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  • Choosing the right size electric heater for your home depends on the size of the area you want to heat and how often heat is needed. From convenient and portable to energy saving and cost effective, there's a right-size electric heater to fit your needs.

    Electric Space Heater

    If you're only going to be in one room of the house, an electric space heater will keep you warm, and you'll save money by not turning on your central heating. An electric space heater is small and you can carry it to other rooms. You pay less for an electric space heater, and these heaters are much safer than gas or kerosene heaters. No special installation is needed, you have no open flames to avoid and they produce no carbon monoxide.

    Radiant Electric Space Heaters

    Radiant electric space heaters quickly heat a small area almost as soon as you switch it on, and the heat is initially directed right at you, which keeps you warm, and you're using less heat to achieve the same comfort level. Since radiant heat travels in a straight line, however, only people directly in that line from the heater will feel the warm air. If you're at the dining room table and the heater is above you, your legs may be chilly. Moving to a different area of the room takes away the direct heat, so you need to go back to the area in which the heat is directed. Eventually the combination of warm objects and people heat the air and the air temperature can rise as high as any other heat source.

    Panel Heaters

    Permanently wired on a wall, these convection heaters can be used as a principal source of heat or provide background heating. An electrical element inside the casing heats the panels, and warm air radiates out. Thermostatic controls make temperature setting exact, and you can set the correct time. Easy to install and requiring little maintenance, panel heaters run so quietly you forget that the heat is on. You'll pay a higher utility bill with the larger panel heater, as it is more expensive to run, but if you prefer to heat a larger area at one time the extra cost may be worth it.

    Heat Pumps

    These electrical pumps collect heat outside your house and release that heat inside the house. According to "Ask the Builder" columnist Tim Carter, "Electricity is already being extended into your home, so using a heat pump generates no real extra utility costs." You'll spend more money initially to buy the heat pump, and at upwards of $2,750 including installation costs (as of November 2009), a heat pump is an expensive investment. Heat pumps run very inexpensively, but if you leave the heat pump on all the time in the winter costs will accumulate. Since the pump is installed outside, you get the benefits of the heat without a bulky machine to step over inside the house.

    Source:

    Ask the Builder

    Energy Overview

    Disadvantages of Radiant Electric Heaters

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