Space heaters are very common in homes all around Ontario, but maybe they shouldn’t be.
As the global eye shifts more and more towards the effects of climate change and as energy prices continue to rise, everyone is trying to make their own home more efficient. It can be tough to see the bigger picture at times, as people have different comfort settings, so many homes compromise with space heaters.
A space heater is a small electric appliance that heats up a series of wires which in turn, heat the air around them. When the air around them is heated, it rises and is replaced by cold air and then the cycle starts all over again.
In small doses, space heaters can actually be quite efficient, but there are better options as technology advances.
The main purpose for most space heaters is to control the temperature in different parts of the house. In the winter, it could be that one room is colder than the rest because the home comfort system is old and doesn’t reach the second floor as effectively as it used to. Manufacturers have addressed this problem with new systems that offer control over several zones in the house.
One of the most common systems that meets these needs is a ductless heat pump. A ductless heat pump is a year-round home comfort system that doesn’t use any ducts to spread conditioned air throughout your home and instead, uses a split system to distribute the air through a unit mounted on a wall in your home.
Space heaters can help at times, but according to an interview in Mother Jones one of the Alliance to Save Energy’s senior policy-research associates, Tom Simchak, “in terms of energy per heat output, small space heaters will rarely ever be as efficient as a central heating system”. This interview is from 2011 and doesn’t cover the more recent developments in the HVAC industry.
For ductless, there are mini-split and multi-split systems which range between 1 and 8 indoor units per outdoor unit. Homes with multi-split heat pumps are able to control each of their indoor units individually and can be used to make adjustments for preference, performance or efficiency. Click here to learn more about our ductless systems.
If you find yourself in a daily thermostat war or using space heaters to get comfortable, it may be time to re-evaluate your home comfort system.
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