

Buy Intermatic PF1103T 1.5/3HP Freeze Protection Timer and Thermostat

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List Price: $292.11
Sale Price: $156.15
Today's Bonus: 47% Off

I bought this model to replace an Intermatic 220 volt timer. I wanted to add the freeze protection. However, when my electrician began to install it, we discovered that the clock on this model only runs on 110 volt, therefore you need a "neutral line" to give the clock only 110 volt, but give the equipment 220 volt. Problem was, we didn't have a neutral line for this and had to send the unit back for model PF 1102T, which is all 220volt.

My electrician said that it was not uncommon for a 220volt outlet to be missing the neutral line, since there is no need to pull a neutral line to a 220 only outlet. I hope this helps someone avoid the mistake I made trying to save a little money by ordering PF 1103T and not PF 1102T. PF 1103T model claims it can run both 110 and 220, which is true, only if you are wired with an additional neutral line in your 220 volt outlet.

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Paid half of what they wanted in the pool store for this same model. Installed in 20 minutes and it works like a champ.

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We added this item to our pool pump control. It seemed to be binding upon first engaged power-up, so I bumped it a little and the pump started. It seems to be limbering up now after a week of operation. The wiring installation was simple. I am concerned now about the freeze protection but I will keep and eye on it, when the weather cools.

Honest reviews on Intermatic PF1103T 1.5/3HP Freeze Protection Timer and Thermostat

The unit looked good out of the box, however, once I had gone through all the effort to mount it and wire it, the clock didn't work. After removing the face, I noticed the clock was loose in the housing so I reset it and it worked for a little while. When the timer came around to the detents it hung up and wouldn't turn the pool on. Once again I had to take it apart and make an adjustment. This happened several times. At the moment it is working, but I would not recommend this product.

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Intermatic PF1103T 1.5/3HP Freeze Protection Timer and Thermostat

My first unit like this has lasted for 19 years. I bought this one because my unit tried to quit. False alarm. Now I have a backup for half the price at the pool companies in Memphis.