Fan heaters

[Huge]

I need a new fan heater for my bathroom (we use one such because I don't want to run the central heating to heat one room for my early start days, once a week).

Previously, we had a Philips metal bodied 3kW heater which got the bathroom nice and toasty, but it failed (the fan "bearing" wore out - actually there wasn't a bearing - the fan mounted straight in the case). We replaced it with a cheapo Chinese 2kW one from Sainsers, but it doesn't get the room warm enough, not because it's underpowered, but because it's entirely made of plastic and uses a "safety" thermostat to stop the element from melting the heater. As a result, the actual heat output is pitiful; I estimate the element is actually only powered ~50% of the time.

I went in John Lewis last week to look for another, but they all seem to use the same design now - plastic bodies and a safety thermostat.

So ... can anyone recommend a decent fan heater which actually puts out its rated output? I'm tempted to buy a workshop one from the likes of Machine Mart - I don't care what it looks like, I just want to take my shower in the warm ...

[Tim Streater]

Convector something like this? Or jew really want a fan heater?

Hmmm, I see this has a fan too.

[Huge]

Too big. I've been carrying a similar convector into the bathroom so it's actually warm, but I'd like to store the heater in the bathroom. I'd consider an electric kickspace heater I could install in a vanity unit.

[Owain]

I expect they all have a safety cutout now, but Claudgen make metal bodied downflow fan heaters

[Huge]

> - they look interesting - wall-mount would be good because it's a tiny room (7ft by 7ft - it's our en-suite) and it's mostly full of ... bathroom.

[meow2222]

Look at old fan heaters, or ones for workshops etc. Or fit new bearings or a replacement motor

If you need 3kW for a bathroom, its either very big or very poorly insulated.

NT

[Brian Gaff]

Greenouse fan heater perhaps?

Brian

[whisky-dave]

I'd like to recommend one of the new dysons but I haven't; got one and don'= t know anyone that has, but they look good and the sort of thing I'd buy if= they weren;t almost =A3300 !!!! if anyone has one or has played with one please report on it .

[Brian Gaff]

Some of the modern ones do have a metal insert where the element is and seem to work very well to 3kw. However they seem to be up to 40 quid or so. I bought one in the Comet sale.. Unfortunately the sale is over.... Brian

[Huge]

Only if you want to hear me laugh like a drain. £300 for a piece of brightly coloured junk that will break.

[The Natural Philosopher]

+1

[The Other Mike]

Not wallmounted but freestanding, all steel, had one for a few years now, only

2.5kW though.

[SteveW]

There's plenty of closing down sales going on at Comet stores!

SteveW

[polygonum]

Trouble is the Comet sale I saw was offering something like 10% off a range of goods. But on the basis that the company will likely disappear, you first have to think that there may be no SOGA rights available if it goes wrong. What percent discount do you need to cover that?

The other trouble is the next one I saw, the whole store was closed.

[js.b1]

Can you provide background heat? Such as a 300-450W towel rail (IPx4), or even a 240W tube heater (IPx4)?

That way the heater only has to take the room from (say) 14oC to 20oC and the heat loss at (say) 14oC is somewhat less than trying to keep warm all the time.

[Jules Richardson]

... and probably in some way which requires purchase of an expensive modular part even though the actual broken bit costs sod-all to make.

I've got a Singer 5kW fan heater - I bet it's 50 years old, but it still runs happily. Takes a while to heat the basement, but it'd make short work of a bathroom! :-)

[Frank Erskine]

... and it only cost a tenor...?

[Jules Richardson]

Git, I just spent a couple of minutes looking for a typo :-)

[Dave Liquorice]

And it's own dedicated supply... 5kW is 21 A this side of the pond.

[whisky-dave]

yeah and I was working out the running costs a tener for an average 8 hour working day :-)