Infrared Heating

[stubbex1]

Hey guys, I'm curious if anyone here has one of these or has thought of trying them out. Its a portable infrared heater from CT I purchased last week. They advertise they only use about $2 of hydro per day and will heat 1000sq feet. I have a smallish house around 1200 sq feet with an oil furnace and last year it cost me approx $1900 in furnace oil. I've been using the heater since Saturday, and have only to turn the furnace on for about 10 mins each morning. The unit cost me $400, and if i do the math, it should only cost me $210 extra in hydro to run this thing all winter

 

The heat is actually really nice, i have leather furniture and harwood/tile floors, and it seems to heat them up better than my furnace does.

 

My only concern is the amount of hydro it actually DOES use, and that they my be a little optimist when they advertise these things.

 

I don't want my wife to find me laying in the snow with the hydro bill in my hand when it comes in the mail

 

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[Nemo]

Read this topic and you can calculate the energy consumption of the appliance.

 

You will need to know your hydro rates plus any extras they tack on to get the final number.

 

http://www.ehow.com/how_2319652_calculate-cost-running-appliance.html

[stubbex1]

Thanks for the link Nemo, i'll check it out tonight

[Fisherman]

If it's the same model they have on for $499 now, that things got a 4.3kW element, just like running an oven. I don't think you just plug it into the regular wall socket. I'd be hard pressed to believe it will heat 1200sqft without putting you in the hydro poor house.

[bushart]

I was gonna buy one

 

I don't think it's an element as rather lite bulbs (I think)

 

Interested to see how it works though??

[stubbex1]

I think its 1500 watt, and yes its infra-red, so no element. In my house it stays on 24/7 to HOLD the temp steady at 70.

 

1500 watt

 

1.5kw/h

 

$.11 per kw

 

$3.96 per day

 

$118 per month.

 

If it IS 1500 watt, thats darn cheap heat compared to my oil furnace!!!!

[lookinforwalleye]

I think it will work fine as a heater but it`s an awful expensive 1500 watt heater, you can get a 1500 heater for a lot less money.

I am no expert but I highly doubt that it will heat 1000 feet for two dollars a day, lets say you paying 10 cents a KWH delivered so you can buy 20 kwh of power I can`t see that heating your house in the winter months.

I am currently running 2 heaters that are drawing 900 watts to keep my first floor warm and I estimate they will use about 4 bucks worth of hydro.

I think if you google the reviews on those types of heaters you`ll be in for a surprise.

[aplumma]

Here is the formula for Watts=BTU with a 1500 watt heater running as an example. A watt is a fixed energy measurement and a British Thermal Unit is also a fixed unit. It does not matter if you are heating with a light bulb or a coil or infrared heater. This said an infrared unit heats objects that then radiate the heat into the air. A forced air or coil heater heats the air as well as heating the objects in contact with the air. It means if your hands are cold and it is windy an infrared heater will heat them up but the air temperature will not change. With a coil heater you will just be cold unless you are on top of the unit.

 

1 kW is 3,413 BTUs. Therefore, 1500 Watts = 1.5 kW and 1.5 kW x 3413 BTU/kW =

3 413 * 1.5 = 5 119.5 BTUs per hr for a 1500 Watt

 

 

Hope this helps

 

 

Art

[Gerritt]

hope u kept the receipt.

 

500.00 buys alot of insulation. a wiser investment in my opinion.

 

Better to prevent the elements, then battle them.

 

G

Edited December 8, 2010 by Gerritt

[stubbex1]

hope u kept the receipt.

 

500.00 buys alot of insulation. a wiser investment in my opinion.

 

Better to prevent the elements, then battle them.

 

G

 

Ya I have the receipt, 30 days no questions return policy.

 

FYI I did the energy audit thing this spring, and insulated all the outside walls, and ceiling. Maybe thats why I can get away with a 1500 watt heater

 

 

thanks for the input guys, i'll be sure to let you know how it pans out!

[Gerritt]

Please do, I would be interested in the complete results.

 

Another thing you can do to help you're heating costs is to put that shrink plastic over you're windows to get rid of unwanted drafts. it is cheap to do, they come in kits available at local building centres. Just use the wife's hairdryer and you are all set!

 

G

[Billy Bob]

Please do, I would be interested in the complete results.

 

Another thing you can do to help you're heating costs is to put that shrink plastic over you're windows to get rid of unwanted drafts. it is cheap to do, they come in kits available at local building centres. Just use the wife's hairdryer and you are all set!

 

G

 

I did the plastic over the windows for years.....works VERY well with the hair dryer....come spring cut with sharp knife and use again on a smaller window....it don't matter how wrinkled it goes on, it will all disappear when heated with the hair dryer.

 

Keep Warm,

Bob

[mercman]

they work with the same type of lite they use in restaurants to keep food warm while the waitress serves customers.they heat the air inside the box, causing air to circulate through the bottom,over the lites and out the top. maybe be good for damp fall days,but i cant see them working here in the arctic

Wait till it gets down to -30. then let us know how warm you still are.

[crappieperchhunter]

I purchased this one in October https://www.comfortfurnace.ca/home.htm From what I understand it is a slight upgrade on the one you have stubbex.

 

We have a cottage in Bobcaygeon with baseboard electric, that we rent out for the winter. It is 640 square feet..20 x 32... one floor. We had some trouble with the baseboards just after the tenants moved in for the winter... they would not shut off. So for a quick fix until an electrician showed up I grabbed one of these. It claims a pretty huge savings on hydro. Haven't got a bill yet so we will see. All I can say is the tenants LOVE IT. They say it is a way nicer and more consistent heat then the baseboards. They have asked to keep in on they love it so much. I said go ahead so we will see how things work out. They keep it at 68. I just can't believe something that size will do the job all winter... but like I said a big thumbs up so far.

 

G.... I agree with your suggestion to stubbex about insulating better. I know that is a big part of my problem, but the tenants rent covers all my bills and my taxes for the year so for now I'm not going to use my precious vacation time up there in the summer to work...I'll be fishing instead

[splashhopper]

Here is the formula for Watts=BTU with a 1500 watt heater running as an example. A watt is a fixed energy measurement and a British Thermal Unit is also a fixed unit. It does not matter if you are heating with a light bulb or a coil or infrared heater. This said an infrared unit heats objects that then radiate the heat into the air. A forced air or coil heater heats the air as well as heating the objects in contact with the air. It means if your hands are cold and it is windy an infrared heater will heat them up but the air temperature will not change. With a coil heater you will just be cold unless you are on top of the unit.

 

1 kW is 3,413 BTUs. Therefore, 1500 Watts = 1.5 kW and 1.5 kW x 3413 BTU/kW =

3 413 * 1.5 = 5 119.5 BTUs per hr for a 1500 Watt

 

 

Hope this helps

 

 

Art

 

 

so how much does it cost to run this thing based on your formula

[lookinforwalleye]

so how much does it cost to run this thing based on your formula

 

1.5 kwh x .10/kwh = .15 cents/hour x 24 hours = 3.60 day x 30 days = 108 $ a month

 

Which isn`t bad but I doubt a 1500 watt heater can heat a 1000 sq. ft. house with all its different rooms and turns heck. I would even venture a guess that it would not heat a single 1000 sq.ft. room.

It may heat your home in the cool months but at minus 10 to 15 I don`t know but I would like to be wrong on this one as I would love to heat my house for 108 bucks a month.

[Gerritt]

I am of the belief that Natural Gas will always be cheaper then electric using a High Efficiency furnace you can almost eliminate the loss around 97%, while electric is 100%

 

I still believe the cost savings is better going Natural Gas over Electric.

 

 

G

[Old Man]

I am of the belief that Natural Gas will always be cheaper then electric using a High Efficiency furnace you can almost eliminate the loss around 97%, while electric is 100%

 

I still believe the cost savings is better going Natural Gas over Electric.

 

 

G

 

I agree with this, except not everyone has access to natural gas. The cheapest form of heating & cooling to run is Geothermal. Unfortunately the initial investment is considerable, but as energy prices rise the payback periods will become shorter and shorter.

[lookinforwalleye]

I am of the belief that Natural Gas will always be cheaper then electric using a High Efficiency furnace you can almost eliminate the loss around 97%, while electric is 100%

 

I still believe the cost savings is better going Natural Gas over Electric.

 

 

G

 

 

Mitsubishi has introduced a airsource heatpump that apparently will work down to -25C and the cold weather technology seems to be improving rapidly depending on the situation a NG furnace or EBB`s may be old technology soon.

[gogu392]

Ya I have the receipt, 30 days no questions return policy.

 

FYI I did the energy audit thing this spring, and insulated all the outside walls, and ceiling. Maybe thats why I can get away with a 1500 watt heater

 

 

thanks for the input guys, i'll be sure to let you know how it pans out!

 

I am looking to insulate the outside walls as well.

Can you please give me an ideea what was the cost of that?

What kind of insulation was used on outside walls?

 

I can't speak for infra red heater, new used one.

I am on High Eficiency gas furnace (95% - variable speed), brand Goodman.

I just instaled in Sept. Works fine for now, no complain and the gas bill looks fine, a lot smaller.

Regards

[irishfield]

Electricity is electricity no matter how you create heat from it.. the only way the infrared is going to be cheaper, now that some snow has fallen, is if you hid a 12/2 extension cord under said snow to your neighbours outside receptical !!

Edited December 9, 2010 by irishfield

[Terry]

now we are coming up with some good ideas

[irishfield]

I try my best my friend... too bad my closest neighbour is 1700 feet away.. I think I'll have to use 3/0 !!

[Garry2Rs]

I am using a free radiant heat source. The natives call it the sun.

 

At this time of year it's only available for about 12 hours a day, but it heats my trailer to around 80 and the outside air into the 70's, but it's a dry heat...

 

During the dark hours I find a hoody does the trick until it's time for bed.

 

Since I cook with gas, I find that delaying dinner time until 8PM. helps to hold the inside temperature a bit longer at no extra cost.

Edited December 10, 2010 by garry2rs

[lookinforwalleye]

I am using a free radiant heat source. The natives call it the sun.

 

At this time of year it's only available for about 12 hours a day, but it heats my trailer to around 80 and the outside air into the 70's, but it's a dry heat...

 

During the dark hours I find a hoody does the trick until it's time for bed.

 

Since I cook with gas, I find that delaying dinner time until 8PM. helps to hold the inside temperature a bit longer at no extra cost.

 

 

You have sun in the K`s I haven`t seen the sun in weeks!!!