If you spend more time in one part of the house, more than others, you may want to consider a space heater to help offset electric bills.
I am not talking about one of those electric hogs that use way juice than is practical; I am talking about one that uses the recent ‘gel’ technology. Gel space heaters run a low voltage current through them, that heat up the gel inside. Once it is nice and warm, the electric draw stops- leaving you with a safe, warm, and quiet radiant heat that will warm as much as 100 sf.
Even the ‘old school’ or ‘efficient’ space heaters would draw about 3000 watts per hour, or as much as 11,000 watts per hour if you weren’t watching. If you turned off your central heat it might be alright, but using them both could really break the bank.
Propane was widely accepted for a long time because propane was so cheap. But this is not the case anymore. It is can cost almost as much as gasoline and they can put off noxious fumes like carbon monoxide, making them very dangerous. If your sleeping space is not well ventilated, you could be paying a lot more than you think.
If you have small children about, it is easy for one of them to get burned unless the space heater is placed out of reach making them not an effective as they could be. Since these typically pull anywhere from 2300 to 4100 watts per hour, unless you have a very cheap source of propane, these are best to use during an emergency situation only.
Gel heaters are becoming more and more popular these days, and can be found under many names, but for this article I am going to take a look at Econo-Heat. Their products can be mounted directly to the wall, and painted to match if you like. They can be hard wired, or plugged in, and have the option of a thermostat if you prefer.
They use only 250-450 watts per hour, and heat up 100 sf without a sound. Once the gel is hot, the electric draw shuts off, and they sit there radiating heat without any more electric current. They catch no dust, or mold, and can be controlled at your discretion.
So why worry about your old space heater, if it is still working, how much use you can get out of it before you can’t afford it anymore. Look into a gel heater and see how easy it is to heat your home using this technology. You will glad you did.
