Safe Heater Question again

[Booda's Butt]

Hi Everyone, I know this had been brought up before, but I just had to ask to clarify...

I had been shopping for a small heater to put in the office/bird room for a while now, and still can't find one that I'm 100% comfortable with.

I know most bird people will recommend the Oil filled ones, but I have yet to find one that is a smaller size (most seem to be at least a foot wide and about 3 feet tall)

I have been reading just about every box of every heater at every store I can find a heater at, and can't decide which are safe and which aren't...

There are Ceramic Heaters, Fan Heaters, Radiant Heaters, Utility Heaters and probably more that I've failed to remember right now and list. So which are safe and which are dangerous?? Are there certain brands I should avoid, certain styles, etc?? If they were coated with any sort of non-stick chemicals, where would the coating be located, would it state it on the box, or in the insert, and how would it be written??? I haven't really read anything that mentions it on any of the boxes, or in any of the manuals and inserts I've been able to get to.

Thanks!

[BarbieH]

Hi Karin;

There are a lot of portable heating options out there. For the safety of a pet, any pet, there are a few things to keep in mind for space heaters.

* No exposed heater elements. Even if there is a wire grating between you and the heater element, that may not protect a pet. I don't even know if they make these anymore, but it's worth mentioning.

* No non-stick coatings. These would be applied to the heater element or radiant surface. I think the abbreviation for these coatings is PTFE, but I'm not entirely sure. Ms. Shy would know. Manufacturers usually don't mention its presence on packaging or inserts, so you will need to do some homework online before buying. Contact one or two manufacturers via their customer service info and ask if their heaters have a nonstick coating on any heater elements.

* Don't get anything that needs to be refueled. Some industrial-type space heaters burn used oil, for instance.

* Make sure it's UL listed for safety.

Personally, I like the portability of our oil-filled unit. It's about the same dimensions you mentioned, though maybe a bit narrower, and made by a company called DeLonghi. It gets moved around a lot, wherever we need a little extra heat. It has a built-in thermostat and pretty nice heat control. We got it about 15 years ago and we still use it.

The difference between space heaters and radiant heaters is that space heaters warm the surrounding air, while radiant heaters only heat objects. Heaters that use a fan may use a little more electricity, and they create a slight breeze to deliver the heat.


Good luck. :)

[cassysmiley]

Hi Booda
I know i am in the U.K. so i dont know if you can get the heater that i have here.
Its a Halogen Heater and its a neat little Job.
Mine as 3 elements in it. It also as the option of turning. Also what i like about this heater, it as a safety switch on the bottom, so if its accidently knocked over, it straight away switches off. There are no fumes, cheap to run as it works by halogen elements.( Like a Security light.) They do come in all sizes, mine is 3 bars and boy on just 1 bar it can really bump out the heat.
They also last a long time, so no need to fear of getting things replaced.
The grill across the front is also very small, so no fear of little hands getting burnt.
Hope this helps in your quest for a heater.
Cassy.

[butterfly1061]

The only heaters I have are the oil-filled ones that look like a radiator. I have two and they are the ones Linda recommended. I think she uses them in her aviary. I keep one in the birdroom on low and one in my room. They are wonderful!