Space Heater

[pappi49]

Not real sure of where this should be so if it is in the wrong place please feel free to move it.

For those of you that make use of an electric space heater in your rig, do you leave it on all night or just turn it on when ever you need to take the chill off. I have never used on in the trailer and will probably need it this week end as we are going up to Ohio university to see the grand daughter. I know I can always use the furnace but figured this would work as it is not supposed to get much if any below 40.

Just purchased this one from Amazon(Lasko 754201 Small Portable 1500W Electric Ceramic Space Heater with Tip-Over Safety Switch, Overheat Protection, Thermostat and Extra Long 8-ft Cord)and hope it works. If not I can return it when we get back home.

Thanks for all of your help it has been greatly appreciated over the years and this time will be no exception.

 

[SpencerPJ]

We set our portable 1800w on the kitchen table, leave it on all night. Set the propane furnace to 60 degrees for backup, never has come on. Yours is safer than mine . I do run a separate extension cord to the pedestal, I probably don't need to, just nervous with heater, coffee maker and microwave all going at once.

 

[JayArr]

Leave it on all night, it's got a thermostat and tipover failsafe.

Like spencer I set the furnace to a low temp in case we lose power and I always check the battery in the smoke detector.

 

[Kirk]

I have used another Lasko model that looks to be pretty much the same as that one and still do. The only thing that I would suggest is that you locate it were it doesn't blow on anything and leave it on. We even left ours operating when not in the RV. With the temperatures that you are looking at you probably only need the lower (900 watt) setting.

 

[John From Detroit]

I used up to 4 and these are the concerns
ONE: RV wiring is often not up to task for a 1500 Watt heater. I have smelled overheated wires Replaced an outlet because of it. I've seen melted outlets up close and in my hand (Not my Rig) and photos So I installed SPECIAL outlets. these were standard 15/20 amp household duplex outlets. Different color than the Factory outlets so they were easy to spot. 12ga wire one outlet per breaker, NEVER had a problem.

I made sure all heaters were in "Safe" places, And also tested the tip over switches to insure they worked I still have two of the heaters.. One I will inspect and likely give away. one I'm keeping


ON my rig installing those special outlets was very very very easy.. Not so on many.

 

[IBTripping]

I use space heaters in my RV during the winter. As John From Detroit noted, running at 1500 watts may create problems. Thus, I always run mine at the middle, 900 watt, setting. I purchased good quality heaters and am comfortable leaving them on when I leave my travel trailer.

 

[Lou Schneider]

The generic $10 coiled wire heaters at Walmart produce the same amount of heat and have the same features as the Lasko. I have no problem running one overnight to keep the bedroom warm.

I don't like ceramic heaters. Over time the ceramic element gets clogged with dust, etc. and you have to blow it out with an air gun to restore full airflow. This isn't a problem with a conventional coiled wire heater.

I installed a dedicated outlet for the heater in my last motorhome. Since the breaker box was full, I put it on the same 20 amp circuit breaker as the air conditioner. Figured if I was dumb enough to run the heater and air conditioner at the same time I deserved to trip the breaker.

 

[John From Detroit]

The generic $10 coiled wire heaters at Walmart produce the same amount of heat and have the same features as the Lasko. I have no problem running one overnight to keep the bedroom warm.

I have seen many heaters that claim to be more efficient up to 3 times in some cases.

Electric heaters are one of the very few things in this world that are 100% effiecent. and all of them are 100% efficient. you can't get better than 100%..

Why are they 100%? Any and all losses express as HEAT and HEAT is the desired product.

And for those who talk about the glowing wire types and the light... it becomes heat when it is absorbed by stuff.. Fans.. friction of air becomes heat.

 

[TonyL]

it's a shame rooftop AC units are so noisy, and so few of the earlier units were heat pumps. Once running, a heat pump delivers up to 4 times its consumed power as heat. At least, until it reaches its balance point at low ambient where the heat delivered = or is less than consumed power, where you would switch to electric only heating. I don't know if any large A class units have basement heat pumps, and whether they are any quieter.

 

[SeilerBird]

I only use an electric blanket at night. I don't need the entire RV heated, just the bed.

 

[Mr Lars]

We have used the small electric space heaters at nite to stay warm. The ones we have, have a selector switch for 1350/1500 amps, always leave on the 1350 setting.
So far we have not been in weather conditions where the wetbay was at risk of freezing while only using the space heaters. We do run the furnace if there is that threat, when parked at home. This year, and going forward we know have a garage to park when not on the road.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Make sure you do not put them near anything combustible. When were were kids one was placed between my brother's and my twin beds. Sheet caught fire in the middle of the night. No alarms in those days but I was the one who woke up and started yelling.

Someone said the dinette table and that's where I use ours. Even here in FL I was using a whole tank of propane in about 3 weeks using the furnace.

With electric water and heat I am on about 5 months since my last LP fill.

 

[Old_Crow]

I installed a dedicated outlet and circuit with a separate cord run to the 20a outlet on the pedestal for my electric heater. I leave it on all night and in freezing temps it'll keep the front area of the coach at around 60. I run the rear furnace(also set to about 60)because I learned the hard way that the rear furnace also heats the basement, where all the water pipes are.

 

[Rob&Deryl]

We have a heating pad under the bottom sheet with dual controls . Works great. We run it for about 30 min before bed and for about an hour after. Once we are in and warm, good all night even if the trailer is down to 60.

 

[Oldgator73]

I just bought this one at Walmart for $25. Worked well last night but it was only down to about 38.

 

[RVfixer]

We use a regular two setting electric heater and leave it on all night on the low setting and in a safe location. In addition we have two tiny electric heaters called "My Heat." They just have an on/off switch and run real low. These are designed to go under a desk. They are perfect for keeping the bedroom and bathroom warm during cold winter camping. I can run all three at the same time but don't do that often. If it gets real cold late at night I can reach over and click on the tiny heater. I turn it off when I get up. I'm up first and and turn the one on in the bathroom for my better half. She turns that off when she is done in the bathroom. The only time we ever use the propane furnace is maybe for a few minutes when we come back to the trailer to take the chill off. We do some cold weather hiking...but when in the trailer we are WARM!

 

[Ex-Calif]

I just bought this one at Walmart for $25. Worked well last night but it was only down to about 38.

That's the one I have. I have a second but here in FL it's hardly necessary. I am sorta like Seilerbird in that I don't need it too warm. Add a blanket for "winter" and I'm good to go down to the low 60s.

 

[ziplock]

I only use an electric blanket at night. I don't need the entire RV heated, just the bed.

Gee, you need an electric blanket in Florida........I think people lie to me about how warm it is down there.

 

[SeilerBird]

Gee, you need an electric blanket in Florida........I think people lie to me about how warm it is down there.

No, I don't even need an electric blanket in Florida. I was talking about the ten years I spent full timing around the US.

 

[Great Horned Owl]

I have found that the fans in most (but not all) of those small space heaters can be annoyingly noisy, especially at night.

I finally spent a little extra, and bought one of these: Heater.

It can be stood on any flat surface, or the legs can be removed so it can be wall mounted.

It has a large heating element, so that it puts out a lot of heat at a reasonably low temperature. I can touch the grill without discomfort.

It has a large, low speed fan that is amazingly quiet, I really didn't believe the claim that the loudest noise it makes, is the "click" of the thermostat switching on and off. I was wrong. It's true.

The "intelligent" control can be set to operate at high power until the temperature is within 2°F of the set point. It then switches to low power.

At $98, it is well worth the price. My only complaint is the wireless remote is so small, that I keep misplacing it.

Joel