A space heater is a very handy thing to have around the house. If you look back several years ago, most families had burned wood at the fireplace to keep warm. The problem was that the wood was quickly consumed and there was an uneven heating of the home.

Normally the heat was confined to the living room where the fireplace is located. In this day and age families don’t have to worry about smoke and fumes or even worry about their houses catching fire for now a space heater can cover their heating needs. The thing is with so many warmers flooding the market now, how can you choose the right one for you?

Its easy to be confused for warmers are not just one type. There are several types out there and each has its own unique feature. Here are the most common types:

Ceramic Space Heaters – these things use only ceramic heating elements. The Oil Based Space Heaters – use heating oil as the heating element; Heating Coil Space Heaters – these are the most common electrical heaters; and Halogen Based Space Heaters – these uses halogen light bulbs.

Most warmers generate heat of up to 1400W. This is a very common heat range and would normally suffice most homes or large spaces. A typical space heater also comes equipped with shock protection, and heat safeguards to prevent it from overheating. Most heaters can be plugged into a 120v outlet and with this voltage the heater can be handled safely. Most heaters also offer protection against electrical discharges to prevent fires from occurring.

So what are the best space heaters then? Ceramic are generally safer than coil system heaters. The main point of the ceramic heater is bigger than the cols so this means that the heater can be set to a lower temperature wood heaters while it releases energy needed to cover a larger area, Ceramic heaters are also more efficient for they can maintain the heat for a longer period of time.

On the other hand, oil based heaters are similar to that of a car radiator. It uses heating oil to spark up the heating element. Oil based heaters are also very efficient since the heating mechanism doesn’t have to be on all the time. The oil based heater can go on for several hours on a short heat charge. Oil based heaters are very easy to clean and maintain and since there are no working parts, it is very quiet.

Coil heaters use metallic coils which are heated by infra red waves. This way, the coils are heated and they heat the air that comes through the coils. These type of heaters are accident prone which is why there are protective screens that protect the heating element.

Halogen-based heaters are very new in the market. They use the heating process similar to that of a halogen bulb. These heaters use light to send out waves of heat. This type of heater is quick to heat and normally offers a steady form of heat.

Once you understand how these heaters work, toy will be able to find the best space warmers for your use.