I prefer my gas heater. I can have it anywhere i want it "keeping saftey in mind" and i don't have to worry about electrical cords everywhere. I have found that the gas has got more kick per buck, meaning it heats up quicker.Originally Posted by Stevie G
Plus with load shedding on the way i will still be able to heat up my home while those with electrical heaters wont be able to.
Liebe ist die stärkste Macht der Welt,
und doch ist sie die demütigste,
die man sich vorstellen kann..
I have both. The oil heater appeared to be very expensive to run (in fact I have not used it since the first major electricity price hike) and takes ages to warm a room. With gas the room heats up very quickly. Though I suspect, with current gas prices, the oil is probably cheaper to run.
Burning gas also produces moisture, so the air does not get as dry as with oil or electric heaters.
The cost of running a gas heater really depends on how much you use it, and what setting you use it on. In mid winter I will go through a 9Kg bottle in a week, but then I work from home too, so it is on a lot, office in the day, lounge at night.
The trick is to look at the gas consumption specification, for instance, the Goldairs (9Kg) are around 110g / hour on a single panel and 290g / hour on three panels (http://www.4home.co.za/index.php?pag...mart&Itemid=90). The Delonghi mentioned in the earlier post appears to be about the same. So the cost of running the heater from there is just maths. Hours * hourly consumption (depending on number of panels used). Same as electric heaters actually, just look at the input Kilowatt rating and take it from there. I suspect you will find that the output kilowatt rating for gas is higher for gas than it is for oil, so you also get more bang for you buck.
I have an old Goldair (about six years) whose panels have degenerated over the years. The more used the panel, the less they 'glow' and produce warmth. Thus, the middle panel hardly glows at all, the second panel glows OK and the third glows as if it was new. I am not sure if this a quality issue when it come to Goldair's panels specifically, or with gas from a particular supplier, or a bit of both. That heater will shortly be consigned to the scrap heap.
Someone mentioned getting a 9Kg unit, and sure the gas will last longer, but lugging a 9Kg unit up and down stairs (if you have them) can be a real pain in the buttox.
If you go for the smaller unit (up to 5kg) be aware that the 4.5Kg Alva gas bottles are about R100 cheaper than Cadac or LK equivalent, or that was my finding recently. I prefer to have two gas bottles per unit, so if one runs out I can swap over immediately, but that does increase setup cost.
Last but not least, I expect we can look forward to rolling blackouts again this winter. In which case only a fire or gas is going to keep you cosy at night.
Very informative.
Now I wonder how these compare with electric fan heaters...
There is a Delonghi (I think) gas/electric fan hybrid. Making quite a bit of sense at the moment...
I was at Builders this morning and found a really cute Alva single panel gas heater on special for R299. It has two heat settings, with gas consumption of 115gr / hour and 165 gr / hour for low and high respectively. It only puts out 2.5 Kilowatts max, but it is perfect for my office. So on low, with a 4.5kg bottle that should last about 40 hours. It also has a built in oxygen depletion sensor.
The gas bottle is not enclosed like larger units, but it is held in place by a bracket at the bottom and a hinge at the top (though the hinge appears to be too small for the 4.5Kg bottle, which I am going to write to the distributor about). It may not be as aesthetically pleasing as the larger units, but I think it was a good buy.
Link?
I bought a Conti Windfire a couple of weeks ago from Ivans near Cavendish Square (Cape Town) and paid about R800 (excl gas bottle). Also sold by Eagle Appliances it seems.
The thing I like about it is that its not that ugly black colour that most of them are! It has an electric fan so the gas created heat is moved around the room and heats up really quickly and effectively. Also has an electric element which works with the fan if you run out of gas (or you can use them together on those nights when its really cold).
Also has all of the safety features it seems.
That's a good price, although it's a bit ugly. Where is Ivans/Ivan's? Are there any stats on amount of gas used, as detailed in IdlePhaedrus' posts above? Also, I take it that the fan works on a "normal" setting (without added heat) o spread the warmth around?
http://stingray.co.za/main.asp?catid=50&id=3&prodid=266
http://www.builders.co.za/content/BW...WEEK46_WEB.pdf (bottom of the second page)
<edit> looks like the special ends today, and there were only two left at Builders in Tableview when I was there this morning </edit>
Specs as per the link in @Greggles post: Max gas consumption 0,30kg/h. So about the same as the Goldair's and the Delonghi mentioned on the first page.
I like the gas electric combination, and the fan idea, but that is not a pretty device, even if you like the colour. I think I would prefer to stick to separate gas and electric devices.
I've got the Alva GH3100 which according to the specs uses 95.5g/hr, 191g/hr, and 286g/hr with one, two or three panels on respectively. We rarely use more than one panel, even during the winter.
"Le mieux est l'ennemi du bien." FM Arouet
"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke
"Never argue with an idiot. They drag you down to their level, then beat you with experience" Unknown
How does a paraffin heater compare.
damn, looks like i've missed out on the special today. that 1 of R299 would suffice for my needs. which other stores sell them at that price or closest to it. i like the idea that its compact and doe not use alot of electricity.
021 696 2905
for what it's worth I bought the DeLonghi "Blue Flame" heater (similar to this one). Goes with a 9kg bottle and Builders have them going for 1499 (with thermostat). Hirsches rips you off for the same one at about 2k. DionWired has a 3-4.5kg AEG version (bought it also, but could not get any bottles). The backpanel is a bit flimsy, but it does the heater does it's job.
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