Heaters

The Convenience Of A Portable Air Conditioner And Heater

When modern conveniences first became available, they were used to make the average life easier. For those who had a life that was more or less than the average one, modern conveniences were not so available and not so convenient. Today, technology has become so flexible that it can fit into almost any lifestyle. One example is the very flexible, very convenient portable air conditioner and heater.

Running Hot And Cold

As you can see by its description, the portable air conditioner and heater is flexible enough to provide both heating and cooling while being portable. That’s flexible. But how is it convenient for you? If you haven’t already jumped up and yelled “Oh boy! They make those? That’s exactly what I need!” then we can look at ways that you might use a portable air conditioner and heater. If you are a homeowner, you probably have central heating and may have central air conditioning. You can use a portable air conditioner and heater to make a room more usable. The basement, attic, garage or sun porch may not be connected to your existing heating and cooling system. You can get more use of these rooms with a portable air conditioner and heater. Whether you need more heat or less heat, you can wheel the unit into the area you want to use and its part of the house.

What about the part of the house that’s already connected to the central system. There are times when the family is out of the house except for one person. Maybe one Saturday a grownup and all the kids are gone to the park, on a visit, to the mall or whatever. The remaining grownup is stuck in the home office with a stack of work. The weather is very cold or very hot. Why heat or cool the whole house all day when only one room is being used? Turn the temperature of the house up or down to the bare minimum and wheel the portable air conditioner and heater into the home office. You save energy on the home while the working grownup is comfortable for pennies. The same goes for the deck or backyard eating area.

What if you live in an apartment? That’s obvious. You don’t have to depend on your landlord for sufficient heat anymore. The portable air conditioner and heater can go into your bedroom all winter. The thermostat and timer will make sure you can watch TV in bed without freezing, sleep in a cool room and wake to a toasty room to prepare for the day. You won’t have to beg for permission to add a window air conditioner either. Whatever your life, you can find flexibility and convenience with a portable air conditioner and heater.

Outcome Determined By Sauna Heater

Some may like their sauna hotter than others may, but the type of sauna heater chosen is important to achieve the desired affects. Whether heated by wood, electric, gas or ultraviolet, the outcome is basically the same. A highly heated room, typically accompanied by bursts of steam.

A typical sauna heater can provide temperatures of between 185 and 195 degrees Fahrenheit. This is usually accompanied by a humidity level of between 70 and 100 percent. Others, however, may prefer the temperature to be between 110 and 120 degrees with a 10 to 30 percent humidity level.

When choosing a sauna heater, it’s important to think about these ranges and what you prefer. Saunas, which rely on heated rocks to create steam are fairly popular and provide a space for certain types of stones to be heated. Many people believe the sauna heater requiring a wood burner provides a better experience. The burning wood heats the sauna and rocks and the person can sprinkle water on the rocks to create steam.

Heat Source Is Variable Factor Among Heaters

Manufacturers of low wattage infrared sauna heaters claim their products evenly distribute heat when the stainless steel elements are placed throughout the sauna. Typical small saunas, for one to four people can be heated by plugging them into a household 110-volt outlet. Larger units may require higher voltage levels.

A wood or gas sauna heater will require proper ventilation with a wood burner usually installed outside the unit, but most have a means of adding wood to the fire from inside. The required ventilation will prevent dangerous gases from being trapped inside the sauna.

The growing trend in a sauna heater is the far ultraviolet type, which is typically made of 100% ceramic materials, allowing the infrared to pass through easily and provide evenly distributed heat. Claims are this type of heat is absorbed into the body more readily, offering the benefits sought more easily.

The lifespan of a typical far ultraviolet sauna heater is about 10,000 operating hours, which translates into about 35 years if used five times per week. Operating costs, of course, will be determined by the times it is in use as well as the times it is operating while not being used.

No matter which type of sauna heater that is chosen there are certain health-related concerns to be considered. While it’s been noted that blood pressure may be lowered due to the increase in capillary size, checking with a doctor before using a sauna may be a prudent move.

Maintain Your Spa Heater

The purpose of a home spa is to promote relaxation and wash away your cares. One way it does that is to heat up water to help relax you. Don’t become so relaxed that you miss the warning signs of a spa heater problem. Remember that water and electricity don’t mix well. A small problem can become a big problem is not handled properly.

Begin At The Beginning

Start by installing the spa in the right place in the right way. Don’t install an indoor spa outdoors. Buy the proper spa for the intended use. These days, it’s easy to purchase anything at all online. Many times that means dealing with a trained and experienced person. Often, it means getting a bargain from an auction site where the seller may know everything or nothing at all. Never buy a spa online, whether new or used, unless you are guaranteed to receive the original manual with it. In almost every case the manual will include all warnings and the ways to avoid trouble. Make sure the spa heater is also the original and if not, that the replacement spa heater is exactly the right model.

When it arrives, compare the manual to the merchandise and make sure that all of the parts match the illustrations and part numbers. Be especially cautious with the spa heater and all electrical parts. If you have any questions, check online for pictures of the spa. Install the spa according to directions, of course. If you need to install the spa in an unusual way that isn’t covered by the manual, you may want to call in an electrician just to be sure. Make sure all of the exposed wires are in good condition and the plug is sound. See that the spa heater is in the proper place without signs of wear or burning.

When you first start the spa, make sure it performs according to directions. Slow or inadequate heating can be a sign of trouble. If you have an outdoor spa, perform all of the checks at the beginning of the season. Check for frayed wires, animal damage and water damage. Turn it on each spring and make sure it is working up to snuff. Give the spa heater a test run to see that it still heats as well as always. Investigate any unusual odors. If there are any questions, call the electrician. At the end of the season, pack it up carefully to protect it from the winter stress normal for your area. You can get many years of good, safe use from your spa heater when you follow the manual.

Gas Heater For Above Ground Pool

Swimming in a pool is a joyful act but only if the temperature of the pool water remains in a narrow range i.e. 25 to 26 Celsius degrees. This temperature is not easily maintained naturally. During the swimming season the temperature of an above ground pool is in the range of 18 to 20 Celsius degrees, lower than that required for leisure swimming. In the morning, the pool water is rather cold due to loss of heat during the night. Hence we need a heater for above ground pool. Such a heater may be run by a variety of energy sources e.g. combustible gas, oil, or electricity (in which case the heater is commonly called heat pump).

Why Choose A Gas Heater For Above Ground Pool

A gas heater is the most popular source of heating the water of an above ground pool. This is because heating the pool by a gas is quicker and more efficient than by other means. Easy availability of natural gas and propane give an added advantage to gas heaters over other kinds. This makes both home and spa owners go for a gas heater for above ground pool.

Working Of A Gas Heater For Above Ground Pool

In a typical gas heater, the pool water flows through a port and gains heat from a heat exchanger. Then it comes out through a second port and falls back into the pool. In most heaters, the just-heated water is mixed with cool water resulting in maintaining a preset temperature.

Size And Sizing Of A Gas Heater For The Pool

The size of a gas heater for above ground pool depends on the size of the pool; larger heaters for bigger pools and vice versa. Also, if the difference between the pool’s temperature and that which you desire is large, you will need a larger heater even for a small pool. Further, if you can wait for your pool to get warm, a small heater may do well for an average size pool. But if you need a quick heating up of the pool, a larger size heater will be required.

Sizing refers to the ratio of input rating (the amount of fuel energy consumed), measured in Mega Joules or MJ, and energy output rating (amount of heat energy evolved), measured in Kilowatts or KW. A gas heater in the range of 60 to 100 MJ is considered a small one while a heater from 250 up to 400 MJ is a large one. The output of most heaters fall in between 25 to 100 KW.

Controls

For best results a gas heater for above ground pool should be fitted with thermostatic controls.

The Tankless Electric Hot Water Heater – A Great Device

Science does not allow any stagnation of technology. Water heaters, too, have come a long way from the coal and wood consumption types to today’s exceptional types of modern water heaters. One among the most convenient ones is the tankless electric hot water heater. If you are wondering what it is meant by ‘tankless’, let me enlighten you. There are two types of heaters. One is the heater which heats the water after it descends into a tank prescribed for this purpose, and the other one is one which will provide you with hot water without having to store water anywhere prior to the heating.

The Advantages Of The Tankless Electric Hot Water Heater

The main advantage is all the time you’ll save. The tankless electric hot water heater is a exceptional device by which water gets heated through hot waves, which pass through the pipes directly. It does not need to be stored in a place for heating up. This saves a lot of time; hence, it reduces anxiety regarding hot water and other related issues.

You will find the best of technology used in the making of the tankless electric hot water heaters of today. The features of the device are such that the tankless electric hot water heater can be applied to both residence and commercial places without any inconvenience, or major makeovers. This means that the cost would be more or less the same for both places.

The most common uses for this type of technology are swimming pools, one-day laundries, hospitals, nursing homes, and so on. Most of them come with a thermostat which can be used to fix the temperature. If it goes below three degrees, it will send its ‘control’ a message and then you will receive an immediate respite, or tuning up, of the heat. In many cases, the oscillation of the heat is controlled automatically, once you have fed the minimum and maximum ranges into its controlling device/remote.

The Disadvantages Of The Tankless Water Heater

Every good thing has a minus side and a plus side. You have read all the plus sides. Aren’t you interested to learn about the downside of this technological aspect? Well, the first and foremost is the cost. The electric hot water heater is far more expensive than the other types of heaters. This is because it needs a great deal of power to keep the water at a constant level of heat. If the minimum and maximum vary greatly, then it could be possible to cut cost a bit, since it will switch off automatically a little longer.

A Gas Wall Heater For Your Garage

Life in the space age often means running out of space. There is always some new way to use a room. In the old days, a home only needed a kitchen and a bedroom with a place somewhere to put a chair. Now you need a media room, an office, a sewing/crafting room, a workshop, an exercise room, storage and so on. Once, a finished basement was unusual. Now you need a finished attic, an outdoor eating area, a deck and a place to put your car while you work in the garage. The trouble is, the garage isn’t always work friendly.
Make It Cozy
The garage has a roof and a floor and all the walls you could possibly need. It might have a window. It probably has a light. It has the biggest door in the place. But once in a while, it helps if you can work in a warm place. The car doesn’t need heat while it sleeps, so there’s no heat in the garage. The obvious answer is a space heater. The problem is that the space it heats is a small one. The right answer is to get a gas wall heater and have it installed professionally.
There are many choices for a gas wall heater on the market. You can find one that is meant to heat an area just the size of your garage. These days it makes sense to be able to control heat with a thermostat. You can set it to keep your area as warm as you need without wasting energy. You will find a gas wall heater in either vented or ventless types. The vent refers to input not output. A ventless gas wall heater will need sufficient oxygen in the garage to continue to feed it. If you are planning to use oxygen while the heater is working, get a model with an wall heater. If the gas wall heater senses that there is not enough fresh air, it will turn off. This will help keep you from turning off from lack of air.
Of course, you can get a vented gas wall heater that will take air from the outside. That works well too. There are special safety considerations for use in a garage. If you store flammable things in your garage, make sure that they are far away from the heater. You wouldn’t want to lose your garage to a paint fire or an explosion from the gasoline you keep for the weed whacker. Any gas wall heater will need good air circulation. Keep the clutter away even if it’s non-flammable clutter. If you’re using the garage for woodworking projects, shut off the heater while you work on your sawdust making project. Clean the heater off before turning it back on. You don’t want to clog the intake, especially with flammable material. With a little care, you can develop a really warm relationship with your gas wall heater.

Water Is Always Hot With Instant Water Heater

People tired of running out of hot water, or those with limited space for a water tank are finding that an instant water heater can solve both issues at the same time. Since an instant water heater attaches directly to the water line, there is no need for a tank.

Conventional residential hot water tanks usually hold 40 to 80 gallons of water, which is kept hot at all times, day and night. As water is used, it is replaced with cold water and heated. As water sits in the tank, it loses heat and power is used to keep it up to a preset temperature.

With an instant water heater, no energy is used until the faucet is turned on. Once water begins to flow, the unit turns on and heats the water, typically at 125 degrees Fahrenheit. If that temperature is too hot for the individual, simply regulate it by turning on the cold water. When you turn off the water, the instant water heater shuts down, using no energy.

In addition to the power savings of an instant water heater, water use also diminished. With a conventional tank, when the hot water faucet is turning on in may take running the cold water out of the line before the warm water begins flowing. With an instant water heater the water is hot from the start, eliminating the need to run the water to clear the lines.

Many Uses For Instant Hot Water

While an instant water heater can provide benefits at the individual faucets, whole-house units can save the energy used by maintaining hot water temperature day and night and only heat it when it’s needed. Claims are made that using an instant water heater can reduce energy use for hot water by up to 76%.

This has financial benefits for residential, commercial and industrial users and many manufacturers offer instant water heater units of all sizes for all users. These can especially beneficial to small homes or business owners who don’t have the space to devote to a typical hot water tank.

Financial saving can be rewarding. For example a family using 120 gallons of water a day with a 40-gallon electric hot water tank typically spends $112.25 per month. For the same usage, an instant water heater will cost about $26.95 per month. Using 30 gallons per day will see the hot water cost drop from about $28.10 per month to $6.84 per month, according to www.hotwaterheater.com.

Using Pond Heaters To Maintain Your Aquatic Life

They’re lovely, graceful and delicate, well-adapted to their own natural environments. But when you remove fish, reptiles and plant life from nature and into your backyard pond, you’ll need to do for them what they can no longer do for themselves; provide food, shelter, and a dependable pond heater.

Freshwater life – plants, fish, turtles, snakes, frogs, and even microscopic organisms- adapted over eons to live and reproduce in either flowing water such as streams, or still water ponds. A large variety of living creatures can live and flourish in your backyard pond. However, this is an artificial environment for them. In their natural environment, these creatures would be able to freely move about to regulate their body temperatures. Since, as your “guests,” they can no longer fend for themselves, a pond heater is the only way to insure their survival during cold weather.

Using Your Pond Heater: Who Benefits?

Life in your backyard pond is regulated by temperature and oxygen. In cold weather, fish grow lethargic and turtles hibernate for weeks at a time. Your pond heater shouldn’t create bathwater-warm conditions; this isn’t a normal environment for freshwater aquatic life. So, assuming you’re not attempting to raise tropical warm-water fish in your backyard, it’s safe for you to simulate a natural environment by setting your pond heater to a temperature of about forty degrees in the winter. If you live in a cold climate and don’t have a pond heater, all your aquatic life will freeze to death. Pond heaters save the lives of the creatures for which you assumed responsibility, and you’ll learn an expensive lesson.

Just as you use your pond heater to ward off frigid temperatures, setting the temperature too high can be just as disastrous. Freshwater dwellers will invariably escape from pools of water that’s too hot for them to find food and reproduce. If you’re recreating a natural environment, what you don’t want to see are tendrils of steam rising from your pond in January. This is a sure sign that you’ve cooked all your aquatic life.

Many high-quality pond heaters cost a bit more, but they automatically regulate the pond’s temperature to simulate the change in seasons and water temperature. Rather than maintain a constant temperature, which is unnatural to aquatic life, these pond heaters simulate the cool of winter and the warmth of summer without going to extremes that endanger the lives of your backyard friends. Since these pond heaters that sell for about $300 on the Internet provide normal temperature changes, your freshwater fish, plants and reptiles can live, feed, and reproduce just as they would in nature. Your pond will flourish, as will your enjoyment of your backyard slice of nature.

To Heat Or Not To Heat: Pool Heater Options

What’s more enjoyable than a brisk dip in the pool on a hot, sultry summer day? One second you’re perspiring and wishing it was October, and the next second you feel that exhilarating shock of cold water – instant refreshment! Hot days and cool swimming pools are the things heaven is made of.

Then there are the nippy days of winter when you’ve cranked the furnace up a few notches and put on a long-sleeved shirt. When you look into the back yard at your pool, you see one of two things: either an empty, covered pool that’s waiting patiently for summer days or you see a full pool with enticing tendrils of steam rising into the frosty air. Your pool heater is working perfectly! You and your partner and/or guests relax in the warm water while around you autumn and winter pass like summertime dreams.

If you plan to use your outside pool year round, a pool heater is a must unless you’ve a fondness for icy cold water. Like outdoor spas and hot tubs, pools properly equipped with a heater can create a soothing warmth and sense of well-being. Consider: in Yellowstone National Park, the burbling natural hot springs and geysers are a point of congregation for elk, buffalo, and bighorn sheep; nature’s own pool heater! Most living creatures seek warmth during cold winter days, and you’re no exception. A dependable heating device gives you year-round enjoyment instead of having to wait until summer to enjoy a cooling dip.

What Are My Pool Heater Options?

Keep in mind that the first hot water heating systems were steam-driven. While this method is still used in homes, it won’t work well with pool heaters. When buying a home with a pool or when constructing an outdoor pool, first decide if you want to use the pool year-round. If so, consider equipping your outdoor recreation pool with a good quality pool heater that’s housed in a small structure close to the pool. You can set the heater’s temperature to suit your own comfort, depending upon the weather. Although some like to bask in a hot pool during a rainstorm, this isn’t a good idea due to the possibility of lightening strikes. But in cold weather, a pool heater allows you to enjoy the warmth and comfort even during a light dusting of snow.

Pool heaters are predominately electrically-powered, the “industry standard.” Under construction, the heater will simply plug into a power source in its shed, while the heating elements are custom-fitted into the empty pool. Once the heater is working properly, you can refill the pool with the heater gently warming the incoming water.

Pool heaters aren’t cheap, but fairly priced, you can expect to pay around $700 depending upon the size of your pool. This is not a do-it-yourself project; the company that built the pool is best qualified to install the heater. Unless you’re an electrician and pool service technician, leave this project to those who are. The installer will give you an estimate that includes labor as well as parts. Since most pool heaters today are digital, the installer will give you a demonstration as to how the device works, and what to do if it isn’t working properly. Just like your pool in general, the heater will require seasonal maintenance; failing to service your heater as recommended will void the warranty if something major goes wrong.

When the December sky darkens and wisps of steam rise from your backyard pool, there’s only one thing to do: enjoy!

Save Money With Solar Water Heater

With the ever-rising costs of utilities such as gas and electric, many people have found that a solar water heater can save them money. By utilizing this naturally occurring resource, utility costs are kept down while still enjoying a steady supply of hot water. Remembering there is no cost for operation of a solar water heater.

A solar water heater works on the same principal of any other solar-powered electric operated item. The heat from the sun is converted into electrical energy and stored is special batteries and the power is used as required. When the batteries start to become low, a regulator automatically flips an internal switch, recharging the batteries.

While the initial cost of a solar water heater will probably be higher than other types, it will save money in the long-run as the energy from the sun is free, therefore no annual operating costs. One downside, however, may be in areas accustomed to significant show fall in which snow build up may have to be removed in order for the solar panels to work properly. This issue can be addressed by adding solar-powered heating strips to keep the snow melted.

Choosing System For Your Home

Understand that a solar water heater relies on solar panels typically installed into the roof of the house. Fortunately them come in a variety of colors to fit into the color scheme of your home. They are also available in a variety of configurations to help stay within your budget.

If you can not afford a 100% solar water heater, consider adding panels as you can afford to, starting small to provide a portion of your water heating bills. A general rule of thumb is to have one gallon of water storage for every square foot of collector area. The panels will also need to face the south and a path from the collectors to the hot water tank should be no more than 40 feet. Although 80 feet is possible with proper insulation.

In many cases the existing hot water tank can be used, but if its capacity is not big enough an add-on tank can be installed. Generally speaking, a 50-gallon water tank is best for efficiency with 40 square feet of solar panels, with a good electrical path, but a 40 gallon solar water heater can be used with as little of 30 square feet of panels.