I have a friend of the family who suffered a stroke and has some paralysis and thus suffers from the cold more than normal in particular the left side of his body and his head - he doesnt have family close by and asks me because im good with computers (he means looking things up on the net).
I have provided him with a fan heater to use in the living room, rather than run the central heating constantly all day for the whole house when he primarily only use the one room during the day.
hes asked if there is some type of heater he can use at night in the bedroom (not a fan heater due to the noise) - can you guys recommend any heater for the job? ive seen oil filled radiators but dont know if they are any good.
If it was my house id probably run the heating overnight but the cost would probably bankrupt the poor fellow.
This place is pretty knowledgeable so i thought id ask here first.
I’d suggest an electric storage heater. Put on a timer so that it comes on say half an hour before bedtime, and then switches off whilst in bed then comes on again half an hour before getting up.
If half an hour either side isn’t warm enough adjust the timer to suit.
Oil filled radiators are good, if he gets one look at what you're paying per kw for electric, Octopus Energy are very good
Why not turn the radiators off in the rooms he doesn't use and have the central heating on, gas is normally cheaper than electric for heating.
Possibly get NEST or similar put in and he can control the heating from his phone in bed at night if he's cold and not that mobile
You should find something here https://cpc.farnell.com/electric-heating-home.
I keep one of their convector heaters in the bathroom for when it's cold. At the moment it's on for long periods at a time.
What about a good old electric blanket? I have this one & it's toasty just on level 2:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Premium-Com.../dp/B01HBO9KG2
Note that they are smaller than the equivalent size of bed so I bought a King size to fit a Double bed & it goes to the edges.
You can get electric throws as well so he could sit with one over & round him during the day (just an example):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electric-Bl.../dp/B07GXTMTZL
You can get heated slankets as well:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Navaris-Ele.../dp/B07YZ9DXGS
I could be wrong but I thought those fan heaters were very expensive to run.
For the evening, I agree that a storage heater would be ideal.
https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3909...heater:12:67:1
This should do the job - no fan noise.
We have a oil filled rad for occasional use, it’s really good, has a timer on it too so could be set for nighttime only.
Cheers..
Jase
There’s an oil filled rad in our conservatory which does a good job of heating it in the winter on the odd occasion we need to use it. It’s got a timer function, eco mode etc and if I remember rightly it came from Argos.
Surely this?Originally Posted by Vanguard
Thanks for all the suggestions folks! some good options.
I have these: https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/home-a...69261-pdt.html
You can leave them on all night at a low power or whatever heat you prefer. Just set the temperature - e.g. 22 degrees - and it'll stay on until the room reaches that temperature, then switch off (and come on again when it dips below)
Some use a very low-velocity fan which adds little to the load.
"Storage heater"? That implies a heater like a trad storage radiator, which is not suitable.
I'd go for an oil-filled electric heater - they are ideal for the purpose.
Screwfix online or even Amazon.
I like to sleep with a bedroom window slightly ajar for fresh air so we have an electric under blanket. It has 2 zones so Mrs Beanie can select a different temperature to mine so we can both be comfortable. I can't comment on how much they cost to run.
Perhaps your friend could consider one.
We have this one;
https://www.dreamlanduk.co.uk/uk/sca...-controls.html
Last edited by Beanie; 8th January 2021 at 10:24.
I wouldn’t suggest a storage heater, lack of control and no econmy7 to run the timing charge means it’s not going to utilise the cheap electricity. It would have to charge during the day (and leak heat in the process) and have a separate timed spur which also needs to be 32amp so would likely need new wiring.
I recently fitted an oil filled rad in my bedroom, previously I didn’t bother as the hallway has a storage heater and I leave the door open but now I have my desk in there to work from home I needed something for when it’s freezing outside and colder in the bedroom.
It’s a delonghi Alu model. It’s silent and has a timer with a nighttime mode and different temps for different times of day but I just use it manually set while if I’m working at my desk.
It’s currently run from a 13amp wall socket but I’ll have it wired in direct once me and the electrician have been jabbed.
Oil filled...usually cheaper and safer.
Could he use a thicker duvet, blankets or pyjamas? Is a nightcap an option for his head? Is the bed in the warmest part of the room rather than the coldest? Are there drafts?
We use an oil filled radiator to heat a single room during the day rather than run the central heating and turn off all the other radiators, mostly for convenience. I think the small one we have would be too warm in a bedroom if left on continuously, but some have more controls and timers.
As many have suggested, an oil radiator would be ideal. Cheaper alternative would be a fan convector - much less noisy than usual fan heaters.
One positive re Oil Filled Radiators not yet mentioned is that once they are switched off they still continue to emit stored residual heat for quite a while afterwards as they cool down, allowing for more even heating. Compared with a fan heater, where the heating stops once turned off.
They are heavier though than fan or convector heaters, if that’s a consideration. If portability is required, get one with a built in handle for easier carriage.
Otherwise, they are silent & cheap, and one with a thermostat function does a great job.
My mum had similar- electric blanket works well
We’ve got a goose down duvet from John Lewis which is incredibly warm, we don’t have any heating on and sleep with the window open.
My wife is very hot in bed too
I'd suggest an electric underblanket as well. Mine is dual zone and 3 speed. Absolutely fantastic and can be left on all night if desired (or forgotten after too much vino).
At the end of the day, isn’t heating by both methods the most efficient use of electricity? Ie a 2kw heater will efficiently convert most of that input into heat whether it’s an oil filled radiator or convector heater? The only difference is the properties...a convector heater will heat up a room much quicker but once turned off will not provide the residual heat an oil filled radiator would. For this reason, I reckon an oil filled radiator is better for a bedroom.
I’d suggest overnight a good duvet and an electric blanket would be the most cost effective solution. I’d also suggest that if he room is not heated, a night hat is good. They are overlooked these days but I had a loose wool beanie hat that was really snug in bed!
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