Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unattended?

[electricans_son]

Many of my items have failed recently and as my gas central heating boiler is 20 years old, I am concerned about that failing too, although it works perfectly at the moment. I occasionally go away for a week and in addition to leaving the gas central heating on at a low temperature, I am thinking of leaving a convertor heater on, in the bedroom immediately under the cold water storage tank while I am away. This bedroom is also adjacent to the airing cupboard. Details of the heater and position:-


Automatic overheating cut-out,
Metal sides, but plastic grill top and feet,
Set at the lowest of two heat/kW inputs, the maximum is 2 kW,
Thermostatically controlled to give a constant room temperature of say about 8 degrees 24/7,
Placed about 20 cm from the wall ("egg box" type) and 80 cm from the bed, and parallel to both,
Fan not turned on.


My intention is to leave only if the daytime temperature is well above zero and would come back if the daytime temperature drops to zero or below, or the night time temperature is exceeding low, but that may take a day or two.


I realise that an oil filled radiator is probably the safest, but they are inefficient and I believe expensive to run.


Any advise please?

 

[telectrix]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

or add antifreeze to the storage tank.

 

[Guest77]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

Good question actually, personally I wouldn't be happy leaving a portable heater on for a period of days whilst the house was empty, I am aware they have stats and some timers, I think of them as heaters you switch on and off whilst present, if during the week something happens and it falls over or shorts out your house could burn down, Just my view fella.

 

[electricans_son]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

Thanks MDJ.

I think of them as heaters you switch on and off whilst present…………………

That is precisely my thoughts and why I asked. As for falling over, on the box it states that it does have a safety switch, "if knocked over the heater automatically switches off" but of course it could fail to operate.

The only other thing I should add, is that the heater is on a timber floor not carpet.

 

[Guest77]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

Thanks MDJ.



That is precisely my thoughts and why I asked. As for falling over, on the box it states that it does have a safety switch, "if knocked over the heater automatically switches off" but of course it could fail to operate.

Yeah I get what your saying, it may well be it is fine, but my advice is to think of a different heating method, these fan heaters could end up fire hazzards if left for long periods of times fella, other members here may think differently of course but thats my opinion.

 

[markc123]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

You could use a plug in programme timer as a last resort... set the timer to a few hours a day/night. Still not ideal, I'm kind of with Mike on this one - i wouldn't like a fan heater on whilst I'm not there ... but with a programme timer its only going to be on a few hours as opposed to 24 each day.

 

[Guest77]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

You could use a plug in programme timer as a last resort... set the timer to a few hours a day/night. Still not ideal, I'm kind of with Mike on this one - i wouldn't like a fan heater on whilst I'm not there ... but with a programme timer its only going to be on a few hours as opposed to 24 each day.

Hey fella long time no see, great to see you again :wink_smile:

 

[markc123]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

Hey fella long time no see, great to see you again :wink_smile:

I wish i could say the same ... haha, only joking. I float around on here now, business is going well (touch wood) so have less time for the forums than i have in previous years. Hope work's going well & a decent win for Gloucester on Friday or Saturday night whenever it was.

All the best for 2016 bud.

 

[Guest77]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

Were struggling still Marc in the rugby, that said it is slightly better than last season.

 

[electricans_son]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

Thanks guys, but I may have mislead you a bit, it is a convector and fan heater combined with separate controls for each and I would not have the fan unit on, just the convector elements. However, at the moment you are steering me away from the idea.

BTW I have MCBs in the the consumer unit, but it is 20 years old and does not have an RCD.

EDIT

It also occurs to me that I have a piece of 25 mm thick asbestos type material about 60 cm by 90 cm, that I could stand the heater on.

 

[telectrix]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

i.m with the forum chimp. lag all pipes, set frost stat. to 5 degrees. antifreeze i c/h.

 

[Octopus]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

Maybe you should consider one of the internet based controllers for your central heating so you can monitor the house temperature from your phone, and make adjustments accordingly

 

[HandySparks]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

I wouldn't have a problem leaving a low power freestanding heater in good condition running in a house unattended, provided that there's nothing likely to disturb or cover it (falling curtains, newspapers, pets, etc.).

After all, most of use will go out for the day leaving all manner of appliances plugged in and running, and it only takes a few minutes for a fire to start, given the right circumstances.

I've left all of the following unattended and running at one time or another: broadband router, pc, printer, video recorder, fridge, freezer, lighting, dishwasher, washing machine, oven, Christmas lights, dehumidifier, various chargers, and probably many more that I've forgotten about.


By the way, one electric room heater will be much the same as another with regards to 'efficiency', depending on how you're using the term.

 

[Spoon]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

Could you not get something like this? We have had one for ages, that was plugged in 24/7, in the kids room.
Buy De'Longhi Vento 2kW Oil Filled Radiator at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for Heaters and radiators.

 

[ifindoubtdont]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

I have some static caravans in Wales and for the winter months, after drain down I use 2Kw convector heaters on segment timers just to keep the frost out. Set them on frost stat and the timer set for a few hours during the coldest part of the day/night or even 2 or 3 times during a 24hr period and everything should be ok. It usually has to be below zero degrees for a few days or well below freezing during the night before the frost stat even kicks in. Obviously do your own risk assessment but I don't see you will have any problems.

 

[electricans_son]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

Could you not get something like this? We have had one for ages, that was plugged in 24/7, in the kids room.
Buy De'Longhi Vento 2kW Oil Filled Radiator at Argos.co.uk - Your Online Shop for Heaters and radiators.

Thanks Spoon, that seems to be the safest solution, I hadn't realised that oil filled rads were so high powered.

The De'Longhi website says that the minimum power setting is 900W, and therefor am I correct in thinking that I could use a 5 amp fuse?

most of use will go out for the day leaving all manner of appliances plugged in and running, and it only takes a few minutes for a fire to start, given the right circumstances.

I've left all of the following unattended and running at one time or another: broadband router, pc, printer, video recorder, fridge, freezer, lighting, dishwasher, washing machine, oven, Christmas lights, dehumidifier, various chargers, and probably many more that I've forgotten about.

Thanks HandySparks, I agree, my mac and cordless phones are on the chargers 24/7, and I leave my D and AA batteries on charge for 24 hrs unattended on my Ever Ready charger which is probably 20 years old. Given the recent problems with battery chargers I may be a bit more circumspect about the latter, or should I buy a new on?

By the way, one electric room heater will be much the same as another with regards to 'efficiency', depending on how you're using the term.

I said that oil filled radiators "are inefficient" because of my experience of the low powered ones available years ago and my understanding theoretically, is that heat transfer from a high temperature source, ie an electric element, is more efficient than that from a low temperature source such as an oil filled radiator. However, I have no knowledge of any direct comparisons between an oil filled radiator and an element heater. Maybe the greater surface area of an equivalent powered oil filled radiator will probably make up for the lower efficiency, so that the power consumptions may be similar. Until I read Spoon's post, I had not realised oil filled radiators could be 2 kW.

 

[Spoon]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

The oil filled rad have been great for the kids room. It doesn't take long to warm up and we just had it set at 16 deg and kept the room nice. Being oil filled it will retain it's heat longer. Don't know what size fuse is in the plug.

 

[electricans_son]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

ifindoubtdont, if in doubt don't, says it all

 

[HandySparks]

Re: Is it safe to leave a convector heater, auto overheating cut-out, on 24/7 unatten

I said that oil filled radiators "are inefficient" because of my experience of the low powered ones available years ago and my understanding theoretically, is that heat transfer from a high temperature source, ie an electric element, is more efficient than that from a low temperature source such as an oil filled radiator. However, I have no knowledge of any direct comparisons between an oil filled radiator and an element heater. Maybe the greater surface area of an equivalent powered oil filled radiator will probably make up for the lower efficiency, so that the power consumptions may be similar. Until I read Spoon's post, I had not realised oil filled radiators could be 2 kW.

If your aim is to keep the air a room at a particular temperature using electrical energy, it makes no difference whether you use a radiant heater, oil filled radiator, or a string of 100W lamps to convert the electrical energy into heat. You may feel warmer sat in front of the radiant heater due to the direct energy radiation onto your body, but overall it won't be 'more efficient'.