Good Space Heaters

jjhill001 · 08-26-17, 11:55 AM

My house uses baseboard heating and in my snake room/bed room the thermostat doesn't work at all. Its either full blast or off. So I'm looking for suggestions on a space heater that is reliable and also has a thermostat built in so I can keep my temps from fluctuating so much betweem extremes this winter. Any help is appreciated.

trailblazer295 · 08-26-17, 12:33 PM

I would look for an infared heater vs electric. Electric baseboards dry the crap out of the air. You can get IR space heaters. I think I've seen some with humidity capabilities but I'm not 100% sure. I'll have to look it up later.

TRD · 08-26-17, 03:06 PM

Hot air doesn't dry out the air... there's no stage past vaporized. When air gets hotter by any means, the relative humidity drops because warmer air can hold more water vapor. Absolute humidity stays the same regardless of temperature (up to dew point and freezing point, of course). This is the same myth as "Incandescent lights dry out the air more than a CHE". You can pick whichever space heater gives you the best results. As in controlling the temperature effectively as per the volume of your room; neither underpowered (causes pockets of colder air) or overpowered (hello electricity bill).

SerpentineDream · 08-26-17, 06:35 PM

I use a DeLonghi HMP 1500 mica convective / reflective heater in my snake room. I have it plugged into a thermostat designed for space heaters (Lux WIN100 Heating & Cooling Programmable Outlet Thermostat) set at the desired temperature. I like it. It's one that's designed to be kept running and doesn't need constant supervision like most space heaters that get glowing hot. I had a coil heater catch fire in my bedroom when I was a kid--that was quite an experience. The mica console heater is almost silent except for the occasional click as it turns on or off. The heat is gentle and comfortable. It doesn't take up as much space as an oil radiator and can be mounted on the wall if desired. I really like it. They also make SafeHeat oil radiator space heaters that work well and can be plugged into an outlet thermostat. Oil radiators are tried and true though a bit clunky. Bionaire makes a mica console heater similar to the DeLonghi if you can't find that.

ETA: Even if you buy a heater that has a built-in thermostat I would still plug it into an outlet thermostat as a failsafe against overheating your snake room. I have found space heater controls to be rather unreliable when it comes to keeping a room at a precise temperature.

Scubadiver59 · 08-26-17, 07:53 PM

I've been using a Samsung oil radiator heater for years...keeps good temps and with the hot oil, it doesn't have to constantly turn on and off. And besides, I can put a pan of water nearby, or on top, and create a sauna if I want to!

SerpentineDream · 08-26-17, 07:57 PM

Ooooo, I like the water pan idea!