Space heaters are a good way to warm up cool spots in your home or at work. You can also use a space heater during cooler weather in the spring and fall and avoid running your central heating system for your entire house.

Risks

Although modern space heaters are safer than their predecessors, some products can be riskier than others. According to data from the National Fire Protection Association, space heaters are the cause of about 78 percent of heating-related deaths. The most common cause for space-heater fires are when they are placed too close to curtains, upholstery or other combustible materials. You should also check the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, http://www.cpsc.gov/, before buying an electric space heater since every year there are several electric heaters recalled for safety issues. Because of this, experts urge consumers to register new heaters with the manufacturer right away, and they'll be informed of any known safety issues.

How They Work

Electric heaters work through resistance which is where electrical line voltage flows through a heating element and as electrical resistance is encountered at the heating element it heats up.

Warning, High Science Content: Voltage can be thought of as the pressure pushing charges along a conductor, while the electrical resistance of a conductor is a measure of how difficult it is to push the charges along. Electrical resistance is similar to friction that is similar to water flowing through a pipe. A long narrow pipe provides more resistance to the flow than does a short fat pipe. The same applies for flowing currents: long thin wires provide more resistance than do short thick wires. Look inside your toaster; thin, long (coiled) wires. All wires are resistors, the electrical wiring in your house heats up when electricity is flowing through them.

Electric wall heaters will require a dedicated electrical circuit of 120 volts or 240 volts, depending on the unit size and the size of the room to be heated.

Electric heaters give off their heat by either convection or radiation. Convection heat uses the fact that hot air rises and relies upon natural convection to move the heat around the room. Radiant heat or infrared is different in that it heats the surfaces of objects and not the air.

To work properly, a convection heater will need to be located near the floor to draw in the cold air at the floor. A radiant heater can be located at the floor or ceiling level since it is heating objects and not air.

Electric heaters can be installed on walls, as baseboard, as toe-kick heaters, and cove or panel heaters.

If your electric heater will be installed in place, hard-wired, then it will need to have a line voltage thermostat installed somewhere in the room. Portable electric heaters will have the thermostat built-in to the unit.

Line voltage or high voltage thermostats for electric heaters run off your home's 120 Volt or 240 volt AC power. These thermostats are not as sensitive as the low voltage types and may take up to 7°F of temperature change to register a change. As a result expect wider temperature fluctuations with these thermostats. You can determine if your existing heater is line voltage by the size of the wiring in the thermostat; they will have electrical wires like you would see going to a light switch or outlet, 14 Gauge or 12 Gauge. Low voltage wiring looks is similar to doorbell, telephone wiring or speaker wire.

Selection

First you need to determine where you will be installing your electric heater. As stated before, there are several types and not all are suitable for every location of situation. Always look for the Underwriters Laboratories (UL) mark. This indicates that the electrical-certification group has tested the model for possible safety problems.

Radiant heater can be either an oil-filled type which looks like a traditional radiator, or a quartz heater that acts more like a heat lamp.

If a heater plug or wire gets warm, this can be a sign of a problem with the wiring in the outlet or circuit. Never overload circuits!

Always purchase a heater with an automatic shutoff. This feature, which means the space heater should automatically shut off if it tips over or overheats, is essential.

Look at the heater in operation, some people feel that even small lights on heater controls are bothersome at night, and some heaters have brighter display lights than others.

Different heaters are best suited to different spots in a room. For example, models with fans may have air intakes angled or on the sides, and they can be placed flush against a wall. Some flat-panel heaters can mount directly on a wall, some convection heaters perform best when placed in a corner and still others work best in the center of a room. Only a few electric heaters are designed for use in a bathroom, laundry room or any other wet area.

Products with timers, digital thermostats and remote controls are more convenient so choose an appliance with these features if you feel that they are useful.

Toe-kick heaters are very useful for kitchens where perimeter floor space is taken up by the base cabinets. They have a fan and heater to blow warm air across the floor. Have a qualified contractor install them as the toe kick of the cabinet will have to be cut out to provide space for the heater and wired by an electrician. You may also want to install a remote thermostat since most units will have the thermostat on the front cover of the unit. Never install them near your sink or dishwasher.

Cove or panel radiant heaters are useful in mud rooms, laundry areas, or areas near exterior doors. They can be mounted out of the way near the ceiling and warm the surroundings.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Convection Heater Advantages:

• Best for heating rooms

• Quiet

• Many are unobtrusive

• Some have fans

Convection Heater Disadvantages:

• More expensive

• Slow to heat

• Some are large, heavy

Radiant Heater Advantages:

• Good for heating objects or people

• Work quickly

• Usually inexpensive

Radiant Heater Advantages:

• Not good at heating rooms

• Bright glow can be distracting at night

• Can take up more space

Use common sense when using and selecting your electric heater and always follow the manufacturer’s instructions.