Portable heaters add extra warmth to a drafty room or home office and come in a range of styles and heating technologies. The type of heater you need depends on the room size, the climate you live in and how much heat you’re trying to generate.
Oil-filled radiator heaters are a popular choice for whole-room heating. Heated diathermic oil spreads over the radiator fins for a wider area of coverage and convection moves warmed air throughout the space, so they’re relatively quiet, too. Many models have a digital timer, and upmarket versions plug into smart power outlets so you can control them with an app on your phone. A frost protection setting, which switches them on when it senses the temperature is dropping below 5C, is another handy feature.
Electric fan heaters use a blower fan to circulate warmed air around the room. They can have any of a number of heating elements, from micathermic to infrared bulbs. Some also have a fan-only mode that circulates warm air but doesn’t produce any heat. They’re ideal for regulating temperatures and can be used all year round.
Always follow manufacturer instructions, especially on how to keep the heater safe. Keep it away from flammable materials, don’t run it on an extension lead and ensure that it can’t be tripped or knocked over. Always check smoke and carbon monoxide detectors regularly. And as you’d do with any electrical appliance, be sure to switch it off when you leave the room or go to sleep. portable heater