Winter's Coming, so whats a safe heater

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StarBlazer

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#798760 13-Apr-2013 13:10

networkn: I was simply checking your recommendation of the oil heater without the specific fins for a kids room.

Yes - The fin shields create more heated surfaces at a slightly lower temperature - the net effect is the same but I personally think they safer. No scientific reason, just my opinion.

Procrastination eventually pays off.

dagdog

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#798784 13-Apr-2013 15:01

The ultimate safe heater would be a solar powered radiator system with electrical backup. If you have ever lived in a house with radiators you will know that they are the safest and the Rolls Royce of heating systems.

Aredwood

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#798975 13-Apr-2013 22:17

I would have thought that the safest form of heating would be ducted central heating. The furnace is remote from the room therefore if it blows up it is less likely to affect the room. The air coming out of the ducting is not hot enough to burn you if you hold your hand over an outlet. Assuming the system is sized correctly a few outlets can be completely blocked and the furnace will still work. Of course those rooms with the blocked outlets won't get heated though.

Modern radiator central heating systems use water that is heated to 80deg. You would definitely want to check that no exposed parts of the radiators will reach those temps if you have young kids. I would have suggested underfloor heating but it causes big swings in room temp if the room has good solar gain.

gjm

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#798977 13-Apr-2013 22:29

I have exactly the same problem...need a safe heater for the little ones room. Was looking at this one from Hardley Normals...http://www.harveynorman.co.nz/delonghi-dragon-2000w-oil-column-heater.html

Anyone used it before?

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Gemini

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#799351 14-Apr-2013 22:32

If we're talking quiet heaters here then convection and radiant would be the main options from what I've read
Radiant sounds great as it heats bodies and objects rather than the air in my high ceiling room
Micathermic seems to be quite good. Produces radiant and convection heat and lighter than an oil column heater
Has anyone tried one of these?

richms

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#799353 14-Apr-2013 22:40

I like the micathermics I got a couple of years back from the warehouse. instant radiant heat without that annoying glow of a halogen or bar heater, and a decent convection as well.

But they have not lasted. One has half of it dead, the other is totally dead.

Perhaps a proper brand would last better, but I certainly do not recommend the evantair from the warehouse. Oh, and the thermostat makes a hell of a racket as it engages/disengages.

Richard rich.ms

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Gemini

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#799355 14-Apr-2013 22:46

richms: I like the micathermics I got a couple of years back from the warehouse. instant radiant heat without that annoying glow of a halogen or bar heater, and a decent convection as well.

But they have not lasted. One has half of it dead, the other is totally dead.

Perhaps a proper brand would last better, but I certainly do not recommend the evantair from the warehouse. Oh, and the thermostat makes a hell of a racket as it engages/disengages.

Kent, Goldair and Dimplex sell 2000W mica heaters
Think I might go for a Kent as some have questioned Goldair brand reliability and Kent are less ugly than the Dimplex

rscole86

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#799385 15-Apr-2013 07:53

I've got an older Goldair micathermic - the MIL has the same model - both have lasted 2 or 3 winters, and we are very happy with them. The thermostat is fairly loud, but does not bother me in the slightest.

Gemini

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#799403 15-Apr-2013 08:40

rscole86: I've got an older Goldair micathermic - the MIL has the same model - both have lasted 2 or 3 winters, and we are very happy with them. The thermostat is fairly loud, but does not bother me in the slightest.

Have those with Micas had oil filled heaters to compare pros/cons against?

da5id

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#799683 15-Apr-2013 15:25

StarBlazer:
networkn: So you recommend covered fin oil heaters? In a kids room?

No I am not suggesting covering a heater (I thought I should emphasise that) - I'm suggesting buying one like this;

http://www.delonghi.com/nz_en/products/g011230rtw/
where the fins are not exposed like they are on this model;

http://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/red/catalog/product/Necessities-11-Fin-Oil-Column-Heater?SKU=1663044

Sorry for any confusion

I have this one -

http://www.delonghi.com/nz_en/products/trd-2400t/

I have had it for 6 or 7 years, maybe more, and it has served me well.

I originally bought a different brand from the Warehouse which ended up being totally useless. Sometimes even on high it wasn't enough to warm my smallish bedroom (around 5 x 4 meters). I ended up giving it to my brother to supplement the weak one that he'd bought as well.

The DeLonghi has 3 heat settings, but even on setting '1' and the thermostat at about 25% it keeps the room nice.

khull

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#799692 15-Apr-2013 15:55

We have a Dyson Fan Heater - absolutely ridiculous as it gets more talking time than actual use.

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NonprayingMantis

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#799704 15-Apr-2013 16:06

what, a thread with 'Winter is Coming' in the title and not a single GoT reference?

Gemini

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#801094 17-Apr-2013 16:43

Gemini:
rscole86: I've got an older Goldair micathermic - the MIL has the same model - both have lasted 2 or 3 winters, and we are very happy with them. The thermostat is fairly loud, but does not bother me in the slightest.

Have those with Micas had oil filled heaters to compare pros/cons against?

Ok no one is forthcoming with help ....

I don't think Micas have thermostats just 50% heat or 100% heat, although I hear oil filled heater thermostats aren't great?

richms

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#801199 17-Apr-2013 20:31

Oils have no radent heat which I like to have.

Richard rich.ms

gchiu

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#1102941 5-Aug-2014 21:53

Chainsaw: What about tese things using infrared heat?
http://infracomfort.co.nz/

Something in it?

I saw these at several home shows, and was interested. They're flat panels which emit far infrared so that they're not very hot to touch, but work by heating up the surfaces they radiate onto. So, a newish technology that seems more common in Europe.

A couple of years ago I was looking at putting in heating in a holiday home which was freezing in winter due to full height glass. Although we had the pipe work already in the ceiling for a heat pump, I didn't really want to sit under a machine which blew hot air over me. Far infrared doesn't heat up the air, so there's no air movement except very small normal convection.

I went to visit someone who had a panel put in, and I could feel the heat coming from it across the room even though the panel itself was not particularly hot to touch. They've also had a few installs into schools.

I ended up putting in two 710W panels in the ceiling for the open plan living, dining and kitchen , and it has worked quite well.

Although electric heating is said to be the most costly form of heating, ie. more expensive than hot water driven radiators, and heat pumps, a cost analysis done for the Scottish Government showed that

Detailed modelling of the annual thermal performance of an infrared panel system compared to storage
heating and air-source heat pumps showed that the infrared panels performed best in terms of control,
comfort, energy consumption and carbon emissions.

Although it doesn't seem to make sense that a form of electric heating can be cheaper than an air-source heat pump which is over 100% efficient, the answer is that it produces more comfortable heating at a lower temperature so needs less energy.

I'm now renovating a 1940s bungalow in Wgton and am looking to put these panels in.

NB: do not confuse these panels with Econopanels which are just resistive electric heating ie. they get very hot.

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