Space Heater Buying Guide
Posted by Katy | Toolstop on 1st Jan 2021
This Toolstop Space Heater Buying Guide explains why you will need a space heater in your workshop in the winter months. We explain the benefits and features of our favourite workshop heaters from Sealey, including their power source, heat output, airflow and more.
Toolstop's Guide to Buying a Space Heater
It’s a Health and Safety Executive guideline that your workplace must be heated to at least 16º C. That means, for some of you, you’re going to need to start thinking about space heaters.
We’ve prepared this Toolstop Space Heater Buying Guide to help you through the process of making sure the space heater you purchase will do the job you want it to at a price that’s right for your budget. Most of the space heaters in this guide are from the Sealey brand, who are specialists in this sort of equipment. Keep reading to find out more!
What is a Space Heater?
Firstly, what exactly is a space heater and what are they used for? Space heaters are designed to heat up areas of all sizes quickly and efficiently, whether that be in the workshop, workplace or in large industrial units and warehouses. Space heaters are used when central heating may not suffice, or where it isn't available. They are a job site essential in winter, to allow you to work comfortably even in the coldest conditions.
They come in so many different sizes and styles (see our recommendations below) depending on the application, and are most commonly powered by fuel such as propane or simply by electricity.
There are a few things to consider when choosing a space heater. This guide will cover fuel, energy, heated area and air flow and what they all mean to help you decide on the best and safest job site heater for your needs.
Features to consider when buying a workshop heater
Fuel
Perhaps one of the most important buying considerations to make when purchasing a space heater is the fuel required to run the thing. This directly informs how much it’s going to cost, which will, in turn, be informed by your budget.
For this guide, here are your options:
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Propane
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Paraffin
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Diesel
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Kerosene
It’s worth noting that some of the space heaters in this Buying Guide can run from more than one fuel source. See below for details.
Energy
Space heaters use the fuel and turn it into energy. The energy, in turn, heats the air of your workspace. This is measured in Btu/hr, or British thermal unit per hour.
For our Buying Guide the higher the Btu/hr, the larger the space you’ll be able to heat via the space heater.
Heated Area
Logically, in line with the Bth/hr, you should also be interested in the total area (space) that the space heater can heat. This will be presented in our guide as square metres (mtr³). As you’d expect, the larger this number the bigger the space that will be heated.
Airflow
The speed with which your workspace is heated is also an important factor to consider. The more warm air the space heater can output the better.
This airflow is measured in cfm (cubic feet per minute), and once again the higher the number the better in terms of the speed with which your space heater will have an effect on your workspace.
Airflow is not applicable in the case of an infrared heater. This type of heater burns fuel which heats a steel emitter tube. As the tube heats, energy is radiated from it, warming the area around the heater.
Special Features
Along with being able to run from more than one fuel source, you should also pay attention to any special features offered by your space heater such as fan assistance, electric ignition systems or height adjustments.
What is the Best Space Heater for me?
Below we have picked 4 of our favourite space heaters from Sealey. To help you decide on the best workshop heater for your application, keep in mind the above points and refer to our tabs below to see the main features and benefits of each including fuel, airflow, heating output and to shop the models directly.
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Sealey LP41
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Sealey AB1758
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Sealey AB1008
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Sealey AB458
Fuel: Propane
Heating Output (Btu/hr): 40,500 Btu/hr
Heated Area (mtr³): 194mtr³
Airflow: 300cfm
Special Features: Fan assistance, Electronic ignition, Safety solenoid, Great fuel efficiency
Fuel: Paraffin, kerosene or diesel
Heating Output (Btu/hr): 175,000 Btu/hr
Heated Area (mtr³): 974mtr³
Airflow: 630cfm
Special Features: The ability to cleanly burn a variety of fuels, The compressor is protected by a large filter, The AB Series heaters are fitted with a flame-out device which cuts the fuel supply when the flame is inadvertently extinguished
Fuel: Paraffin or Diesel
Heating Output (Btu/hr): 100,000 Btu/hr
Heated Area (mtr³): 708mtr³
Airflow: 630cfm
Special Features: Adjustable thermostat, Neumatic wheels, Ultra quiet for use where a low noise environment is required, Fitted with digital room temperature °C display
Fuel: Paraffin, Kerosene or Diesel
Heating Output (Btu/hr): 45,000 Btu/hr
Heated Area (mtr³): 249 mtr³
Airflow: 170cfm
Special Features: Clean burning, The AB Series heaters will operate for between 8 and 14 hours on a single fill of fuel, Fitted with safety cut out, Great fuel efficiency
We hope this guide has helped you decide on the best space heater for your needs. Winter is fast approaching us, and temperatures are quickly dropping. So take advantage of our Toolstop Finance options and order today!
As with all of our Buying Guides, the Toolstop team is on hand to answer your questions, queries, worries our doubts. Feel free to drop us a message if you have any more questions!
Below we have included some infrared heaters and fan heaters which you can shop too for areas that dont need quite as much heat or power produced from a space heater.