With the cold setting in for winter, many of us face an ongoing struggle in trying to minimize the amount of energy that we use, while also staying warm.
For seniors, staying warm can be a major problem and many people, like my own parents, find that they are cold almost constantly. Needless to say, this can cause a major issue for energy bills.
One viable option is relying on space heaters. There is no shortage of these on the market, ranging from cheap to expensive options.
However, if you’re shopping for any heater for a senior, then price shouldn’t be the first thing to consider. Instead, there are a few different areas that are worth paying close attention to.
In doing so, you may end up with a heater that is more expensive to buy initially. However, in the long-term, you may save money and will certainly be protecting the wellbeing of everybody.
So, here are 5 key things to consider when buying and using a space heater.
Energy Use
In many cases, small heaters are much more efficient than trying to heat the whole house.
This is especially true for seniors, as many may spend most of their time in just one or two rooms of the house. Often, you may be able to concentrate heating in the living room and just heat the bedrooms in the evening.
When you’re buying a space heater, you need to pay close attention to how energy efficient it is. In many cases, the heater may have an actual rating for energy efficiency. If it doesn’t, you may be able to find information through reviews and articles online.
An energy efficient heater may cost more to initially buy but it will save you a lot of money in the long-term.
This is particularly true if you have family members who like to leave the heater on constantly.
Safety Features
Heaters can come with a range of safety features and these are important for making sure that nothing bad happens.
The simplest example of this is an overheating sensor, which is present in most models. With this type of sensor, the device will switch off if it becomes too warm.
This practice dramatically reduces the potential for fires or any other problems, especially in cases where the heater isn’t being closely monitored.
Another feature is a tip over cut off.
This feature is much less common but is very important, especially if you have clumsy family members or seniors who struggle with walking.
With this feature, the heater will stop going if it falls over. There are also some that stop going if there is too much vibration around them.
These features offer additional protection and they can be especially relevant for seniors.
However, they are also less common and you may have to hunt around to find a heater with these functions.
Room Size
Heaters tend to be specifically designed for different room sizes.
Some may be tailored towards smaller rooms, while others may be suitable for large open spaces. To get the most out of your heater, it’s important to pick one that is designed for the size of room you have.
Often this information will be easy to find, such as on the box of the product or online.
Now, the room size for a given model isn’t absolute and many people do use them in different rooms than the company suggests. However, you’re going to get the best outcomes if your use of the heater is close to what the company had in mind.
Placement and Cords
Where you put a space heater will have a huge impact on how effective it is at keeping the area warm. Typically, you want to figure this out before you actually buy a heater, as different models are designed for different types of spaces.
When placing a space heater, you’re going to need it to be close enough to keep anybody in the room warm but far enough away that it doesn’t overheat.
At the same time, you need to be sure that the heater itself and any cords aren’t going to act as a fall hazard. Falls are a major issue for seniors can lead to serious health complications and strip seniors of their independence.
As a result, it’s important to be aware of any fall hazards around the home and this includes heater cords.
Other Useful Features
There are other features that you may find on some heaters that can be immensely helpful. While these might not be necessary to their function, they can help make sure your family members get exactly what they need.
One example is a remote, which you can find with some models.
This gives users the ability to turn on and off the heater without having to get up. This can be especially relevant for anybody with mobility issues or who is struggling to keep warm.
Additionally, operating the heater by remote can reduce the chance of it getting knocked and means that users don’t have to bend down to adjust settings.
Another interesting feature is heaters that move in a pattern. This can help to warm more of the room. However, whether this works for you will depend on the space that you want to put the heater in, as it can require more clearance around the device.
Leave a Reply