Oil Room Heaters 101: How to Select the Best Model for You

Discover your ideal oil room heater with our comprehensive buying guide. Find the best options for a cozy winter. Make the right choice today!

Some parts of India experience severe winters, and if you live in these particular regions, your first priority at this point in time would be to protect yourself and your family from the dreaded cold.

There can be many ways to avoid this severe cold, but here, the solution we are going to talk about is oil filled room heater. This room heater is not only efficient but also cost-effective.

In this article, we will know how these room heaters work, what things should be kept in mind while buying them, as well as we will also tell you which are the best oil filled room heaters that you can think of buying.

How We Made This List of 5 Best Oil Filled Room Heaters

Over the past several weeks, our team visited various electronics showrooms and stores to gather information about various types of oil filled room heaters. Also, know their safety features. We bought some of them so that we could use them and test them. We tried to get feedback from our relatives and friends (whom they were already using) about the heaters we could not purchase. After this, we prepared a list of the 5 best oil filled room heaters, which are scoring well in all our parameters.

The things we kept in mind while preparing the list of 5 best oil filled room heaters are:

• Safety Features
• energy efficiency
• Warranty and Service

5 Best Oil Filled Room Heaters

How Oil Room Heaters Work

Oil room heaters are also called Oil Filled Radiators (OFR) or oil heaters.

• These heaters consist of hollow columns/pipes of metal, which are connected to each other – these are called fins. A special type of oil is filled in these which is called diathermic oil.
• Due to the heating element placed under the heater, this oil also gets heated. This hot oil flows through all the fins due to which heat is spread in the air/atmosphere of the room.
• Nowadays, these heaters come with a small fan which pulls the (cold) air of the room from one side and puts it on these hot fins. Thus the air present in the room gets heated quickly.
• This diathermic oil, filled in the fins, remains hot for a long time, which has the advantage that even if we turn off the heater, it continues to heat the room for a long time.

That is, oil in the heater is not used as a fuel, but as a heat reservoir (buffer).

Advantages of Using Oil Room Heaters

It has many advantages:

1. Energy Efficient: Since the diathermic oil used in these maintains the heat for a long time, these heaters are energy efficient. Keeps the room warm comfortably for 1-2 hours if you switch it off or there is a power cut.
2. Even Heat Distribution: You must have noticed that some heaters are not able to spread heat to other parts of the room. But as these heaters transfer heat through convection and thermal radiation, the room gets heated evenly.
3. Oxygen not burnt: Most of the infrared and fan heaters burn the oxygen present in the room due to which the level of oxygen present in the atmosphere of the room decreases and can cause suffocation. However, the oil room heater works on the principle of convection and thermal radiation in which there is no oxygen burning in any way.
4. Thermostat and auto thermal shut-off: These heaters often come with a thermostat that senses the temperature inside the room and maintains the temperature level you have set in your room. They also have an auto thermal shut-off feature that turns off the heater when the room gets warm enough.
5. Minimized risk of fire or burns: The hot oil in these heaters is trapped in their fins and never comes out. Apart from this, its fins do not get so hot that touching them can burn someone. Still, it should be kept at a certain distance.
6. There is no dryness in the skin: Since they do not eliminate the moisture present in the room, therefore dryness is not felt in the skin.
7. Portability: Most of the oil room heaters coming today have wheels at the bottom so that you can move them from one room to another without much hassle.
8. Longevity and Low Maintenance: These heaters are highly durable and provide a service life of 15-20 years. They require minimum maintenance. You just need to check the cleanliness and safety from time to time.

Read also: Which type of Room Heater is Good for Health

Common Misconceptions about Oil Room Heaters

Despite its many benefits, there are some misconceptions people have about oil room heaters that we would like to clarify to you:

• Consumes a lot of oil: Oil room heaters do not consume any kind of oil. This oil is sealed and packed in this heater, it is used only for heating.
• Takes a long time to heat up: Although they don’t provide instant heat like fan heaters, they heat up fairly quickly and maintain a steady temperature.
• They make noise: Oil room heaters are known for their silent operation, making them perfect for bedrooms or quieter spaces.

How to Choose an Oil-Filled Room Heater

It is important that this room heater suits your budget and requirements, so while buying a good oil room heater for yourself, keep these things in mind:

Heating Capacity and Fins

The capacity of an oil room heater depends on its wattage as well as its fins. At present, there are 3 types of oil room heaters available in the market which are different for different-sized rooms.

Number of Fins	Area of Room
9 Fins	up to 150 sq feet
11 Fins	up to 150 to 250 sq feet
13 Fins	up to 250 sq feet

Nowadays, oil room heaters with curved fins have also come on the market. Curved Fins increase the heating area of the fins and increase the heating efficiency. Therefore, you are advised to get an oil room heater with curved fins.

By the way, to heat one square foot of space, 10 watts of heating power is required. Thus, if you have a 150-square-foot room, you should go for a 1500-watt room heater.

Safety Features

In particular, it has 3 types of safety features:

• Over Heat Protection – It does not allow the heater to overheat.
• Tilt Over Switch – If the heater tilts or falls, it switches off the heater.
• Thermostatic Heat Control – It maintains the temperature of the room as per your choice.

While purchasing, you must check these safety features. If you have small children or pets in your house then these features are very useful.

Energy Efficiency

Always check the energy rating and if possible choose a room heater with a level 5 rating, so that your electricity bill does not increase.

Warrnaty & Service

Often these heaters have a warranty of 1-2 years.

Operating and Maintaining Your Oil Room Heater

Setting Up the Heater Safely

While using the room heater, it should be kept in a place where the surface is flat so that it can be protected from falling. Keep it away from flammable materials and curtains. Maintain a safe distance of at least three feet. Do not keep it attached to the wall.

Using the Thermostat Effectively

Most oil room heaters come with a thermostat. Set it to your desired temperature, and the heater will maintain that warmth. That is, it will turn it on and off as per the need.

Cleaning and Maintenance Tips

Oil room heaters are low maintenance, but periodic cleaning is necessary. Switch off the heater and unplug it before cleaning. Wipe the exterior with a damp cloth and use a vacuum cleaner with a nozzle attachment to remove dust and debris from the fans. Check the power cord for any damage and replace it if necessary.

Safety Precautions

To ensure the safety of your home and family members:

1. Avoid using an extension cord with your heater.
2. Never leave your oil room heater unattended.
3. Inspect the power cord regularly.
4. Keep the area around the heater tidy.
5. Place the heater on a stable and level surface.

Read also: 8 Safety Tips To Follow While Using A Room Heater

How to save electricity while using an oil room heater

If you want to avoid high electricity bills while using an oil room heater, then you should keep these things in mind:

• Timer and Thermostat: You can use a timer to turn the heater on and off at a specific time and a thermostat to maintain a specific temperature.
• Heat only the rooms you are using, closing doors to keep warm air in those spaces.
• Use curtains and rugs to retain warmth: Heavy curtains prevent heat from escaping through windows, while rugs on cool floors prevent heat from escaping through the floor.
• Seal window sills and cover gaps under doors to keep cold air out.
• Although they are expensive and the electricity bill is a bit high, OFR is considered best for children and the elderly.

Although they are expensive and the electricity bill is a bit high, OFR is considered best for children and elderly people.

Last update on 2024-05-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API