Need heater advice....

[Bigmack]

When we bought this house, it had those crappy Cadet electric wall heaters in every room. Several models... not ours... have been recalled as dangerous.

Any ideas about a more efficient electric heater to replace the Cadet wall heaters? We don't use them much, but is there a better technology?

We installed a pellet stove, and use it for virtually all our heating. Since we go south for the winter, we heat the house only about 4 months a year. Here in the Northwest, there has usually been good prices on sawdust products, so pellets have been relatively cheap. With the slowdown in lumber use, sawdust is in shorter supply, so I expect price to go up.

[demgurl]

1. Have you tried e-heaters?

They are like your Cadet heater but not crappy. Over at the frugal board we all like it. I have three of them myself and they do a tremendous job.

[elocs]

3. Not having luck googling "e-heaters", any links? More info? n/t

[Bigmack]

5. I had a little trouble, too... try

http://www.eheat.us/site/products.php

[elocs]

6. I did eventually find it. I had read the threads about it long ago.

I went to: http://www.eheat.com/ I think I read about space heaters in the summer and then forget about it when it gets cold. I heat my small mobile home using electric space heaters for the last 7 winters since my fuel oil tank tipped over on 9/11 and the fuel oil company kept promising to replace it, but never did. I have found the electric heat to really be no more expensive and to provide more even and cleaner heating. I have primarily used the oil filled radiator types, but I'm always looking for better options.

[IDemo]

7. We tried them. Not impressed.

My Epinions write-up: http://www.epinions.com/content_234200141444



These are cheaper and work much, much better (but no, they are not wall mounted).

[kristopher]

2. Any home improvement store carries baseboard electric.

I use it because of the thermostats in every room. It is usually the least expensive installation, and if managed carefully, it is also pretty cost effective to operate.
Overall, however, electric resistance heating generates more carbon than direct thermal systems like natgas or propane. However, since you're in the NW, the amount of coal in your electric mix is probably minimal.

[NYC_SKP]

4. Some space heater advice.

I'm not familiar with Cadets, if they are built in or what. My experience has been that portable space heaters are better. For example, you can place one near where you're sitting or working rather than heat an entire room or wing of your home.

I've been told that old style electric resistance coil (with glowing wires like a toaster) are really inefficient, while the free standing oil-filled ones that look like old steam radiators are more efficient.
This is from an EERE article:

"For convection (non-radiant) space heaters, the best types incorporate a heat transfer liquid, such as oil, that is heated by the electric element. The heat transfer fluid provides some heat storage, allowing the heater to cycle less and to provide a more constant heat source."

http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumer/your_home/space_heating_cooling/index.cfm/mytopic=12600

Another useful page, with pictures (I love pictures):

http://www.wisconsinpublicservice.com/business/eba_59.aspx

Hope this helps!

[Kolesar]

8. The radiant heat article linked from that EERE page is a great read

I want a radiant panel in the bathroom for when I take off my shirt.