Oil filled heater, yey or ney?

[daemondamian]

Ok so I've decided to get an oil filled heater because it won't dry out the air as much as a fan heater would, doesn't have any exposed elements, can be moved on casters and a dish of water can be put on top which would evaporate providing extra humidity.

Anyone think this is a bad choice ?; why?

[Gin]

Hi , I use one on the screen porch in the winter but have a fan on the floor behind it to spread the heat .
The only thing is don't put water on top of it because of the thermostat / controls could short it if it got wet .
Gin

[Charles]

You are better off hanging a wet towel near it and "drying" it with the heater. A towel will hold lots of water.

[OrchidTess]

Didn't work for me in a 8' x 12' greenhouse....even used 2 heaters with fan to circulate the air. On cold days 30°F plus range, I could not keep it in the mid 50's...night was even worse. I had the oil filled heaters cranked so high water hitting it would sizzle. The fan heaters worked far better for me.

[Magnus A]

I have a question, why do the fan heater dry the air more than an oil filled heater?
You wrote:
"oil filled heater because it won't dry out the air as much as a fan heater would"
When you heat air you do not condensate out water, raising the temperature on air 5 degree lowers the relative humidity to a set value. You do not remove or add water with either heatingmodule you asked about

[daemondamian]

Originally Posted by Magnus A

I have a question, why do the fan heater dry the air more than an oil filled heater?
You wrote:
"oil filled heater because it won't dry out the air as much as a fan heater would"
When you heat air you do not condensate out water, raising the temperature on air 5 degree lowers the relative humidity to a set value. You do not remove or add water with either heatingmodule you asked about

Hi Magnus,
I suppose I was thinking in terms of personal perception of using fan heaters inside the home that I've found they can feel 'drying', of course as you've pointed out that doesn't make it scientifically factual. Thanks

[daemondamian]

Originally Posted by Charles

You are better off hanging a wet towel near it and "drying" it with the heater. A towel will hold lots of water.

Hi Charles, thanks that is a good idea!

[daemondamian]

Originally Posted by Gin

Hi , I use one on the screen porch in the winter but have a fan on the floor behind it to spread the heat .
The only thing is don't put water on top of it because of the thermostat / controls could short it if it got wet .
Gin

Thanks for your reply Gin That wouldn't be a good thing,
having it short out I do have 2 fans, both oscillating, one up high and the other on a pedestal so the air is circulating very well.

[daemondamian]

Originally Posted by OrchidTess

Didn't work for me in a 8' x 12' greenhouse....even used 2 heaters with fan to circulate the air. On cold days 30°F plus range, I could not keep it in the mid 50's...night was even worse. I had the oil filled heaters cranked so high water hitting it would sizzle. The fan heaters worked far better for me.

Hi Tess,
thanks for your reply

I have put an insulating layer of bubblewrap across the whole ceiling and sealed the ends where the polycarbonate sheeting had open gaps so that there is a trapped pocket of air that should help to retain the heat better as well as the heat in the bubbles in the bubblewrap.

The lowest average temp here is also 8 degrees celcius which is 46 farenheit.. I have bought a 1000W oil filled heater and have managed to get around 14 degrees so far with it turned on half way (I checked at 4am ) but I've only been turning it on at night.

I want to get a thermostat to set at a minimum of 14 degrees celcius permanantly so I don't have to keep switching it on and off all the time.