January Is The Start Of Fire Sale Prices On Electric Fireplaces

The heating season is over. Not for you or me, but for any retail business that sells heating appliances like electric fireplaces.

Every year right around the end of January retailers big and small start to unload inventory in earnest to make room, and raise cash, for next year’s models.

The need for retailers to raise money is especially critical during this lousy economy when banks are hoarding cash instead of lending it out.

This should mean significantly lower discounts than what you’d ordinarily expect this time of the year.

Every savvy shop is already well aware of this fact and knows he or she has to move quickly and decisively or that beautiful electric fireplace they’ve had their eye on will be “out of stock” until next season.

But if you’ve just started shopping for an electric fireplace you still have a little time to do some homework before everything starts to fly off the show room floor.

If you’ve never shopped for an electric fireplace, the best place to start is determining how much you want to spend and use that amount when you’re searching online. For instance, type in a phrase like “$500 electric fireplaces,” and start going through the search results.

Once you get a good idea of what’s available in your price range you can start comparison shopping.

When you comparison shop it’s a good idea to consider other factors in addition to the price. Take a minute to read the product description, features, etc., so you’ll know exactly what to expect when you open the box.

 Another point of comparison is shipping charges. Some products offered online with the lowest price could end up being the most expensive choice when shipping costs are added in.

Read the product reviews. There isn’t a better source of product information than the experiences of actual users.

If you can find a great deal on an electric fireplace right now you’ll not only save a princely sum but you’ll have found a practical and entertaining way to make the remaining days of winter more enjoyable.

Electric fireplaces are beautiful, fun and efficient. Find exactly what you’re looking for in a price range you can afford at Sam’s Guide to Electric Fireplaces

Solar Window Space Heaters

If you're home during the day and own a home or rent an apartment with south facing exposure you should consider a solar window space heater.

Not only can you harness the radiant energy of the sun to heat entire rooms, but once it's in place you'll be getting free heat for as long as the sun shines.

If you’ve never seen a solar window heater it can be described as a 3’ x 2’ box, 4 or 5 inches deep, that fits within the window frame on the inside of the room.

The front of the box, facing the sun, is covered by a sheet of Plexiglas. The back of the box is a solid sheet of plywood or sheet metal with the exception of two – five inch holes, or ports, cut out at diagonally facing corners.

The fan is housed in the port at the bottom corner, and the exhaust port is located diagonally across at the top.

The fan draws air from the room into the box where it circulates through a series of baffles until it exits back into the room through the exhaust port at the top. The temperature of the air re-entering the room is around 120 -130 F (49 - 54 C).

The inside of the box has two components that work together to retain and concentrate the radiant heat from the sun.

The first is a system to collect the sun’s rays at numerous angles as it moves across the sky while at the same time providing a path for the air to circulate from one end of the box to the other.

One way this done is to line the interior of the box with a sheet of aluminum or copper to conduct the heat and use wooden baffles to direct the airflow.

Other methods employ aluminum tubing or even recycled soda cans as combination collector/circulators.

The second component of the collector system is the application of Hi-Temp flat black spray paint to increase the absorption of the collectors.

Most, but not all indoor window heaters are thermostatically controlled. Those that don’t have a digital display that shows the temperature the collector is generating.

The only on-going cost associated with a solar space heater is the cost of electricity to run the 12V fan. Although the cost to run a 4.7” diameter fan is minimal, you could get off the grid and operate it cost free with a 6 watt solar panel that can be purchased for around $35.

The price of a factory built heater is around $200, but if you enjoy a rewarding do it yourself project you could probably build one for less than $100.

See photos of inside and outside solar window heaters and find DIY kits and parts information at Solar Space Heaters

The 5 Best Selling Electric Space Heaters

Managing a household budget during a down economy can be a daunting task. One budget item that everyone pays close attention to during the cold winter months is heating fuel costs.

What many home owners have discovered over the years is that zoned heating is an immediate and effective method to keep a lid on high heating bills. Zoned heating is accomplished by turning back the main thermostat 5–10 degrees and heating only the room(s) that are occupied.

More often than not, the favored heating appliance for room by room zone heating is the portable electric space heater.

What follows is a list of the 5 best selling electric space heaters determined by sales figures compiled from Amazon.com.

#5 - Although technically a space heater, the Dimplex CS3311 is best known as the number 1 selling electric stove in the US.

The Dimplex stove appeals to buyers who want something more decorative than the average space heater but doesn’t require a lot of space. This makes them ideal for apartments, condos, and RV’s.

#4 - Honeywell HZ-2200 Mini Tower Surround Heater The Honeywell Mini Tower is an inexpensive, compact heater that features optional front or surround heat, adjustable thermostat, and back-up thermal circuit breaker.

It is also plagued by complaints of excessive noise, thermostat control failure, and a short working life.

#3 - DeLonghi EW7707CM Oil-filled Radiator This radiant heater is the only type of space heater allowed in college dorms. Since it’s a pure radiant heater it has no fan and is ultra quiet.

Although the product description states it has a low surface temperature, you might be better off with the model TRD0715T if you have kids or pets to worry about. The difference is the TRD0715T incorporates several vertical thermal tunnels which keep the hot elements enclosed and out of reach.

#2 - Lasko 755320 Ceramic Tower Heater Ceramic heaters have really gained in popularity over the last few years. Ceramic elements provide instant heat and the heater itself is generally quieter than other fan equipped heaters.

The tower configuration provides more heat higher up and the oscillating (side to side) motion distributes the heat evenly throughout the room.

#1 - Lasko 754200 Ceramic Heater The Lasko 754200 is currently #4 on Amazon’s site wide Best Sellers List and has been there for 322 days.

Compact in size and only 10” tall, it has the same 1,500 watt heat output as larger units.

The fact that it’s priced around $20 probably contributes a great deal to its popularity, but it would be difficult to remain a best seller for as long as it has if it wasn’t a good value.

You can see all of the Best Sellers (except the Honeywell) plus a selection of space heaters for just about any purpose at Sam’s Guide to Electric Space Heaters