Packing Heat

By: Joe Hurst-Wajszczuk (Page 1 of 6)

Are portable heaters safe?

RADIANT HEATERS, like the Marvin 2060 ($69.95) above, generate infrared radiation to warm objects and people within the beam.

RADIANT HEATERS, like the Marvin 2060, generate infrared radiation to warm objects and people within the beam.

CERAMIC HEATERS, like the Pelonis Safe-T-Furnace ($19.97), throw off the same amount of heat as bigger electric units, but their smaller size makes these units more portable.

CERAMIC HEATERS, like the Pelonis Safe-T-Furnace, throw off the same amount of heat as bigger electric units, but their smaller size makes these units more portable.

OIL-FILLED ELECTRIC radiators like this Lakewood 7096 ($59.99) take longer to heat up but provide even heating without whirring fans or red-hot elements.

OIL-FILLED ELECTRIC radiators like this Lakewood 7096 take longer to heat up but provide even heating without whirring fans or red-hot elements.

WITH A BUILT-IN GFCI, the Holmes HFH-430BR heater fan ($29.99) is the only portable heater approved for bathrooms.

WITH A BUILT-IN GFCI, the Holmes HFH-430BR heater fan is the only portable heater approved for bathrooms.

CLEANER-BURNING KEROSENE heaters, like Kero-Sun's Double Clean 90 ($289) above, use a dual-burn chamber to reduce emission levels below government safety standards.

CLEANER-BURNING KEROSENE heaters, like Kero-Sun's Double Clean 90, use a dual-burn chamber to reduce emission levels below government safety standards.

THE PORTABLE BUDDY (about $100) from Mr. Heater can be fueled by a 20-gal. liquid-propane tank or disposable 1-gal. canisters.

THE PORTABLE BUDDY from Mr. Heater can be fueled by a 20-gallon liquid-propane tank or disposable 1-gallon canisters.

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A few years ago, we began to notice two closely related trends. First, each season's heating bill was significantly higher than the previous season's. Second, huge pyramid displays of portable space heaters began to appear in home centers, discount stores, appliances stores, and even chain drug stores. Most of us know how good heat from one of these small appliances feels when it's sitting a few feet away. But portable heaters raise a number of questions as well. Among them: Do portable space heaters actually reduce overall energy bills? And, given how hot they get, are they truly safe? We decided to investigate.