Where to get a freestanding, portable bathroom heater that plugs into a wall outlet?

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KiwiNFLFan

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#305889 11-Jun-2023 18:21

I'm looking for a fan heater for my bathroom that I can plug into a wall outlet and use during the winter, then store away during summer till I need it again.

Does such a thing actually exist? Most of the bathroom heaters I've come across are wall-mounted. This doesn't work for me as I am renting and cannot mount a heater on the wall of my bathroom. Also, my understanding is that bathroom heaters are wired directly into the mains rather than using an outlet, which would require an electrician to come and make modifications to the bathroom wall.

So is there such a thing as a portable bathroom heater? Or would a regular fan heater be okay as long as I keep it off the ground?

Rikkitic

Awrrr
18657 posts

Uber Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3088728 11-Jun-2023 23:07

I think it is a really bad idea for a whole lot of different reasons. It is not something that I would consider doing. Apart from the obvious safety issues, bathrooms are high humidity environments. A fan heater probably won't like that much.

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fe31nz

1228 posts

Uber Geek

#3088731 12-Jun-2023 00:28

I believe it is illegal to have a normal heater on the floor in a bathroom. It is certainly a very bad idea - hideously dangerous! A splash into the heater will have a decent chance of causing electric shock (including death) or a fire. Even with an RCD in the circuit it is a bad idea, but that would make it significantly safer. Having an electric cord going across the damp or wet floor is in itself a significant danger, let alone the open (uninsulated) wires present inside fan heaters and many radiant heaters. And some other types of heaters without exposed wires, such as oil column heaters, while a little bit safer, still have vulnerable connections, switches, thermostats, indicator lamps and the like.

Bathrooms are also falls risk areas, and falling on top of any heater is also a very bad idea.

The only way it would be even moderately safe would be to only have the heater in the bathroom when the room was completely dry and only use it to pre-heat the room - it would have to be gone when any water was running or any dampness was around.

Personally, I would not be renting any place where the bathroom did not have a proper high mounted heater (or underfloor heating). And I would be telling any prospective landlord just why I would not consider that rental. A proper bathroom heater should really be part of the healthy homes rules - no rental should be allowed not to have one.

Wheelbarrow01

1723 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Chorus

#3088736 12-Jun-2023 00:54

We've been using a standard fan heater in our bathroom for several years over the winter months. Our wall socket is close to the sink so it's got a residual current device built in. Would I still use the fan heater without the RCD? Probably. Would I do so if I had kids who splash around in the bath? Absolutely not.

pih

649 posts

Ultimate Geek

Lifetime subscriber

#3088740 12-Jun-2023 06:45

There is nothing illegal about having a heater in your bathroom. You do want to be 100% sure that the outlet you plug it into is RCD protected (this may require a sparkie to verify). Other than that, just be wise: try and keep water as far away from it as you can, and keep towels and clothes a good distance away.

Any floor-standing heater should be fine. I personally prefer a radiant heater for the bathroom as it provides instant heat and does not require you to heat all the air and walls and ceiling to be effective.

Also consider negotiating with the landlord to get a Shower Dome or similar product: reducing the humidity in your bathroom will make it significantly easier to heat.

blackjack17

1705 posts

Uber Geek

#3088744 12-Jun-2023 07:11

Any fan heaters even wall mounted, from bunnings will have a plug as designed for the Australian market. Otherwise a $20 kmart fan heater will work.

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