THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 19, 1997 TAG: 9701140108
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KENNAN NEWBOLD, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 50 lines
FOR THOSE WHO, either by choice or circumstance, don't have a fireplace in their home, portable space heaters are a popular and effective alternative.
There are three basic types of portable space heaters - electric, gas and kerosene. The amount of heat you need and where you plan to put it will help you decide which is right for your home.
``Some people just need to heat one room, like a bathroom,'' said Barbara Kelly, a lawn and garden associate at HQ. ``But sometimes (a portable heater) is a home's only source of heat.''
Gas space heaters are most effective if you need to heat a large area, like your living room, and they can easily be mounted on your wall to save space. Kelly recommends calling a qualified plumber for installation.
Electric space heaters are used mainly for supplemental heat and are easy to move around your house. But they aren't the safest alternative for a bathroom because of the danger of electrocution.
With all the various styles of electric heaters today, it's not difficult to find one to match your needs, your tastes and your price range. Inexpensive models come with handles and are light enough to carry from room to room to heat only the occupied areas in your house; others are less mobile, but heat larger areas.
To heat a large area outdoors, Kelly suggests either a kerosene or propane space heater because of their high heat output.
The Norfolk Fire Department doesn't recommend using kerosene or vent-free gas space heaters indoors because both can produce dangerous carbon monoxide buildup. Ventilation is needed for the carbon monoxide to escape.
Newer vent-free space heaters have oxygen-depletion sensors that shut off the unit if there is too little oxygen in the air to burn (for example, when carbon monoxide levels have built up.)
The city of Baltimore considers vent-free gas space heaters so dangerous it has made them illegal, along with kerosene heaters. In Virginia, it's legal to operate vent-free space heaters in the privacy of your home, but it's illegal to do so at places of business.
Portable space heaters at HQ cost anywhere from $49.99 for a popular oil-filled radiator or Quartz heater with humidifier to $249.99 for a Reddy heater, which is used to heat large outdoor areas, like garages or tents. ILLUSTRATION: COLOR PHOTOS BY BILL TIERNAN/The Virginian-Pilot
AT RIGHT, FROM TOP: Local retailers carry a variety of heaters such
as the DeLonghi Safeheat oil-filled radiator; the Quartz radiant
heater; the Corona kerosene heater; and the Reddy propane heater for
outdoor use.