How to Choose a Portable Heater
Portable heaters bring warmth to areas that are impractical or impossible to heat using central HVAC systems. They are available in a wide range of styles, sizes and power sources. To find the best portable heater, first consider how you plan to use it. Do you need to warm a single room? Or will you be heating a space where people spend most of their time and are likely to interact with the heater (like a garage workroom or basement bonus room)? Also, do you want the option to adjust a portable heater’s output to suit a room’s temperature needs?
Portable electric heaters are the most common type of heater. They are compact, lightweight and generally quiet running units that heat a space by convection. They’re ideal for home office use or as supplemental heat in an unheated area. Most come on rolling casters and can be easily moved around the room as needed.
Some models produce radiant heat from a heating element covered with thin sheets of Mica, giving them a slimmer profile than most fan-forced portable electric heaters. Other portable electric heaters use blower fans to circulate warmed air, and some can be wall-mounted.
Many portable job site heaters operate on combustion instead of electricity and are fueled with gas, oil or kerosene. They usually require venting to prevent the release of carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and water vapor into the air, which can lower indoor air quality and cause health problems in high concentrations. These types of portable heaters should be used only in well-ventilated areas and never in homes, tents or other places where people live or sleep. portable heater