oil filled type heater

I'm looking for recommendations on small oil filled type heaters and wondered what others were using for there vans.
in an ideal world with a thermostat if possible

Previous threads..

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D`longi sp 500 has thermastat, recommended.

I've had many of these.  The latest one in the van is a bit battered so I bough a new one from B&Q this time last year.  It rattles loudly when travelling.  I took it back and found all of that batch did, the thermostat is not fixed to the case.  That now keeps the shed dry with the old one still in the van.

I use one of the common , small, oil filled radiators..Like Peter, It sits upfront in the cab when on but it stores neatly behind the front passenger seat when travelling. I did take notice of one comment made on the thread recommended by Paul.. i.e.   the possibility of it leaking... the radiator sits on a narrow tray both when travelling and when switched on.

Try this trick
Get one of those cheap desk/computer fans(£3) that are driven by the usb port on a comp. and
position it at an angle to blow over the fins, its very quiet and energy efficient.
(I feel a Dragons Den appearance coming on)
A small 230v fan heater is being advertised on the TV and also in the Coopers flier mag.
400w with built in timer and 2speed fan for £14.99 (free postage on orders over £15) 
Anyone tried these?
frederic

frederic wrote:Try this trick
Get one of those cheap desk/computer fans(£3) that are driven by the usb port on a comp. and
position it at an angle to blow over the fins, its very quiet and energy efficient.
(I feel a Dragons Den appearance coming on)
A small 230v fan heater is being advertised on the TV and also in the Coopers flier mag.
400w with built in timer and 2speed fan for £14.99 (free postage on orders over £15) 
Anyone tried these?
frederic

When we first started we used a fan heater in the Duetto but didn't leave it on when away from the van as a big fire risk if they go wrong (eg fan stops but heat doesn't). During our first Whitemead rally, in the snow, we were shown the benefits of having a 500w oil filled radiator on all the time, called in at Gloucester on the way back to get one and have used one every winter since.

I won't allow a fan heater in our van, or house, without there being someone present all the time that it's on.

I've seen too many suddenly emit a shower of white hot debris and sparks when either the fan stops (or even just slows due to worn bearings), or the elements sag and touch each other.

A convector isn't quite as dangerous, IMHO, but I still don't like them to be on while I'm asleep either, in case someone on a nocturnal expedition to the loo trips over one.

I would never ever use a fan heater, MH or house. not safe. IMHO worst thing is a fire especially in a MH.

I've dismantled a few, and modern fan heaters should not be considered as intrinsically dangerous. All the ones that I've looked at recently have a tip-over switch so that they will only work on a flat, level surface, have had a thermostat, and also they have all had an over-heat cutout on the element assembly.

I tend to stick with ceramic element types for one simple reason: it's easy to get good thermal contact between the over-heat cutout and the element itself, so there should be no realistic possibility of an element melt-down if the fan fails. Any that I use in situations where they may be unattended for a while have their cheap sleeve-bearing fan replaced with a proper cast-chassis ball-bearing based fan.

TBH I can't actually think of any great advantage of an oil-filled radiator over an element-to-air convector. The oil does even out the heat output when limited by the thermostat, but the downside is significantly greater weight and the possibility of leaks. When I used a convector in the past I always used an oil-free one (such as the Dimplex Eco Chico) to save weight and bulk.

[Edit: actually, you don't save any bulk - a non-oil-filled convector has to have a fair bit of protected space around the element, so they tend to be hardly any less bulky than oil-filled - but still a lot lighter!]

-mojo- wrote:When I used a convector in the past I always used an oil-free one (such as the Dimplex Eco Chico) to save weight and bulk.

[Edit: actually, you don't save any bulk - a non-oil-filled convector has to have a fair bit of protected space around the element, so they tend to be hardly any less bulky than oil-filled - but still a lot lighter!]

Totally sold on the idea, the Mini looks an excellent product but its much bigger than my oil filled and wont go where we need it between the cab seats - shame.

We bought a 500w Dimplex Coldwatcher in the 1990's  this will free stand, lay down or wall mount on two screws it has a frost setting 5deg above freezing we have used this in all our vans since. After seeing the damage a leaking Oil heater can do I would never use one

Alf

 https://www.plumbnation.co.uk/site/dimplex-coldwatcher/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzJidp9C-1wIV7ZztCh1veAg6EAQYAyABEgLyDfD_BwE

Having had two mini oil filled heaters fail due to thermostats not operating properly and working on the safety cut out only I purchased a Dimplex Chico which is a small convector heater slightly bigger than the oil filled but more efficient heating up quickly and using only 700 watts, and the thermostat actually works.

The heater weighs less than the oil filled and there is no chance of oil leaks it also comes with a 3 year warranty.

Cheers John

Never felt the need for a heater, but then we do live way down south, even frost's are rare.

BTW if anyone wants a Dimplex Chico at a very reasonable price, let me know!

I bought it for the Flair, where it worked very well, but then I sold the Flair and bought a Celex. A Celex has a draughty tent on the roof rather than a solid high-top, and 700W is not enough, so it has sat in storage ever since.

No one had any experience with the 400w fan heater then??
We also have the 500w Coldwatch, actually 2 of them BUT their element does radiate an appreciable amount of infra red so not ideal between the front seats where we use the oil filled, and the one Coldwatch at the rear by the back doors.
frederic