Whether you’re looking warm up an unheated room in your Terrell or Rockwall home, or want a little added heat wherever your family spends the most time without turning up the thermostat, an electric space heater can be an effective and efficient solution.

But with so many models and features to choose from, the process can be more than a little confusing. So we’ve compiled a few tips to help you select a portable heater that is just right for your home.

• Choose a space heater that has been tested and approved by a national safety testing laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories.

• Consider the size of the space you want to heat. A heater that is too small will not provide adequate heat and could potentially overheat itself, while an oversized portable space heater will gobble up a lot of extra energy.

• For consistent heating, select a space heater with a programmable thermostat.

• Select a space heater that stays cool to the touch, especially if you have small children or pets in your home.

• Choose a unit that has a tip-over switch that will automatically shut the heater off should it get knocked over accidentally.  Another feature worth having is an over-heat switch to prevent overheating.

• If your electric heater must share an outlet with another appliance or device, you might want a dual-wattage model. Dual-wattage heaters have a low (750 watt) and a high (1500 watt) setting. If you need to have a TV or lamps plugged into the same circuit, you can do so with the low setting without blowing a fuse or tripping a breaker.

• Consider the heater’s noise level. While electric space heaters aren’t as noisy as they used to be, fan powered heaters can still be pretty distracting.

• And finally, think about the design. Will the space heater be in a common area of the house? If so, maybe it’s worth a little extra money to purchase one with added   aesthetic appeal.

Of course, if you’re using space heaters to make up for an under-performing central heating system, the extra money you spend on your electric bill will eventually exceed the cost of whatever repair work might be needed.   In that event, contact Absolute today and let us have a look at your heating system.  The problem could be a lot simpler than you think.