Oil Heaters--An Economical and Safe Way to Heat Your Home
Also known as oil-filled radiators or column heaters, oil heaters regulate temperatures indoors, especially in your home. This appliance helps get you through the cold, chilly times of winter, so it is essential to get it right at the buying stage, to ward off the bitter weather's consequences.
It’s not hard to understand why oil heaters are popular. Compared to the other types of heaters like fan heaters and halogen heaters, oil heaters provide heat more economically. You can use an oil heater for only a particular room, and the room stays warm even after the heater is turned off. Furthermore, oil heaters can fit into almost any part of the home—living rooms, bedrooms, small and large bathrooms, garages, and so on. Everyone would love a heater that is versatile and is easy on their finances.
Statistics show that about 5.7 million households in the United States use oil heaters. This staggering number makes the market for this appliance diverse, so there will be many different brands and models, to suit people’s preferences. There are a lot of options that make it hard to choose. What should you look for, before the leaves begin to fall off trees and temperatures aim for rock bottom?
Types Oil Heaters
Here are some features that are common across the board among all oil heaters:
Adjustable Thermostat: An adjustable thermostat lets you set the temperature to exactly the heat that you want, which you find to be comfortable.
Programmable Timers: Since everyone is concerned about saving energy (and money), many oil heaters have a timer, so that you can program your oil heater to shut off at a later time when it is probably not needed anymore—or in case you forgot to turn it off.
Caster wheels: Oil heaters are usually on wheels so that you can move them from one room to another without any difficulty. That allows you to heat only an individual room, instead of heating the entire house.
Heats quietly: Silence is golden. The absence of a fan and the radiation-convection technology behind the oil heaters make the operation noiseless. Serenity on a platter!
What Reviewers Have to Say
Check for the perks (e.g: timers and wheels): Be hell-bent on getting value for your money. Get the best available. A heater with timers would do you so much good. Program your heater to have ON and OFF times and have one less worry. There are more than enough worries in the world already. You are not a robot, and it is very easy to forget such an activity. A built-in timer saves energy and provides convenience.
Caution with children and pets: Oil heaters do not have an external heating element that glows red-hot to signify imminent danger, but they can still get very hot. Also, there’s always the risk that a child or pet will tip the oil heater over. They’re quite heavy, so they can do some serious damage. Be sure to place the heater where children or pets won’t get hurt.
Important Features
Correct size for where you want to use it: An oil-filled radiator that can heat a room does not mean it is a perfect replacement for an HVAC system—not in the dead of winter. The size of the heater you want to get should be appropriate for the space in which it is needed. Oil heaters differ greatly in the number of "ribs" that they have. This "fit" means that it should be able to heat the room thoroughly. A small unit will have to work at about two times its capacity to heat a large space. A unit like this would stop working, due to overuse. or will require servicing more often than normal. Ideally, place oil-filled radiators in the rooms that you use most frequently. That’s more cost-effective.
The features of the room: The characteristics of the room are vital to the efficiency of your heater. For example, a ceiling fan can mess with the heat flow in the room. Make arrangements to reverse the fan blades' rotation so that they can push the heated air back down and keep the room warm. A room with doors keeps in the heat better than an open space. However, frequently opening and closing the door will let the heat escape. Place the oil heater in a central place in the room, so as to reduce heat loss. But make sure that you keep the heater away from curtains and inflammable materials. Also, manufacturers often warn against placing an oil heater in a damp place, such as a bathroom.
Conclusion
Oil heaters have their upsides and downsides. Nevertheless, it is a good alternative for heating your home. It is so necessary, and that is why you should make a wise decision. Make sure that you have some on hand, before the onset of winter.
