Electric space heaters

coolmom42 wrote:
I've always just used the basic little cube style heaters. They go to 1500 watts and 2 different fan speeds.

Don't use them with an extension cord or plug strip. Check that the tip-over cutoff works. Set them in a place where they wont' get pushed against anything cloth or plastic. They are perfectly safe.

I will add, don't set them on the floor next to the bed as they can scorch a circle on the blanket when/if it comes in contact. :)

bumpy

wa8yxm wrote:
The problem is not the heater. most of them are safe now days (I like to avoid the ones that glow red however) Ceramics tend to be very compact. Oil filled very large. But all of them give exactly the same amount of heat for the same amount of electricity. all heaters are 100% efficient so if the maker says something like "3 times more efficient" they are lying. (The reason is in an electrical system all losses express as heat, with a heater this is the desired output so all losses are recovered).

Page 2: The Danger
Quick box or Unibox outlets use punch down connectors that are great at say 100mA or less (telephone current) but not so good when the amps hit double digits.

A 1500 watt heater is 12.5 amps I had one outlet overheat I've seen them melted down and wires broken and acing. Serious fire hazard AND I AM NOT AN RV SERVICE TECHINICIAN just what I've seen

I used assorted electric heaters. mostly hot (but not red) wire, some ceramic. for 15 years. But I also installed special circuits (3 of them) two were dedicatred circuit breaker via 12ga wire to a 15/20 amp duplex outlet (has a "T" shaped neutral slot) the third was 12-ga from a dedicated breaker to a GFCI (Kitchen 2) with a 2nd standard Duplex "Daisy" off the GFCI (Also GFCI protected)

Never smelled hot wire after that.

This the biggest issue with using portable heaters in an RV! The outlets don’t have screw down terminals, the insulated wire is pressed into a blade of metal that pierces the insulation and makes contact with the wire inside, it has a small contact area. That small contact area and high draw create heat in the outlet it self.
We full time so heating is an everyday process for us in winter, my father was a firefighter and saw many fires started by portable heaters, with some deaths.
Pianotuna has installed heated carpet, which keeps feet warm, the thought is interesting to me.
We chose to heat with the RV comfort systems electric furnace add-on system, this adds an electric heating element to the furnace air path, so not only heating the interior of our 5er we heat the basement. We have a temperature sensor in the basement and at just below freezing outside it reads between 51 and 49 degrees at the outside wall.

I have a little TT and previously a pup. So i have the smaller ceramic heater. They work great, but as others said they need to be secured, or at least minded so they are not near any combustibles. I placed mine in the middle of the old style metal milk crate and put that on the table. Secure it with bungees. My daughter is 9 now but i used that method for years in case she got up and knocked it around.

As Don said, I believe the oil filled are the safest, especially if you have kids or pets around. I got this little 400 watt oil filled to use as a supplement. oil filled
We use it to avoid winterizing in borderline twmps. In my 27' Winnie it will keep the temps about 12 degrees warmer than outside on its own and then we set the furnace to 40-45 so if it gets too cold the furnace still kicks in.
And at 400 watts it's not hard on the 30 amp load limit we have in our rig.

I've used a number of different electric heaters, some better than others. I found one that I really like, and it's built better than most, with a HD cord/plug, that does not get hot.



It is a Tenergy 750/1500 heater.

Jerry

The problem is not the heater. most of them are safe now days (I like to avoid the ones that glow red however) Ceramics tend to be very compact. Oil filled very large. But all of them give exactly the same amount of heat for the same amount of electricity. all heaters are 100% efficient so if the maker says something like "3 times more efficient" they are lying. (The reason is in an electrical system all losses express as heat, with a heater this is the desired output so all losses are recovered).

Page 2: The Danger
Quick box or Unibox outlets use punch down connectors that are great at say 100mA or less (telephone current) but not so good when the amps hit double digits.

A 1500 watt heater is 12.5 amps I had one outlet overheat I've seen them melted down and wires broken and acing. Serious fire hazard AND I AM NOT AN RV SERVICE TECHINICIAN just what I've seen

I used assorted electric heaters. mostly hot (but not red) wire, some ceramic. for 15 years. But I also installed special circuits (3 of them) two were dedicatred circuit breaker via 12ga wire to a 15/20 amp duplex outlet (has a "T" shaped neutral slot) the third was 12-ga from a dedicated breaker to a GFCI (Kitchen 2) with a 2nd standard Duplex "Daisy" off the GFCI (Also GFCI protected)

Never smelled hot wire after that.

I'm interested in what type of heater you guys are running that has heated/melted your extension cords? Or what gauge cords you're using?

As for the OP. I look at my best bet being on a "bigger" name in the game as being "safer". Though I have little more than faith in that thinking. Howell, Sunbeam, Noma, Panasonic. Dyson if you like paying triple for the Gucci factor.

I yank the chicken poop original wire out of 1,650 watt heaters and replace it with 14/2 heavy zipcord. And a real plug. Electrical in my life is not allowed to heat the power cord or plug. I have found too many showing a Delta T of 70°F. Unplug and the original plug prongs will make you yipe "ouch" brand new out of the box. I do not want early morning drama.

Costco member? Im freezing as i type this and close to pulling the trigger on the Dyson HP02 thats on sale. From what ive researched its the same model as the HP04 that is sold everywhere besides costco for a higher price. 

I've always just used the basic little cube style heaters. They go to 1500 watts and 2 different fan speeds.

Don't use them with an extension cord or plug strip. Check that the tip-over cutoff works. Set them in a place where they wont' get pushed against anything cloth or plastic. They are perfectly safe.