Infrared quartz heater.

[Oletimer]

I'm wondering if anyone has and uses the Eden Pure portable heater, or similar heater, in their lake cottage/house and what they think of it? Maybe, if it's plain hype in ads, one or more have added it to the Yankee Swap!

I want for supplemental heat of liv.room approx.20x40 ft.which is open to other downstairs rooms. Want also to save on oil costs if that's doable.

Thank you very much for your replies.

[Dr. Green]

I both use and sell them (ComfortZone heaters).

As home, I use mine mainly in the mornings. I have around a 1000 sq ft apartment and I use it in the morning when I have had a wood stove going the night before, but let it burn out after I go to bed. Since I'm only up around 1 1/2 hours from wake-up to departure for work, I don't want to start another fire, and I don't like the kerosene heater the landlord provides. I set the timer on the heater so it goes off 15 minutes or so before I get up, and the kitchen/dining room is warming up before I get out there.

At work, until last Tuesday when I finally had the gas turned on, it was my only source of heat in the store this entire fall. I would turn it on when I got to work, and depending on how much warmth I needed, it would turn off or stay on throughout the day. The main reason I turned the gas on was that we are reaching the season when we might get a hard freeze, and since I don't want the pipes in my store to burst, I got the gas turned back on for Sundays and Mondays when I'm not at the store.

The other thing I like about the infrared heater is that the heat both more evenly heats the room, and the heat penetrates a little, so more than just the skin layer is warmed. I can't speak from experience, but I have heard (and it makes sense to me) that this penetrating heat is appreciated by those with arthritis.

I do not recommend the heater as your sole source of heat through the winter - it is best as a zone heater. If you have up to 500 sq ft (small 1000kw heater) or up to 1000 sq ft (large 1500 watt heater) that you want to be warmer than the rest of the house (for example you keep your house at 60°, but want it to be 70° in the kitchen and family room) and you don't have zone heating, this is a reasonable economical choice.

I don't believe the claims (even of the ones I sell) that it will save you 50% of your heating costs. Electrical heating is more costly in general that oil, propane, natural gas, wood, etc. Its about 15 cents an hour for the 1000w model and 22 cents an hour for the 1500w unit. But it will heat a small area (smaller than heating your entire house) quite nicely, and I like these better than a straight electric element heater.

The ones I sell (at Sustain Ability, in Laconia - www.sustainabilitynh.com) are $320 for the 1000 watt Black Plastic Model heater, and $485 for the 1500 watt Wood Veneer model heaters (available in cherry, oak or "tuscan walnut" veneers)

[brk-lnt]

ANY electric heater is going to ultimately operate on some principle of creating heat from electrical current and resistance.

Electric heaters can be extremely efficient, but this is much different than "cost effective". As an extreme example, let's say you can extract 10 units of heat from burning a $100 bill, and 5 units of heat from burning a $10 bill. The $100 bill would be more efficient (you are converting more content to heat), but the $10 bill is more cost-effecting (burning 2 $10 bills ($20) gives you the same heat as the $100 bill). This is a very contrived example, but hopefully makes the point.

In our area, electric heat is going to be significantly more expensive than wood/gas type heating options. It might be more efficient, but the extra efficiency does not make up for the inflated cost.

If you want to be able to provide a little bit of heat in a small area at sporadic times, the electric heaters are a convenient option. But, if you're going to use them as a more continuous supplemental heat source, you'll find that they will make a dramatic increase on your electric bill.

[SteveA]

Oletimer,

Here is an older thread regarding the Eden Pure.

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ight=Eden+Pure

[dpg]

Originally Posted by SteveA

Oletimer,

Here is an older thread regarding the Eden Pure.

http://www.winnipesaukee.com/forums/...ight=Eden+Pure

Oletimer - I actually started the old thread Steve posted. I was looking into the same type of heater. If you google Edenpure reviews it's pretty much trashed. I've seen the show on it also - lots of hype in my opinion. I've also investigated the "Armish made" heater now advertised. Same thing, a 20.00 heater stuffed into a (not "solid" wood cabinet.) Furniture standards are funny, if a cabinet is solid pine with a cherry laminate on it, it can be sold as a "solid cherry cabinet." You can get the same type of heater at Home Depot for less than 50.00
And be careful using any electric heater.....

[Oletimer]

Thanks to all who responded. Really appreciate it. Saved some money for sure. Consumer's Report info great. I was going to library to check that out later.

Great bunch of people here.Thanks again.

[ApS]

"...I have had a wood stove going the night before, but let it burn out after I go to bed..."

Instead of letting the wood stove go cold (after all the time it takes to get it hot), toss in a large, unsplit piece of hemlock wood and shut down the air to minimum. Hemlock, when used unsplit in this manner, will keep the firebox adequately warm all night and will regain its normal daytime heat range much faster. I don't recommend hemlock wood otherwise, although my supplier of hardwood firewood says he uses hemlock routinely.

1) With a choice of four radiant heaters available at my cottage, I've found the best for "spot" heating has been one with a parabolic reflector—similar to, but much older than—this one:



At just 800 watts, it does a great job—so good a job—that when I saw a gen-u-ine and unused collectible heater with a gen-u-ine copper reflector—formed into a flower (!)—I just had to have it.

(But can't bring myself to use it for the first time since it was made in the 30s! )

2) The seat at the computer can be very chilly in the early morning hours, so the 800-watt heater was attached to a location 8' above the floor and aimed at the computer area about 12' away. (This is a cottage with a cathedral ceiling about 14' high). Since it is out of reach, I removed the screen guard: removal made a remarkable difference in heat output. It is the only heater that gets the request from those nearby to shut it off!

3) My question relates to a 1500-watt quartz element heater. The base would suggest that the (longish) 18" quartz element should always positioned vertically: I'd like to remove the reflector unit from its base and install it horizontally.

Would a quartz element (that long) be safe from damaging anything if oriented horizontally?

BTW: My understanding is that a parabolic-style reflector for propane is not legal for sale in New Hampshire. One I use has a super output of directed heat. (When the propane cooking grille tank gets suspiciously low, the remaining fuel gets used for radiant heat).