Portable electric heaters have several advantages over gas-powered heaters
Whether you want to warm the environment of your workforce or keep machines from freezing, portable electric heaters can be a cost-effective solution. Electric heaters are easy to use, safe, cost-effective and efficient.
Plug in & warm up
If you intend to warm a small office or commercial space, portable electric heaters provide the easiest solution. There is no need for ducting, monitoring fuel levels or concerns about potentially harmful fumes. All you need to do is plug in and you’ll have heat.
Savings potential
With little or no installation costs and no fuel to have to worry about, using a portable electric heater instead of a diesel/LP heater can lead to a huge savings potential.
Electric heat is also 100 percent efficient, meaning that once these heaters are plugged in all the electric power is converted into heat. Natural gas, diesel, propane and kerosene heaters don’t offer that kind of efficiency and offer even less as these combustion heating systems age.
No waste
Heat what you want, not what you don’t. Unlike HVAC systems that evenly heat (or cool) an entire building or home, portable electric heaters allow users in cold weather to heat a specific space and reduce energy costs. In warm weather cities where winter temperatures rarely dip below freezing and a cold day can be considered any day below 60 degrees, a portable electric heater may be the only heat you need for your home or office.
Big or small: Herc Rentals has it all
When people think of portable electric heaters, most think of the lightweight heaters designed to provide temporary heat to anything from a small 50 square-foot office or bedroom to an average-sized, 2,000 square-foot home or doctor’s office.
Electric heaters like the Campo ECOBlaze 1.5E, Dewalt DXH165, Phoenix Firebird Compact 20, Campo EB6/9E, Fostoria FES-3048-3A and several others weigh less than 83 pounds and, once a space is effectively warmed, can easily be moved to another spot in need of heat.
While some electric heaters like Herc Rentals’ Campo Blaze 60E and the Campo Blaze 150 are capable of heating spaces 5,000 and 15,000 square feet, respectively, they also require ducting, similar to gas-powered counterparts. Additionally, while these two heaters are technically portable (they are available with casters), overall weights of 300 pounds for the 60E and 950 pounds for the 150 are meant to heat large, enclosed areas and remain mostly stationary.
Safe, no smell
One of the biggest advantages of using a portable electric heater over a fuel-powered heater is that there’s no risk of inhaling these potentially deadly fumes. Other advantages include:
- No risk of fuel spills
- No fuel odor
- No need for extra ventilation
Things to consider
Portable electric heaters have many advantages over its fuel-powered counterparts, but there are situations where they may not be the best choice. Foremost, the area to be heated must have ready access to electricity compatible with the voltage and phase of the electric heater.
Other considerations include:
- They
draw a lot of power. Even small electric heaters have a high amperage draw, so make
sure nothing else is plugged into that same socket. You may also want to
protect against a power surge by investing in a surge protector.
- Additionally, you will need to determine what type of electrical plug is required on your jobsite. If you are unsure, a Herc Rentals ProSolutions representative or an electrician can help.
- They are safe, but at a distance. If you’re using a portable electric heater, keep objects that might be flammable such as clothes, curtains, etc. at least three feet away from the heater.
For more on heating solutions available at Herc Rentals, click HERE.
