Please put in home repair section Are infa-red space heaters economical to use?

Beverly S

No. they are expensive to use.

dtstellwagen

Per watt they produce the same amount of heat any electric appliance produces, 3412 btu's per kw/h. The difference is IR uses light to heat surfaces that are in direct exposure to the source, and those surfaces then heat the air. If you are in front of the heater the heater will heat your exposed skin or your clothes. But if you leave the room it will provide the same heat to the room as any cheap heater. (To confirm this do a search for "3412 btu's" or "5100 btu heater".) In the US Electricity costs about 3x as much as natural gas.

Name Withheld: They are efficient - however

They are efficient - however: conventional heaters (resistance coil or tape, ceramic, etc) are long-lived. Quartz and most infra-red heaters (inluding Edenpure, Amish fireplace and such) use heating tubes or elements that are similar to light bulbs - they burn out and must be replaced periodically. One size I checked cost $45 and the heater took 3 of them !!! Not so economical when you factor-in that cost.

STEVEN F

Compared to ANY non-electric heat source, there is no such thing as an economical electric heat source.