ABOUT SPACE HEATERS

Heat without a whole-house distribution system

Space heaters are usually categorized by the type of fuel they burn. Options include cordwood, wood pellets, and corn (all forms of biomass), natural gas, kerosene, and electricity.

Because space heaters have no way of carrying heat to distant rooms, they work best in houses with open floor plans and those that allow convective air currents to circulate heat. However, the more airtight and well insulated the house, the less distribution matters. Very tight homes with thick insulation are more likely to have uniform temperatures from room to room than leaky houses.

In rooms that are used only occasionally, it may be more economical to install a space heater and use it only when needed rather than keeping the room warm all the time with a central system.