Quote:
Originally Posted by The Phantom Gourmand
Looks like the Toyo uses #1 oil, which I believe is more like if not kerosene.
Toyotomi makes a heater that uses regular #2 fuel oil. I have 2 of them in our place in Meredith and thay work great. They are sold and serviced by Home Energy Products in Belmont. These unite will also worl with #1 or kerosene...actually they burn cleaner with the lighter oil. So, if you have #2 in your tank, you can use it up with the Toyotomi and then change over to #1....or...just stick with the #2. It's a really nice unit.
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Phantom has the best option for you if you cannot change fuel sources due to condo regulations and you really want to install this style heater.
As far as heating the entire space to maintain a certain temp, that really has to do with the layout of the condo unit. If it is wide open, high ceilings, open loft, then the unit will run non-stop and will likely never reach the temp setting to cycle off. This can be offset by the use of ceiling fans to keep the warmer air from stalling in the ceiling area.
If the condo unit is more closed down then it will work well for some areas and not get heat to others, this will open you up for the possibility of other issues regarding pipes freezing in the far remote areas of the home.
The ideal setup for these heaters is an open floor plan with low ceilings (standard 8' or 9') without cathedrals and good flow to the upper levels via a direct path to the stairs.
You may want to install more than one heater to get proper coverage of the entire space, remember you would be keeping the temp lower than if you were there, so the potential for a freeze issue is higher.
Just to clarify some of the responses, Monitor is a brand name heater, but is also a trade name for the style of heater, some are talking about monitor the brand and other just the style, I personally would take Less' recommendation and stay away from Monitor the brand, they are just not as refined as some of their competitors.
My company monitors homes for our clients that live outside the area, most if not all will set the temp between 50-55 degrees, only the homes with radiant keep it higher as it takes up to 24 hours to get the mass back up to temp, its not an instant heat.
The big thing about this process, is that it really does not matter what you set your heat at, in order to get the least amount of waste in regard to fuel use. It is very important to have a home that is very efficient, windows that preserve heat within the home (low E), proper insulation without voids in floors, ceilings, walls, roof and around window and door frames, doors that are adjusted properly to prevent air loss. If your home meets these requirements, then you will not burn any more fuel at 70 than at 50, because the home will hold that heat longer between cycles. If it does not meet these standards then it will not matter what you set the temp at, you will be chasing your tail either way, no matter what style of heat source you use. The higher temp in this situation will burn more fuel because it may never catch up on the colder days.
All in all, I would not invest in the "monitor" style heater for your home if your reasons are to reduce costs, they will most likely not save you money over your current system, you have to figure the cost to recoup your money from the purchase of the heaters into your figures, that could equate to a year or more of fuel for the existing system, of which you will still have after, due to both systems burning the same fuel source.
It costs about $300.00 to have someone come into your home (now is the best time) and do a thermal scan to see where you may be losing heat. Being a condo, you are in a bit of a situation in that you do not technically own the windows or insulation cavities of the structure, but we have worked with clients in the past that explained the plan to the association and the cost for these upgrades were offset by the association, with the balance being handled by the unit owner. Not all associations enjoy having this information being brought to their attention, it can mean large costs for them if the word spreads through the complex, it really depends on how they approach the maintenance of the complex as a whole, not just the grounds.