Topic: What is the best kind of PORTABLE HEATER to buy?
Angelica
Unregistered
posted
I am looking for a healthy one.
Besides a new air purifier I need a heater so I don't have to deal with dirty heater ducts in my rental or forced air heat that blows your socks off with a thermostat that is hard to control.
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Lymeorsomething
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 16359
posted
There are so many on the market today it's hard to tell. I do have an older Rival model though that spits out heat like there's no tomorrow. I'm not sure if they're still manufactured though....
I'd say consult Consumer Reports at your local library...
-------------------- "Whatever can go wrong will go wrong." Posts: 2062 | From CT | Registered: Jul 2008
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Keebler
Honored Contributor (25K+ posts)
Member # 12673
posted
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If you could get a water-filled closed radiator type, if the coating on the metal is enamel (and not some sort of a plastic product), that would be best.
You might consult "Toxic Times" a news letter for people with MCS. I think you can find them through Google.
I'm very interested in what people find. A friend just asked me and I've no idea. I do have a nice freestanding infrared heat lamp, but it only heat the spot the globe is facing. And it really dries out the air - bad for anyone with dry eyes if used for the only heat source of a room.
posted
We got a Holmes brand, water filled electric radiator for the same reason. We really like it. We got ours 1/2 price at Home Depot after winter sale. Have also seen them at Walmart. Clean, warm and portable. Will get another one this year.
GOod luck to you, J
Posts: 38 | From Seattle | Registered: Nov 2008
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lpkayak
Honored Contributor (10K+ posts)
Member # 5230
posted
i am using 3 of those plug in radiators-but they have gel in them-not water
i have an old inefficint dirty oil furnace that costs way too much and a small ventless propane heater that makes us bot sick from the fumes
so we started using these little radiators and i cannot believe how cheap they are...my bill has gone down since i started 3 of them and turned one dehumidifyer off
they make clean, even heat
-------------------- Lyme? Its complicated. Educate yourself. Posts: 13712 | From new england | Registered: Feb 2004
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Angelica
Unregistered
posted
Clean even heat sounds good. Tired of being blown to bits one minute and freezing the next.
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Geneal
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 10375
posted
We've always used the oil filled heaters.
For us and our pig.
Less likely to catch anything on fire.
Just a pain sometimes to keep the outside of the heater dust free.
It is kind of convoluted.
Hugs,
Geneal
Posts: 6250 | From Louisiana | Registered: Oct 2006
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oxygenbabe
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5831
posted
I had an oil filled delonghi but in the city dust and soot tends to cake btw the fins and is hard to clean. My new one gave off a bad chemical smell so I bought a cheap quartz infrared optimus heater. The first few days the enamel offgassed now it's perfect. It tends to heat the person more than the air. I keep every window in my place a little open no matter how cold out for health reasons so my place is cool but the heater works great and own cheap to run at 400 or 800 watts. I'm going to buy another. Radiator heat in my building is dirty and I don't use it.
Posts: 2276 | From united states | Registered: Jun 2004
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Angelica
Unregistered
posted
I did know one person who had an oil filled heater explode all over their walls and another friend recently had a leak so she tossed hers out.
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oxygenbabe
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5831
Now, it will offgas at first. Do you have somewhere, not your place, you can run it for a day or two? Then it is completely odorless and I love the heat as it doesn't tire me out. Somehow I would get tired from the oil filled radiators. Maybe they had an electrical field or maybe they were offgassing at a low level. And I don't like heaters that blow heat on me. This won't heat a large room, though. I prefer a cool room and at night just sleep under 3 or 4 soft wool blankets with the cold air blowing in a crack thru my window and no heat at all.
Posts: 2276 | From united states | Registered: Jun 2004
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Angelica
Unregistered
posted
Thank you! I don't really have a place for it to out gas but maybe I can leave the windows open for a day or so while it does. I think I will buy one.
So it is not noisy at all?
Those radiator heaters make one of my knees hurt for some reason and they make me tired too.
I never leave the heat on at night either.
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oxygenbabe
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5831
posted
It is perfect now but I have to warn you when I first turned it on, it really outgassed, in fact some of the enamel kind of "steamed" off. Do you have a friend in the building who can use it for a week who is not sensitive? I lent it to my doormen for a week until it had no odor at all and they are now a bit upset they don't have it anymore as they liked it so much. I just ordered a second one. It makes no niose--the quartz rods generate infrared. You feel completely warm when it's near you, almost like on the beach, but the rest of the room is cool. It uses little electricity so not expensive. Don't be discouraged if it offgasses when you first get it, I'm very MCS now, and it turned out fine after a week. If you have nobody you can lend it to while offgassing, maybe run it in your bathroom for 24-48 hours with the window open and door closed.
Posts: 2276 | From united states | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
I don't know anyone who would let my heater out gas over at their place so I guess it will be the bathroom. Do you think it is safe to run it when I am not home in the bathroom with the window open or would that be a fire hazard?
No doorman out here in rural California. We have a lot of cows and horses though and plenty of ticklettes. I am 11 minutes away from the beach and all I can see out my window are trees and a ranch very far away in the distance when I am out on my deck.
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oxygenbabe
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 5831
posted
That sounds beautiful (where you live).
I'm cautious. I would not run it while you're not at home. There is always the chance any heater can malfunction. That's another reason not to sleep with them on. You just might as well err on the side of caution. If you have a deck why not run a heavy duty extension cord and put it on with the door to the deck almost closed?
Posts: 2276 | From united states | Registered: Jun 2004
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Angelica
Unregistered
posted
It is really beautiful here.
That is an idea with the deck and the neighbors cat would love it. I don't have that kind of cord though and living where I do the moths and flies not to mention every other kind of insect would fly or wander right in and there is one crawly thing I dread having in my home because it has happened before.
I think the idea of running the heater in the bathroom when I am home with the window open is a the best one so far.
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I just ordered a second one. It makes no niose--the quartz rods generate infrared. You feel completely warm when it's near you, almost like on the beach, but the rest of the room is cool. It uses little electricity so not expensive. Don't be discouraged if it offgasses when you first get it, I'm very MCS now, and it turned out fine after a week. If you have nobody you can lend it to while offgassing, maybe run it in your bathroom for 24-48 hours with the window open and door closed.
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