Buying Bathroom Heaters

Bathroom heaters are basically just compact heaters used to warm up your bathroom when it's uncomfortably cold. These are sometimes necessary if you don't have a heat register in your bathroom or if you like to keep your house cold to save energy but hate stepping out of the shower into a frigid room.

Basically, you have two types of bathroom heaters to choose from; radiant heat and forced air heat. Forced air heat actually blows hot air into your bathroom, hence it "forces hot air" into the room. On the other hand, radiant bathroom heaters use light bulbs or electric coils to heat up the area. Think of a heat lamp positioned on your bathroom ceiling.

Regardless of which type of bathroom heater you decide to purchase, you do need to be aware of a few things. This way you can ensure that your new heater perfectly suits your needs and enhances your bathing experience.

If you only want to use a bathroom heater during the winter or if you're a renter, a portable unit is probably your best bet. These bathroom heaters can easily be plugged or unplugged into an electrical socket to provide warmth whenever you need it.

Now, most portable bathroom heaters use forced air, although you might be able to find some portable radiant heat models with a little searching. Forced air isn't a bad thing, but it's generally a little bit noisy. If this doesn't bother you then that's great, but if you find the noise of a standard bathroom exhaust fan annoying then you should look for a portable bathroom heater that is described as quiet.

Another thing to look for is what type of electrical plug the device has. A bathroom heater with an ALCI plug is a little safer than other types of heaters. The ALCI plug is similar to what you might see on a hair dryer or your bathroom's electrical socket because it features those two little buttons in red and yellow. These buttons will prevent the device from overheating by temporarily interrupting the circuit. An ALCI plug can prevent fires or even death from electrical shock if you should happen to knock the heater into the tub with you so it's worth looking for.

In addition to checking for an ALCI feature, you also need to know how many prongs the plug has to ensure that you can install it in your bathroom. If you purchase a bathroom heater with a 3 prong cord but your bathroom only has a 2 prong outlet, you're in a bit of a pickle. Some people might recommend breaking off the 3rd prong but this can be dangerous and do you really want to take any chances when it comes to electricity?

Another option you have when it comes to bathroom heaters is the heater and exhaust fan combo. These devices act as an exhaust fan in your bathroom and also provide heat, usually by flicking another switch or turning a dial.

A heater/exhaust fan can be radiant or forced hair heat and is usually installed in your ceiling. Now, if you already have a bathroom exhaust fan, you can sometimes just remove the old one and replace it with one of these models. Of course, it isn't always that easy so if you aren't skilled at do it yourself type projects, you might want to call in an expert to deal with any unexpected problems.