4 Things You Should Know When Choosing A Room Heater

You may want to lie under layers of blankets to keep yourself warm on cold and chilly days, but sitting on the bed all through the day is not an option on most days. A room heater is perhaps what you need to fight the chill.

Before you purchase a room heater, here are a few things you should keep in mind:

1. Types of heaters: There are broadly two types of room heaters—convection and radiant. You can make a choice based on what you need the heater for. If you want the entire room to be warm for a longer duration, then a convection heater will suit your needs. If you want target heating (just a couch or a chair), then you should go for radiant heaters. Radiant heaters are also faster when it comes to spot heating. 

2. Space: Size of the room matters when you are planning to buy a heater. Check the specifications to know what is best for you. As a rule of thumb, a 1,500-watt heater should be adequate for a large room. This may vary a bit depending on the type of the heater as well. 

3. Safety: Besides following safety tips like not using an extension cord as it could overheat and result in fire and not placing the heater on carpets or any other surface that could catch fire, you should look for some safety features in the heater itself. You can go for a heater that switches itself off automatically when it gets too hot. Keep your temperature setting at moderate levels and never leave children alone in the room with the heater on. 

4. Energy efficiency: They may not make your meters race like air-conditioners, but it is important that you go for a room heater that will keep your energy costs low. Heaters which come with energy-saving modes can help you in that regard. Many room heaters come with adjustable thermostats and timers, which can help check energy consumption.