Comfort Zone Infrared Heater
By buckeyefan on
We began shopping around for alternate sources to supplement our home heating this year.We currently have a forced air oil furnace, and with the constantly rising costs of heating oil, this was quickly becoming a necessity.
After exploring various options like wood-burning stoves, electric fireplaces, and pellet stoves, we found a website that sold infrared heaters.After reading some of the benefits of using infrared heat, we purchased a heater to use in our home, and it has worked....well, just ok.
The main benefit we were looking for with infrared heating is the health benefits.Infrared does not dry out the air, and we all in my family seem to be more susceptible to colds and sinus problems when the air gets so dry from running our heat in the winter.We usually have humidifiers running, but only in our bedrooms.I must say that I believe this claim for the heater 100%.I have definitely noticed more humidity in the air since using the heater, and we have much less static electricity in the house.
The unit itself is rather small, and lightweight, at only 27 pounds.We bought the larger unit, which is supposed to heat 1,000 square feet.This is where we find the heater to fall a bit short of its claims.Perhaps it is because we live in an old home with high ceilings, but we don't feel like the heater makes the room feel all that much warmer.We have found though, that if we run the heater near our thermostat, we can control how much our furnace runs, which essentially was why we bought the heater in the first place, so I guess it is doing its job.
Something else that I really like about the heater is that it doesn't not get hot, so it is safe around my son and my dog; also, since it doesn't use combustible heat, there is no risk of fire, which gives us nice peace of mind.The unit is very quiet; we have our tv in the same room, and don't really notice when the heater is on.It is on casters, making it convenient to roll from room to room as needed. Also, the unit we bought has a remote and a digital thermostat, so you can set the room temperature to the degree.There is even a timer, so you can set the temperature lower at night, and turn up in the morning.
Whether this heater will save us money in the long run is yet to be seen; it does run on electricity, so we need to make sure over the next few months that whatever we save on heating oil does not get eaten up by increased electric bills, so we will keep an eye on that.I think maybe we just had too high of expectations for this small unit, but for now we plan to continue using it to (hopefully!) reduce some of our heating oil consumption.
I am a dealer/service center for Solar Comfort and have the ComfortZone for comparison. I would not put my company name on the line for any other than Solar Comfort. Why? First off I don't trust plastic and heaters. In fact, I have an image of one of the infrared heaters melted. I will not disclose the name. I also do not believe that any of these heaters using digital displays and remotes are going to last longterm. Have you ever had a digital component or remote fail? The simpler the better for longevity. See I used to work for a chip broker, and what they do is wait for the manufacturer of chips to stop production and then they buy them up. Then they put manufacturers at their mercy. Manufacturers using the former digital components are forced to move onto a new model. Where does this leave you when the warranty is up and the unit changed. When comparing the ComfortZone Infrared Heater to Solar Comfort it was almost not even a fair comparison. Hands down the Solar Comfort is a much higher quality unit that will certainly be around for you for a long time of heating. The filter. It was so flimsy on the Comfort Zone. It was so small in comparison as well. I could not believe that when you look through it towards light it was like looking right through it. Not so on the massive Solar Comfort filter. Then there is the bulbs. Although the main bulb seems to be a slight improvement over ComfortZone's real competitors, Edenpure, SunHeat and SunTwin. I am not convinced that there heat area contains any improvement at all. In fact I would place my bet on the others in this case. Yes there were a few pieces of thin copper but definately not anything to boast about, IN MY OPINION. Try changing the bulbs that are suppose to be so easy on the ComfortZone. I am very mechanically inclined as I am a service center and I had a hassle of a time. Trying to line the bulbs back in place always left me wondering if it was in right. In fact, how do you even know which is out. No peep holes or any other indicators. The Solar Comfort is a dream for anyone to work on. I can change lamps in a matter of seriously 2 minutes. 8 screws and as simple as turning lamps. Oh and don't let ANYONE tell you that Solar Comfort uses old outdated technology. Theirs works and it is proven. They tried the quartz and moved right back. The only thing I could see being a plus for someone needing to move one by picking it up a lot would be that it is lighter. That is it! The Solar Comfort is simpler. It is higher quality, blends in like a piece of furniture and is the original. I did an apples to apples heat test on both the Solar Comfort and the Comfort Zone and the Solar Comfort put out up to 15 degrees more heat and was cool to the touch around the case. Want to see more information and comparisons go here: http://www.citysurfin.com I hope this helps.
it looks like a fusion of an oven and a radio. lol. but it sounds amazing! nice review!
i would like to see more proof about this product before buying. even if it can help somewhat it can save people money over time. it seems like its helping you somewhat but i need to know more from others as well.