Why Invest in the Best Oil Filled Heater (Guide, Tips + Reviews)

The use of heaters is no longer rare nowadays. In fact, data from the Residential Energy Consumption Survey or RECS in 2015 revealed that most American households use at least one type of heater during winter.

And because of this surge in demands, more and more companies are producing different types of heating system such as electric powered, natural gas, and oil filled heaters.

In this article, we will focus on the latter, and why consumers favored the best oil filled heater among others. If you are interested to know the reasons, just continue reading below.

How Does Oil Filled Heater Work?

Contrary to what many people believe, there is actually no burning of oil involves here.

So, what is an oil filled heater exactly and how does its system work?

An oil filled heater resembles the old type of radiator but is smaller in size. It is made up of metal columns with open spaces between the columns. The heating element at the base of the heater will then heat up the oil before it flows around the metal columns of the heater through the process called convection.

After the metal columns are heated, they spread the heat to the room through the conduction heating method. This is when you will feel that the surrounding air has increased in temperature.

The Advantages of Using Oil Filled Heaters

We’ve mentioned earlier that an oil filled heater has several advantages. This is why people are making the switch. To give you more insights on this claim, we listed the benefits that an oil filled heater is known for.

Consumes less Energy

Those seeking for ways to lessen electricity consumption while still able to use heaters will appreciate the fact that the best oil filled heater consumes less electricity as compared to the conventional electric-powered heaters.

They also make a good power-saving heater. Even after you turned off the heater, the room will still be well heated because the oil serves as a heat reservoir.

Doesn’t Burn Oxygen and Affect Humidity Level

Unlike the gas-powered heaters that burn oxygen and produce harmful emissions, an oil filled heater neither burn the oxygen present in the room nor does it affect the humidity level.

For this reason, oil filled heaters are considered the healthiest option as it doesn’t emit harmful gas that can cause eye irritations, skin rashes, and suffocation. All of these concerns are harmful to newborn babies. And that is exactly the reason why parents are making the switch from gas to oil filled heaters.

A smart move, should we say.

Can Be Left Overnight

Oil filled room heaters are also excellent heaters for large rooms. The heater distributes the heat in all corners of the room evenly and consistently. In addition, since there is no actual oil burning involve, you can leave the oil filled heater running throughout the night.

Isn’t it perfect for severe cold weather?

No Overheating of the Surface

Another reason why an oil filled heater is the best heater for newborns is because its surface doesn’t heat up much. This means that overheating won’t likely to happen. Because of this oil filled heaters also earn the tile as a child-safe heater.

Works Quietly

Lastly, what a lot of people seems to love about oil filled heaters is its noise-free operation. They don’t produce unpleasant noise while in use. Therefore, putting it inside the bedroom won’t interrupt you or your baby’s sleep at night.

How to Choose the Best Oil Filled Heater

When we say “the best choice,” it’s actually kind of subjective and depends on a person’s preference. But as a rule of thumb, there are 7 key features that you must consider when buying an oil filled heater.

Here are the 7 things to look for in an oil filled heater:

1.  Power Output

The power output of the heater is one important consideration. Power input refers to how much energy is consumed per time period while power output is the power that the heater releases to actually warm up the room.

In other heater types, the power input and output have a slight difference with the output slightly lower than the input. However, the good thing about oil filled heaters is that they usually have the same power consumption and output, which ranges from 300 to 2400 watts.

If you have a big bedroom, it’s better to buy a heater with a higher power output to ensure that all corners of the room are well heated.

2.  Power Levels

Because of the advent of technology, heaters nowadays may come in various power levels. A heater with multiple power levels allows you full control over how warm you want your room to be. Usually, an oil filled heaters can have 500W, 1000W, and 1500W power levels.

With this function, you can turn the heater full force for the first few hours, and then reduce it to the minimum level just to maintain the heat.

3.  Thermostat

The Thermostat is a crucial part of every heater. Why? Well, this is because thermostat is the one responsible for detecting the current temperature of the room so that it can perform the best action.

This device controls and maintains the heat circulation by regulating the flow of the heat transfer within the metal columns of the oil filled heater.

4.  Timer

As we said and as what many users revealed, an oil filled heater is safe to use overnight. This is why a timer is a very useful feature to look for. You can even set time intervals so that the heater will automatically turn off the heat as you go to work and turn back on when you arrive from work in the evening.

5.  Tilt Protection

To guarantee that the heater last longer, tilt protection is a must. The tilt protection works by automatically turning off the heater when it is knocked over. With this auto shut down that comes with the tilt protection, damage can be prevented.

6.  Remote Control

Of course, remote control is quite helpful to adjust the temperature of the heater. During night time when you need to increase the heat level, the wireless remote control allows you to change the temperature without you having to leave your bed.

7.  Small Caster Wheels

Didn’t we mention that most oil filled heaters are actually movable? Like they have these small caster wheels that make it easier for you to move the heater from room to room.

Unlike the other types of heating system, you don’t have to worry about pricey installation process with this one. They are portable, compact, and space-saving.

Best Oil-Filled Heaters In the Market (2019)

 

1.  DeLonghi Safe Heat 1500W Comfortemp Portable Oil Filled Heater

DeLonghi is a pretty renowned brand in the thermodynamics Home Appliances market. They are known for manufacturing very efficient oil filled heaters that you’ll find in the market with this being one of the examples.

The DeLonghi Safe Heat 1500W Comfortemp is known for its high-powered energy technology allowing up to 1500 watts of power. This kind of power is great for bigger rooms that need heating, especially during the winter.

Aside from just raw power though, this heater also has a great energy saving feature in the form of the Comfortemp button. If you press the button, you’ll immediately be able to switch to the optimal room temperature and save costs.

Finally, it has three adjustable temperature settings allowing you to get the best heating for your own comfort. The versatility of the machine lets you control how hot you want your room to be depending on the season.

2.  HoneySmartEnergySmart Electric Oil Filled Heater

This is probably one of the sturdiest oil filled heaters in this list of oil filled heater reviews. What makes it rather sturdy would be its easy pull handle and big wheels. Aside from being able to stay in one place without falling over, it’s also really easy to move around. You can move it from room to room without much problem. Also, it has a 360-degree Tip Over Switch allowing it to stay put in one place. Aside from that, it also has really efficient safety features such as an overheat protection feature and thermal insulated wiring to protect you from being electrocuted.

Another thing that you’ll probably find quite attractive would be its EnergySmart digital controls. Unlike other oil filled heaters, this one features a very easy-to-use digital control board which allows you to easily control all functions of the heater like the timer, heat settings, and even thermostat. It’s one of the more techie machines on this list.

3.  Pelonis 1500W Electric Heat Radiator

This is one of the few machines that has four modes of heating for your comfort. It has low heating, medium heating, high heating, and Eco heating, which is the type of heating that has a rather low temperature but still comfortable. While it is easy to control its heat settings, it still is powerful enough to give off a max power of 1500W which is probably enough to fill up an average sized master bedroom.

Another thing that you’ll probably like about this heater is that it can be controlled by a remote control the same way that a bedroom HVAC or air conditioning unit can. Everything can be controlled by the remote from the heat settings to the safety systems and other things. With regard to safety, it is probably one of the safest units in the market with an anti-freeze setting for pipes, overheat protection, tip over protection, and anti-inflammation functions.

4.  NewAir Electric Oil Filled Space Heater

This is one of the quietest oil filled heaters that you’ll probably find. This is because it has a fan free air circulation so you don’t expect any whirring or crackling noises from inside. It uses more advanced air circulation technology for this purpose instead of a fan.

Aside from having no sound, it is also pretty powerful, allowing up to 1500W of power or 5120 BTU of heat. This type of power can heat up small rooms such as bedrooms, bathrooms, or study rooms. Not only is it a powerful machine, but it’s a pretty fast one too. It makes use of a 7 fin radiator design allowing it to heat up rooms quicker than other products. This is especially useful for those who live in four-season countries where the winter seasons can get pretty harsh.

5.  Costway 1500W Oil Filled Radiator and Heater

The first thing that you’ll notice about this heater and radiator would be its design. It is one of the machines in this list that has a very futuristic design due to the structure of its knobs and dials plus its sparkly white color. However, this machine isn’t just about aesthetics– it does have other redeeming qualities as well. Just like most of the other machines on this list, this one also has a 1500W power heating rate allowing you to have optimal heating during winter.

What makes this machine pretty cool is that it has a sealed oil compartment. This allows you to no longer refill since the oil is already reserved and ready to use. This can come in handy in winter when you don’t want to go out and buy extra oil. It’s also pretty easy to use as it has 4 universal casters and a handle making it quite simple to move around.

6.  DeLonghi MG7307CM 1500W SafeheatComfortemp

This is the second Delonghi variant that appears on this list and is also quite a good buy like the last one. This model shares some of the same features as the last Delonghi model such as the Comfortemp button which is used for saving energy by controlling it to the ideal room temperature. It also shares the same anti-freeze setting for the pipes during winter season.

As for the features that are different, there is the patented vertical thermal chimney. Now, this feature allows the machine to have a strong flow of heat while still keeping a low surface temperature. The low surface temperature allows you to touch the machine without a problem. Finally, it has a safety thermal cut off feature which prevents the machine from heating up too much.

7.  Insignia HTRFBK6 Oil Filled Radiator

If you’re looking for a lightweight oil filled radiator, then this is the most recommended for you. Unlike most of the other radiators or heaters that weigh around above 22 pounds, this one only weighs around 17 pounds (19.55 pounds shipping weight). This makes it very easy for you to move it around, even without wheels. Other than that, it also does have a tip over switch to keep it in place.

Just like the other heaters, this one also has 1500W of power allowing it to heat rooms of up to 144 to 150 square feet. Lastly, it’s also quite easy to control since it comes with a remote-control device. So even if you are not that near the machine, you can still control the heat settings, the thermostat, and the other functions of the machine.

Frequently Asked Questions About Oil filled Heaters

1.  Can oil heaters catch fire?

The straightforward answer is YES, but only if you are being careless. Oil heaters have a substantial risk of catching fire if they are near flammable materials such as bedding, clothes, etc.

But following the safety precautions, you can avoid such accidents.

2.  Do you need to refill oil heaters?

No. As we explained in the “How Does Oil Filled Heater Work?” this type of heater doesn’t burn oil, which means that it doesn’t use oil as fuel. The main function of the oil is as heat reservoir, so it actually never gets used up.

3.  Do oil heaters use a lot of electricity?

Oil heaters use electricity to heat up the oil reservoir. But as compared to the conventional electric heaters, oils heaters don’t use as much energy.

If you’ve read the previous section, we explain how the power output and power consumption of the oil heaters are similar. This indicates that oil heaters have 100% efficiency.

4.  Does oil-filled heater smell?

Brand new oil filled heaters don’t smell at all. But after using the heater over time, a smell like that of a hot motor oil will probably start to become noticeable.

Also, the paint coating on the surface of the heater will most likely melt over time, thus giving off a chemical smell.

But no need to worry that much. By the time these issues occur will be the same time that you need to buy a new oil filled heater. The average life of oil heaters is between 8 to 10 years when well-taken care of.

Conclusion

As you can see, oil filled heaters beat the other heating types when it comes to efficiency, power, and health. Hence, it is not surprising why more and more people are now using this product.

Among the 7 best oil filled heaters on the list, we think the DeLonghi Safe Heat 1500W Comfortemp Portable Oil Filled Heater offers the best value to money. It is 100% efficient and has most of the key features we mentioned above. People who have bought this oil heater also vouch for the product’s heating power, so we are confident that you’ll get the most out of your investment with this one.