Things to Consider When Stocking Space Heaters
Whether it is keeping a living room cozy, an office space warm, or a garage comfortable, millions of people look to portable heaters to heat their space throughout the year—and especially during the winter.
But not all portable heaters are created equal, and different types of heaters bring different benefits based on your customer’s needs.
Let’s break down the specs of heaters so that you can provide your customers with exactly what they need.
What is a space heater?
And is it different from a portable heater? There are many different types of portable heaters, but a space heater is defined as “a device used to heat a single, small area.”
And most space heaters are powered by either electricity or some type of burnable fuel, like natural gas, fuel oil, or wood pellets—but not all require fuel. Let’s look at the different types to see what each brings to the table!
Heater Type and Capacity
Different types of heaters boast different heating technologies, each with their own pros and cons. Most space heaters use convection heating, but others may use radiant heat or could be fan-forced.
Are your customer’s looking to heat a whole room? A convection heater is a good choice. Are they looking to keep a smaller space, such as an office, cozy during the winter months? Radiant heaters are designed heat smaller spots and spaces. If they’re looking for even, controllable heating, a fan-forced heater is a good idea.
Heating capacity goes hand in hand with the type.
A larger capacity heater will generally heat a bigger or wider space but is also more likely to be larger. Sylvane puts it this way: “Generally, a room heater uses 10 watts of heating power to heat each square foot of your space. So, a typical 1,500-watt heater will cover average-sized rooms as large as 150 square feet when used as a supplementary source of heat.”
Keep this in mind when your customers come to asking heater sizes and capacity, and make sure to ask them about the size of the space they’re trying to heat too!
Heater Style
Besides the different types of heating units, heater’s come in a variety of styles as well. And depending on your customers space, their preferred style of heater will change.
Baseboard heaters are ideal for older buildings or spaces that are close to doors or windows.
Compact options are ideal for small spaces, such as offices or dorms.
Tower heaters can spread heat throughout a shared space, keeping several people warm at once.
And wall heaters are great for bigger living spaces, like dens and bedrooms.
Make sure your customers are aware of all of their options before they make any decisions!
Ceramic vs. Infrared vs. Quartz
All three types of heaters are commonly asked for and about. But what makes each unique? Is one type superior to the others? Which type of heater is cheapest to run? Let’s break it down.
What is a ceramic heater?
A ceramic heater isn’t made entirely of ceramics, despite its name. The name derives from the fact that these heaters use the electricity to heat ceramic elements inside them, which then distribute the heat throughout the space they’re in.
Ceramic space heaters are hot enough to warm a space, but don’t pose a fire hazard or burn risk because they’re generally cooler than other types of heaters. Additionally, the ceramic heating element heats up quickly, costing less energy—and therefore money—to keep its user nice and cozy.
What is an infrared heater?
Infrared heaters work differently than other traditional space heaters. Instead heating up an element or blowing hot air, they use infrared (IR) light to heat up the objects around them. What does this mean in practical terms?
Well, for starters, IR heaters heat instantaneously, so there’s no wasted time or energy waiting on them to warm up. And since they only heat a specific area or objects around them, the energy they do use is concentrated in a smaller area—meaning there’s little to no wasted heat, so your customers are getting more bang for their buck.
However, your customers do want to be careful: IR heaters can become extremely hot, making them a hazard to any children, pets, or unwitting users.
What is a quartz heater?
A quartz heater is a type of IR heater. In this design, instead of directly emitting infrared light, the infrared element is contained within a quartz tube, which protects the element and keeps the heat focused—preventing any loss of energy.
People and objects around the quartz element absorb the heat, instead of it being lost to the air.
The pros and cons of quartz heaters are similar to those of traditional IR heaters: they’re incredibly energy efficient but do pose a burn hazard if not properly placed and maintained.
What is a safe space heater?
Our final point is the most important: make sure your customers understand safety guidelines for their heaters.
According to the Department of Energy, “The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission estimates that more than 25,000 residential fires every year are associated with the use of space heaters, resulting in more than 300 deaths. In addition, an estimated 6,000 people receive hospital emergency room care for burn injuries associated with contacting the hot surfaces of room heaters, mostly in non-fire situations.”
No matter how safe or self-assured your customers may feel, make sure they take the following into consideration when purchasing a portable heater:
- They’re buying newer heater models that are UL labeled.
- A thermostatically-controlled heater to avoid energy waste and overheating a space.
- They choose the proper style and size of heater for their space.
- They know to place their heater on a flat surface where pets or kids can’t interact with it.
Staying Warm, Safe, and Cozy
Now that you’re informed about the different styles of heaters, offer your customers great options to stay warm.
To see all of Petra’s portable heater options and to peruse our blog, make sure to visit order.petra.com.