My last article on portable heaters raised a few follow-up questions from readers. I talked to Mark Pierce, Extension Associate at Cornell University, and he sent along the following comments:

"The key point to keep in mind is that the difference in portable electric heaters is not in how much heat they create — they all produce exactly the same amount per watt — but in how the heat that is produced gets transferred to a room. The following information should help you select the type of portable electric heater that best fits your supplemental heating needs.

CONSIDER APPLICATION
"Natural convection heaters, often designed to look like older-style steam radiators, provide even warmth and are a good application in a room where you want to maintain a slightly higher temperature than the rest of a house or apartment for extended periods of time. The surface temperature of this type of portable electric heater does not get nearly as hot as fan-forced convection or radiant heaters, making them safer in terms of fire or burn risks. Fan-forced convection heaters heat the air within a room quickly. This type is considered a good choice when you want to warm up a room quickly but do not plan to maintain that higher temperature over several hours. For example, it well to quickly heat up a bathroom or a bedroom on a cold morning as you get ready to go to work. But remember that the space directly in front of these heaters gets so hot that it could be a fire hazard if flammable items are not kept a safe distance away. In addition, the outer housing of many units can get so hot they can cause burn injuries. If you plan to purchase a fan-forced heater, make certain to get one with a tip-over switch that will automatically turn the heater off if it gets tipped over and an over-heat sensor, which will turn it if the fan fails. Without the fan blowing air over the heating element, the heater can become dangerously hot.

QUICK WARMUP
"Radiant heaters transfer heat directly to people and objects within a direct line of sight of the heater's glowing coils or tubes. Use of that kind is recommended when you want to feel warmer while you are in a cold space. For example, if you are sitting and working at a sewing machine or workbench in a cold basement or garage and want heat to flow directly to your body, this heater would be a good choice. While radiant heaters provide warmth almost instantly to objects, they heat rooms, even small rooms, very slowly. Like fan-forced convective heaters, they also get hot enough to cause a fire or severe burns if not used carefully."

Mark feels that portable electric heaters are about adding some heat to an otherwise uncomfortable space for a few hours on a cold winter evening/morning. Their primary purpose should be viewed as adding heat for comfort reasons and not as a method to reduce home heating costs.

He reiterates that the most cost-effective way of reducing your home heating bill is not by spending money on electric heat from space heaters but by investing that money in reducing air leakage (drafts) and adding insulation to your house for long-term energy-use reduction.

SAVE ENERGY
Here's the schedule of my free, upcoming Save Energy, Save Dollars workshops: 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, at Champlain Memorial Library, 148 Elm St. in Champlain; 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 19, at Peru Free Library, 2024 Route 22 in Peru; 1 to 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, at the East Morrisonville Recreational Park on Bullis Rd. in Morrisonville; and 6 to 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 1, at the Cornell Cooperative Extension office on Route 22 in Plattsburgh.

Amy Ivy is executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension, Clinton County. Office phone numbers: Clinton County 561-7450, Essex County 962-4810, Franklin County 483-7403. Web site: http://www.cce.cornell.edu/ecgardening. E-mail questions to askMG@cornell.edu