I found a few walmart reviews

http://reviews.walmart.com/1336/15041087/lifesmart-1500-watt-infrared-heater-cherry-finish-reviews/reviews.htm

meow57 wrote:Does anyone have any idea how loud the fan in this is?

From my experience:

It's louder than most PC's but quieter than a normal 2' diameter you'd use to cool a room in the summer. But hey, it's more quite then my central air in the attic.

It could possibly wake a sleeping baby. But it doesn't wake me.

Another noise factor is when you use the control panel or remote. Every time you press a button, it makes a "beep". It's a bit too loud and high pitch if you ask me. About the same level of noise as a microwave when you press it's buttons. Could possibly wake some one.

I've used one for two months now and it's great, bought it for the garage but once I noticed the power savings I kept it in the house. It's been great here in VA, crossing from Fall to Winter so quickly compared to previous years. I've kept the central air off completely.

Hope this helps.

saleenxp8 wrote:So this item would not work best in an average two car garage, correct? My garage is setup as a game room with pool table, bar etc. What kind of portable heater/s would work best in an average garage?

Get a "milkhouse" type heater - the kind with metal housing and knobs on the front. We just got a "Dura Flame" model and it seems ok. Just make sure it has a tipover switch and don't put anything right in front of it. If you ever have flammable fumes out there, no electric heater is really safe, but the ceramic disk types are safest.

is this a good solution to heat a screened in porch in Ga?

Does anyone know if this has copper inside the heating element? I read if it doesn't then it is not an infared heater.

rutheb wrote:Does anyone know if this has copper inside the heating element? I read if it doesn't then it is not an infared heater.

From Wikipedia:

Quartz heat lamps

Quartz infrared heating elements emit medium wave infrared energy and are particularly effective in systems where rapid heater response is required. Tubular infrared lamps in quartz bulbs produce useful infrared radiation in wavelengths of 1.5-8 microns. The enclosed filament operates at around 2500 K, producing more shorter-wavelength radiation than open wire-coil sources. Developed in the 1950s at General Electric, these lamps produce about 100 watts/inch (4 w/mm) and can be combined to radiate 500 watts per square foot (54000 watts/square m). To achieve even higher power densities, halogen lamps were used. Quartz infrared lamps are used in highly-polished reflectors to direct radiation in a uniform and concentrated pattern.

Quartz heat lamps are used in food processing, chemical processing, paint drying, and thawing of frozen materials. They can also be used for comfort heating in cold areas, in incubators, and in other applications for heating, drying, and baking. During development of space re-entry vehicles, banks of quartz infrared lamps were used to test heat shield materials at power densities as high as 28 kW/ square foot (300 kW/square meter).

Most common designs consist of either a satin milky-white quartz glass tube or clear quartz with an electrically resistant element, usually a tungsten wire, or a thin coil of iron-chromium-aluminum alloy.[3] The atmospheric air is removed and filled with inert gases such as nitrogen and argon then sealed. In quartz halogen lamps a small amount of halogen gas is added to prolong the heater's operational life.

Much of the infrared and visible energy released is caused by the direct heating of the quartz material, 97% of the near infrared is absorbed by the silica quartz glass tube causing the temperature of the tube wall to increases, this causes the silicon-oxygen bond to radiate far infrared rays.

Quartz glass heating elements were originally designed for lighting applications, but when a lamp is at full power less than 5% of the emitted energy is in the visible spectrum.

Will a $20 1500-watt heater heat a room just as well, at the same cost, as this unit? Yes. But will the $20 one heat YOU as well as this one? Can you really deny the placebo-heating effect of the pixie dust and unicorn farts this one is infused with? And this one looks slightly cooler. Surely that's worth a measly $85, right?

Hello?

Infrared heating typically heats "things", but NOT the air in between. That's how infrared saunas work as well as the infrared sources in restaurant buffets that keep the slab of beef hot.

tesla33 wrote:Kind of a scam, I'm afraid. Quartz infrared heaters have been around for a long time. If you only need your exposed skin to feel warm while you sit near it, fine - but this one is overpriced. And just one setting of 1500 watts?!? That tells me two things: it doesn't heat at all well unless it's really sucking all the current from the outlet circuit, and it's not very expensively made. Get a good ceramic fan-forced heater with multiple heat settings and an electronic thermostat for less than the half the price of this...

Back up you data and post a link to the half priced fan.

Can anyone tell me how many sq ft this will heat?

Perfect for OWS. It's a heater, it's a chair, it's a bongo!

sixiam wrote:Guys don't bother with this. Get an oil filled radiator. They are pure awesome! They hold the heat, have multiple settings, and work really well for heating a cold room. Works well in Pittsburgh for the winter, wait make that fall, mine is on right now!

Here is one on Amazon for $70(same max wattage):
http://www.amazon.com/Delonghi-TRD0715T-Safe-Oil-Filled-Radiator/dp/B000A33B1C/

Does any one have an idea of the electric cost of oil heaters? is it significant compared to cranking your furnace up?

My landlord gave us a very similar-looking heater which was supposed to work about the same - infrared heat inside and fan-forced method of getting the heat out of the box.

They advertised it as a "whole-room" heater, but the manual had very specific instructions on how you had to place the heater to get that whole-room heat.

Not only did it not deliver ont he full-room heat part, but after less than six months of use, the thermostat broke and the heater would only work for short bursts of less than sixty seconds before moving to cool fan air only.

Would not buy or advise others to buy.

Staminator wrote:Not only did it not deliver ont he full-room heat part, but after less than six months of use, the thermostat broke and the heater would only work for short bursts of less than sixty seconds before moving to cool fan air only.

Would not buy or advise others to buy.

And looking through the Wal-Mart reviews above, it seems many people have had this problem with the thermostat.

I love the C.S. Lewis knock off in the description. a little Lion, witch and Wardrobe to start the day!

akhoward wrote:Back up you data and post a link to the half priced fan.

Not my post originally, but here you go:

1. Amazon - $22.49

2. WalMart - $34.97

3. Target - $14.99

You can get these little ceramic heater/fans at pretty much any hardware, big box, or electronics store for around $25 depending on features.

Cheers!

Simply stated: Infrared heaters heat objects and do very little to heat the air in the room. So if this were sitting some where in the vicinity of you, pointed at you, you would be quite warm. But, don't expect an infrared heater to heat a room up. It may raise the temperature a few degrees just from reflected energy.

Pistolaro wrote:is this a good solution to heat a screened in porch in Ga?

I'm afraid not. As you have seen others mention here, infrared does not heat major components of air, only 'stuff' like walls, furniture and people. The walls then heat the air. A screened in porch would not hold the heat well. A ceramic heater with a fan or an oil filled would be better. Because odor is less of an issue I would say kerosene would be the best and cheapest, but it is a bit of a hassle.

akhoward wrote:Does any one have an idea of the electric cost of oil heaters? is it significant compared to cranking your furnace up?

If they are 120V, the same cost as running the one featured today on woot. If you want to calculate:

$$ = Heater_Watts/1000 * Hours * Price/kWH

I pay about $0.11 per kWH. To run a 1500W heater all day on max would cost me about $4 a day (your mileage may vary).

No matter what the heat transmission device is, if you use 1500 watts on a 110 volt house circuit your meter will still spin at the same dizzying speed. Of course we all have digital meters now, so, its easier to see just how frigging fast the electrons are flowing without getting hypnotized, falling forward into the wires and being zapped like a bug. Ouch.

If we all buy this then maybe that Virginia delegate was right who said power rates were going up because citizens in the commonwealth really are using 9 or 10 times more electricity.

Been doing a lot of research on these. The fact is that a 1500-watt heater is a perfect conversion to heat. In other words, a 1500-watt Edenpure will heat EXACTLY like a 1500-watt lifeSMART. Do yourself a favor, don't be fooled by Edenpure. If you bought an Edenpure, you got suckered into it. These are a great deal. I'm in for 2. Glad I waited, I almost bought the same thing at Home Depot for $200 each. Hot deal!

Cost of operation for me:

(Assuming an 8hr/day duty cycle)

1KW/h costs me $0.11

1500W / 1000 = 1.5KW

8 * 1.5 = 12 KW/h used per day

12KW/h * $0.11 = $1.32 per day

This equates to about $40/mo to run this thing.

glubash wrote:If they are 120V, the same cost as running the one featured today on woot. If you want to calculate:

$$ = Heater_Watts/1000 * Hours * Price/kWH

I pay about $0.11 per kWH. To run a 1500W heater all day on max would cost me about $4 a day (your mileage may vary).

Great calculation! Well, that is a 100% accurate estimate for the fuel factor and the power company does present the fuel factor outright as a rate. But that fuel factor is only a fraction of what your actual bill becomes. I wish I had a bill handy to look at but several other variables are dependent on the amount of electricity you are using. And the power company will not give you a figure on how much per kilowatt you're paying on those. There is at least a generation fee as I recall mixed in with everything. I think the easiest method to figure in whole cost per kilowatt for your power would be to look at your total monthly kilowatt usage and divide the amount you have to pay for it. It comes out a bit higher than figuring in just the fuel factor of $.11/kwh. For ten hours of this heater on high you would be using 1.5kwh. So for every 6.6 hours you are using 1kwh. Take that number you got off your power bill and multiply. Now if you already have a low power bill you're going to realize a slight better rate because a few of those charges are fixed costs on the power bill, but if you're already paying $100/month then what you're paying per kilowatt hour now is going to be about the same as what you're paying per kilowatt hour when it hits $200/month.

dbcooper wrote:Cost of operation for me:
(Assuming an 8hr/day duty cycle)
1KW/h costs me $0.11
1500W / 1000 = 1.5KW
8 * 1.5 = 12 KW/h used per day
12KW/h * $0.11 = $1.32 per day
This equates to about $40/mo to run this thing.

Under Normal Heat Settings

It uses 750 watts

So $20/month

Every electric heater using 1500 watts of power will cost the same to operate and put out the same heat, no magic here, your not getting something for nothing. You can get a safe heater to do the same job for a third the price with out all the useless whistles and bells that just draw more current.

ArtWorksMetal wrote:I use an oil filled radiator, as others have suggested. Slow to heat up, but effective (2 car garage). I put a small desk fan behind mine to aid in air circulation.
Mine is not finished, and has lots of chemicals stored in it. I feel more comfortable with no glowing elements exposed.

tesla33 wrote:Get a "milkhouse" type heater - the kind with metal housing and knobs on the front. We just got a "Dura Flame" model and it seems ok. Just make sure it has a tipover switch and don't put anything right in front of it. If you ever have flammable fumes out there, no electric heater is really safe, but the ceramic disk types are safest.

Thanks guys, I appreciate it. I'll look into the oil filled and the "milkhouse" type heaters to see which will put out better heat for the garage aka "game room."

stever89 wrote:Perfect for OWS. It's a heater, it's a chair, it's a bongo!

I LOL'd hard at your political satire comment. QUALITY POST!

This heater is shipped smartpost. Does this mean that FedEx will drop it off at the Post Office and then I'll have to pick it up? (My PO does not deliver is why I'm asking)

We have a similar 1500 watt heater by Dr. Heater. It does a good job warming up our family room in the basement but it also does a good job of raising our electric bill by about $30 dollars a month. We run it for about 35-40 hours a week.

wootalyzer wrote:Wootalyzer's Pricing Post! - The price of today's woot item is saved here for future reference
------------------------------------------------------------
lifeSMART Renew 1500-watt Cool Touch Infrared Quartz Heater
$99.99 + $5 Shipping
Condition: New

*DISCLAIMER* Wootalyzer! is in no way affiliated with Woot!, and this post may not always be here!

Wait until you get your electric bill......

BlindingMask wrote:Lies! Light that escapes outside won't turn into heat!

I see nothing conceptually better than a ceramic with fan.

:P

I agree, Ceramic heaters are the most comfortable. From Pelonis ceramic heater website:

Q: Aren't all 1500 watt heaters the same since they generate the same amount of power? What makes PELONIS ceramic heating appliances so unique?

A: If it were only a question of watts, then any electrical appliance that generates heat can be used to heat a desired area. Your toaster or clothes iron may also be rated 1500 watts but you don't use them as heating appliances because they can't transfer that heat effectively. The same can be said of electrical heating appliances that use different kinds of heating elements. Although they might have the same wattage rating, some have better heat transfer capabilities than others. Heat transfer efficiency makes PELONIS products very effective, especially those with the Honeycomb Ceramic Disc heating system, because they deliver the hottest airflow. In many instances, the airflow can get over 100 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than coil element heaters.

alexsiwiec wrote:Don't be fooled that this is more "efficient." It's exactly as efficient as all electric heaters: 100%. It turns 100% of the 1500 watts it burns into heat, exactly like any other heater. Discussion of whether it feels warmer or cooler than other heaters is inane, as we can quantify EXACTLY how warm it is. 1500 watts.

In other words, this will add the exact same 5200 btus to your room any other electric device of 1500 watts would add (yes, including light bulbs, TVs, etc). This is just basic physics.

Well, that's not really true though, is it? Depending on the material/construction of the housing, some (variable) amount of heat will be absorbed by the unit itself, translated into expansion of the materials, rather than heating the air. Distribution of heat is also important. A 1500W heater with a good blower is going to "feel" much hotter than one without one, because the heat actually gets to you, or gets there faster. It also gets to you before it leaks out of your house, is absorbed by the walls and floor near the heater (causing them to expand), etc.

I'm not suggesting the manufacturer's claims are necessarily legitimate (I, for one, have no idea)... but one shouldn't dismiss them on the premise that all 1500W anythings will heat a room with the same efficiency. You're simplifying the physics a bit too much.

I have one of these and I love it. I got it on sale at the local Bi-Mart store for $99.00. It was regular $139.00

tesla33 wrote:Kind of a scam, I'm afraid. Quartz infrared heaters have been around for a long time. If you only need your exposed skin to feel warm while you sit near it, fine - but this one is overpriced. And just one setting of 1500 watts?!? That tells me two things: it doesn't heat at all well unless it's really sucking all the current from the outlet circuit, and it's not very expensively made. Get a good ceramic fan-forced heater with multiple heat settings and an electronic thermostat for less than the half the price of this...

I did a in-depth comparison of this type of heater yesterday. A previous writer wasn't in possession of all the facts when they claimed that 1500 watts in, is the same heat out in all heaters. 1500Watt heaters are rated as being able to heat from 400 to 1500 sq ft! Depends on how well they can distribute the heat they produce. This one is rated for 1000 sq ft. It has four heating elements, instead of six in the higher capacity, 1500 sq. ft. rated models and it has plated Stainless steel heat exchangers rather thn the more efficient copper ones in more expensive models. It also has a PLASTIC not wood case, so forget the Amish connection. Equivalents at Sam's and Harbor Freight in wood run about $139 on sale. This model is more efficient than many, but not the best. Better than many however and if you don't mind plastic and don't have 1500 sq ft room to heat, should serve most as an economical way to keep the cold at bay!

I liked the write-up, but why is Ice Queen always predatoring on dudes?

mkentosh wrote:I found a few walmart reviews

http://reviews.walmart.com/1336/15041087/lifesmart-1500-watt-infrared-heater-cherry-finish-reviews/reviews.htm

That not the same model.
Woot's heater has 4 buttons on the bottom, the walmart one has 5.

sixiam wrote:Guys don't bother with this. Get an oil filled radiator. They are pure awesome! They hold the heat, have multiple settings, and work really well for heating a cold room. Works well in Pittsburgh for the winter, wait make that fall, mine is on right now!

Here is one on Amazon for $70(same max wattage):
http://www.amazon.com/Delonghi-TRD0715T-Safe-Oil-Filled-Radiator/dp/B000A33B1C/

I just clicked your link. Did you see the two customer images? Read the notes and see what happens when you leave your heater on over night. Whew! --

JessicaGrant wrote:After this past week, I realize I need something that doesn't rely on electricity.

Get a generator.

curious123 wrote:Can anyone tell me how many sq ft this will heat?

It heats 1000 sq feet.

Ceramic 1500 wt heater $20-$30 bucks. Want cool touch? stick it on a dresser.