Any recommendations on a tower space heater?

[lokiju]

My gas bill was $204 this month so I think it's about time I turned my home heater way down and got a good space heater to heat just the room I'm in.

I'd like a tower style one.

From what I've seen on Amazon it looks like Honeywell or DeLonghi are decent and that I need to stay away from Lasko.

Does anyone have any personal experience on which to get or avoid?

:beer:

 

[Vette73]

Why lasko?
I think that is the one i got from Target for $40 and is on a stand, has a therm, and a remote control.

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975
Why lasko?
I think that is the one i got from Target for $40 and is on a stand, has a therm, and a remote control.

Simply based on what review I've read in general, it's given me the impression that a lot of people have complaints/issues, of course it could just be bitchy people.

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

I'd go to Wal*Mart, spend $20 or whatever, and grab one of those Lasko ones. I've had one for 2-3 years, and have some at work too, and they work just fine. It comes with a remote, oscillates, and has a thermostat. I haven't ever had an issue with them and so my recommendation is to just get a cheap one from Wal*Mart.

If you somehow get a bad one, WalMart is close enough that you can just exchange it with them.

 

[sdifox]

Why not a oil filled rad? they work much better.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I have several DeLonghi 'dragon' oil filled heaters I like. They don't have a remote but, they do have a thermostat and a on/off timer.

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: sdifox
Why not a oil filled rad? they work much better.

I have cats and would be afraid of them jumping up on it and getting burned.

They're dumb enough to do it and where I need to use it, they'd have access to it.

 

[zinfamous]

My computer is sufficient for my needs

 

[sdifox]

Originally posted by: lokiju

Originally posted by: sdifox
Why not a oil filled rad? they work much better.

I have cats and would be afraid of them jumping up on it and getting burned.

They're dumb enough to do it and where I need to use it, they'd have access to it.

lol, your space heater is a lot more dangerous than a rad. Oil filled rad do not go up to the temerature range of a boiler based one and you control the temperature anyway.

 

[RKS]

Originally posted by: zinfamous
My computer is sufficient for my needs

Yup, run an overclocked Prescott in a full tower. The fans will blow out a gentle breeze of super-heated air for your pleasure.

 

[Jeff7]

How much does electricity cost per kWH? Space heaters max out at 1500W - so each hour, you'd be racking up 1.5kWH of usage, which can add a fair bit to your electric bill in a hurry, depending on how long you plan on running it each day.

And as far as I can figure, the kind of heater you get ultimately won't matter. If they're all rated 1500W, that's the most heat you're ever going to get, regardless of it being a radiation-type heater or convective. I guess if you get radiative and it's heating the walls directly, that would make it easier for the heat to escape through those walls. If you're using a convective heater to warm the air in the room, then that energy would have to pass to the wall surface by convection, which poses more thermal resistance than heating by direct radiation.
On the other hand, a carefully placed radiative heater could have most of its output focused directly on you, though if it doesn't have a continuously adjustable thermostat, you might find yourself getting lightly toasted.