****** Anyone about for a quick response - Convector Heaters or Oil Filled Radiators

[lavendersun]

I have heating problems - my lovely plumber is away until Monday.

I have other ways of heating downstairs but nothing for upstairs. Well, I do have one oil filled radiator my parents gave me years ago.

I am going to buy a couple of extra heaters to use upstairs for an hour or two in the evenings - which is best oil filled or convector.

I need to order in the next couple of hours for delivery tomorrow.

700w oil filled (or non oil filled
www.amazon.co.uk/Dimplex-Free-Baby-Column-Heater/dp/B002DGTMJE/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1421915103&sr=8-15&keywords=small+oil+filled+radiator

2kw convector £32
www.amazon.co.uk/DeLonghi-HCM2030-Convector-Heater-Thermostat/dp/B001G61H7M/ref=sr_1_19?ie=UTF8&qid=1421914304&sr=8-19&keywords=small+heater#customerReviews

Thanks, Lavender.

I prefer oil-filled. They give a more regular and even heat, and they have no hot surfaces capable of causing a fire if e.g. they are put too close to furniture, or a curtain or newspaper falls on top.

The amount of heat per kW and per penny is exactly the same as a convector of the same power. There is however a delay of several minutes both in getting hot, when you turn on, and going cold, when you turn off. It is this lag caused by their thermal mass that makes the warmth more even without sharp highs and lows as the thermostat cuts in and out.

p.s.

Dimplex is quite an expensive brand

You can probably get a 2kW oil filled by some other maker for a similar price. As long as the heater has a high/med/low switch (larger ones generally do) it need not overheat the room.

High Street shops tend to sell out on cold days.

for example

or

I wouldn't get the ones with built in timers, the timer is the first thing to go wrong, and some of them are annoyingly noisy.

We've got an oil free radiator in the conservatory and it warms up really quickly.

Thanks very much, I forgot I had my farrier coming so haven't ordered anything yet - I will stick to oil filled radiators and see what I can get delivered tomorrow.

I could go out to try to find one but am 20 miles from anywhere that would have anything at all and then expect their choice to be fairly limited.

I am very thankful for the solid fuel affairs downstairs at this point in my life!

Piglet John - do you think it is worth paying more for a Delonghi or Dimplex or not? I presume they all have to meet some sort of standard.

Some of the Delonghi ones have 10 year guarantees - seems a long time.

Also, I like the compact size of the 500 or 700w ones from a storage point of view, would these be any good in a 12ft x 15ft bedroom (obv could leave them on for a few hours before bed) or would you just go for a bigger wattage.

Would have to store them in an unheated barn if I went for the bigger ones - water tight and good condition etc. but the small ones would fit in an inside cupboard.

you can probably get next-day delivery from TLC (above) or from Screwfix

depends on your insulation. A 1kW heater is the minimum I would use in a bedroom. With a thermostat it should not be running all the time. A 2kW means you can put it on high to warm the room, then turn it down to half-heat for a regular temp.

IMO Dimplex are excessively expensive because they have a brand name. There are some very flashy electric heaters sold at very high prices because punters have been tricked into thinking they produce more heat with less electricity. This is however an impossibility. Al electric heaters produce the same amount of heat for any given amount of electricity.

I am sure some of the unbranded Chinese imports will not be very good. There is not much to go wrong in an oil-filled radiator, they seem to last for many years. Timers go wrong, and I suppose switches might break, or the castors might break.

Thanks very much, we are in a house with walls that are nearly 2ft thick - no insulation just brick and flint/stone. My bedroom is north facing and not warm which suits us generally - but I don't want to freeze.

I have just ordered two 1.5kw basic, no timer jobs, I went for Delonghi mid price with a 5 yr warranty.

They should be here tomorrow.

I am now the proud owner of four oil filled radiators! Three new ones arrived this morning.

We didn't freeze last night but used Dad's 3kw one in our room before we went to bed. The bedroom with the main chimney breast and only one outside wall was fine temperature wise.

1.5kw is a good size so thanks for that Piglet John although I must confess to ordering the very cute 500W one for my study - a good excuse as I work in there most days and my feet are always cold because I rarely use the heating during the day.