MegaSack DRAW - This year's winner is user - rgwb
We will be in touch
I'm looking to buy a couple of electric heaters for the house. We are having a bit of trouble with our oil central heating and I'd like some sort of back up. We can be away for up to a week at a time, and having had a flood 2 years ago due to a water leak I can't bear another one. Last winter if we were away I left the central heating on permanently at low temperature. However, having had trouble with it recently I don't trust it entirely.
So you can get:-
Oil filled radiators
Convector heaters
Fan heaters
It appears you can get all 3 with thermostats and frost protection, so which are 1) safest for an unoccupied house and 2) most efficient?
I was planning to get 2 - one for the downstairs hallway, one for the upstairs landing.
Any thoughts?
(The central heating is not being ignored BTW, it's just taking a while to sort).
Definitely not fan - they can suck in fluff which can then catch fire, I'd never leave one unattended. Oil-filled is probably the safest and most efficient.
Thanks ben
How come only electric, and not a gas option?
I always thought electric heater where uneconomic (I'm happy to be corrected), vs the gas alternatives? Obviously you do run more chance of being unable to refill you bottle but if your stuck in your house (snowed in) there every chance the electric would go down too?
http://www.calor.co.uk/heating/portable-heaters would be my first thought..
EDIT: rereading the OP "[i]We can be away for up to a week at a time[/i]" hadn't spotted this.... 😳
That, and small children with inquisitive fingers!
It's primarily something for occasional use, and to come on in the cold if the temperature drops and the heating packs in while we're away.
I wouldn't leave a gas heater unattended either. In fact I wouldn't use one again on account of the near carbon monoxice poisoning my last one gave me, and the amount of condensation they produce.
If you can't use the central heating I'd go for oil filled electric radiators for your use, you can pick up nice ones with timers etc. or cheap ass mini ones from places like The Range.