It’s a cold and dreary December night and you are walking through your house. The wind whistles through the trees and howls at your windows. Suddenly you feel a coolness surrounding you and the hair stands up at the back of your neck. Aaagghh!, You cry out!
No need to call the ghost whisperer though, that’s no spirit chilling your bones and raising your hackles! It’s simply a cold spot that your central heating unit failed to heat, or that quickly exchanged heat with your leaky doors or windows. So, now that you’ve cleared the exorcist from your mind, you come to the realization that you NEED a space heater for this room. Just as quickly as that thought goes through your head you become overwhelmed with the idea of choosing which space heater would work best.
The last time you walked through your local WM or home-improvement store you probably recall seeing many brands and types of space heaters available. Some are ceramic, some are oil-filled, some are radiant, and most are convection type heat. Without knowing what you are looking for, or what will work best, you will be at a loss as to what the best choice will be.
I’ve personally been on kind of an energy reduction/savings kick lately, looking into electric to gas vehicle conversions, and alternate energy sources, so when I was looking for a space heater, energy costs became a huge decision factor. In researching the various space heaters out there, I had to come to the conclusion that an infrared heater would be the best as far as energy consumption. But, was infrared a good way to heat?
A few months back I was doing some contract work for a builder that was offering infrared imaging of people’s houses to determine where they were losing their heat and energy. When I embarked upon that task, I wanted to know as much as I could about the infrared technology and how it worked. During this research I came to find that infrared was not only a great way to view energy loss, but also a fantastic way to heat a home.
Infrared heats in a way that ordinary space heaters can not. Through the use of infrared light waves it sends out heat that penetrates the objects around it (much like the sun’s energy does). So, you are not just heating the air, but you are heating the items in the room which then reflect their warmth back into the room and back upon you, causing you to feel warmer and more comfortable than you would with an ordinary heater.
Winter is definitely upon us! Like most people you are probably finding (or remembering from last winter) that your home is not as insulated as you may like, which leaves cold spots. Finding a way to keep your house comfortable many times involves the use of a space heater, but with so many to choose from, how can you know which one to buy?
My space heater of choice, and the one I recommend to everyone is an infrared heater! Not all infrared heaters are created equal though, so take some time and read some reviews. I also have some personal experience with a few brands, and can steer you clear of at least one (Just come read my infrared blog).
Take care and stay warm!
