Sunheat Portable Infrared Heating System

1 - I can do better 2 - Jury's out 3 - Pretty darn good 4 - Splendiferous 5 - Awesometastic by 10 people | Log in to rate

Ranked #27 in Home, #924 overall

Save 50% on Your Heating Bill - Heat for a $1 a day

Sunheat, Eden Pure, Amish heaters, portable infrared heating systems? Heat your home for less than what it costs to run a coffeemaker.

Last winter, in the middle of winter we moved from the sunny part of California to the snowy part of California. We quickly learned that this coming winter we would need to make changes in the heating that we used.

I heard about the Amish heaters, then about the Eden Pure, then about Comfort Zone, then Heat Surge and Sunheat. We choose a Sunheat heater, and I'll share the reasons why.

Global Freezing? 

Has the weather been weird in your neck of the woods? Seems like some places got lots of snow and others are usually warm this winter. Let us know, colder or warmer than usual.

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Winter heating Options 



I have never lived in snow country as an adult. As a kid we lived in Colorado Springs, but daddy shoveled the snow and momma made hot cocoa and we ran around all day playing in the snow working up a sweat. Would love to go there again!

But it's a entirely different experience dealing with the harsher realities of living in snow country as an adult. There are snow tires and chains to deal with just to get the cocoa, then there's shoveling snow and god forbid that it should ever happen to you- frozen pipes!

Typically, there are just a few options to heating your home in snow country. The most popular are wood, pellet, oil and electrical/forced air heating.

Wood Heat


Last winter, in the middle of a eight inches of accumulated snow and ice we moved into a manufactured home. Because of the potential fire hazards that wood stoves present, especially for manufactured homes, the insurance is ridiculously high making wood heat an economic impossibility.

While wood heat requires killing trees, it's still one of the most economical and reliable options for winter heating. And a lot of the fire wood sold around here is surplus from summer fires, so it does have it's place in the eco-consciousness of it all.

I love wood heat. For starters, to me there's something nostalgic and romantic about the smell of wood burning in the winter. It brings up memories of cinnamon cooked apples, smoky air and cold noses. And although no one has set up a workshop dedicated to it's soul restoring virtue, splitting wood is one of the best therapies around, especially curative for adolescent boys with their own kind of energy to burn.

Wood heat is also all around one of the best options, especially when the electricity goes out - which of course it does - typically at the coldest part of the worst winter storm. Right?

Pellet Stoves 

Pellet Stoves
Pellet stoves are another great option. They typically have electronic igniters and pellet dispensers that keep the fire without you having to remember to add wood. They also burn fairly cleanly and easy to maintain.



They are a eco-friendly option to wood since they are made from commercial wood by-products, namely sawdust and particles. In the last few years there has been such a demand for the pellets, stores couldn't keep enough of them stocked and suppliers couldn't keep up with the demand. So folks would run to the store as soon as they heard a big storm was on it's way and wipe the inventory out. So once again there we are sitting freezing without heat in the middle of the coldest storm of the winter. The only option was to buy a whole pallet of pellets and have it delivered directly to your home, which obviously requires both the space for dry storage and also the upfront cash around $300 last I checked. Not a great option for many middle class families, it certainly wasn't for us.

Burning The Midnight Oil: Bad for your health and the environment. 



Heating Oil Monitors & Propane
Then there's oil monitor heaters. Oil monitors burn kerosene oil. It's a very popular option here in snow country. For us it was a huge problem. On many levels.

First the cost was outrageous - you are burning oil, kerosene really but definitely a part of the whole petroleum industry. Last winter was heater oil was around $3.50 a gallon - a tank is something like 100+ gallons. Which of course, you will burn. In my mind, as simple as it may be, that translates to burning money.

The oil company won't come out for less than $400 at a time. So for us that $400 may last two or three months, but they won't come out once a month to make it affordable for middle class folks on budgets. It's $400 plus, and since you are pumping gas into the tank, you can go over $400 and the guy won't stop filling until it's full. I don't know if that happens every where, but in our neck of the woods its standard practice. What a racket! Can you imagine what it does to those on the elderly and disabled on fixed incomes? Needless to say I wanted out.

Not only are the financial aspects of burning oil a problem, but the residual fumes from the burning oil caused allergic/toxic reactions for us. Burning, running eyes was the most common. It's winter right? So what do the experts recommend? Open your windows and doors! Insane. Again, I may think in simple terms but I think someone's making a whole lot of money off this whole system.

Propane, while it burns different oil, can present a lot of the same problems with no new advantages.

Electrical Heat & Portable Infrared Heating Systems 

Electrical Heat/Forced Air & Infrared

Traditional forced air heating is a great option and definitely has it's advantages. Too cold? Turn the themometer up, no problem, any 4 year old can safely work a thermometer right? The problem is more than it is too easy and completely inefficient in most cases. With electricity up to $.14 kwh, this gets expensive quickly.

Space heaters work great for heating very small areas but still aren't efficient enough to justify using regularly to heat a home.

The new kid on the block is the infrared heating technology. It's advertised as being the most convenient, economical and eco-responsible option available. This is where I started my research about infrared portable heating.

Electricity or Wood? 

I try to do everything I can to be environmentally responsible. Really! I've been handwashing ziploc bags (recycle/reuse/reduce) for over a decade now. My kids, now grown, laugh when they visit home. "I forgot about mom's ziplocs" and laugh as they carefully wash out the plastic baggies.



But when it comes to freezing temperatures just bundling up is risky; pipes freeze and cause major water loss/damage and health issues can arise, etc.



People here burn oil and wood, or use electricity/heat pumps, etc. Geothermal is not yet affordable for most folks. It creates an interesting dilemma for the eco-conscious. So what do you do? Kill trees or burn coal?

Which is the least of all heating evils?

Loading Fetching blurbs now... please stand by

Electricity/Coal

Charles Spencer says:

Human lives and the lives of families, should be first and foremost!!!!!!

Posted December 04, 2009

Wood/Oil

 

The Costs of Heating Things Up



Winter 2007/2008/2009

Oil: $3.25 / $2.68/2.76

Propane: $2.45/ $2.40/2.34

Kerosene: $2.85/ $4.85/3.90

Electricity: $.10kwh/ $.14kwh/14

What all infrared heating systems have in common 

I'm not going to explain the Infrared Heating Technology, I can't get my head around it. But if you watch the video, it will help you understand a bit more.

What I can tell you is that for the most part, at least according to their specifications,the systems work the same. There are a few subtle differences that from what I have researched really don't add to much.

Let's start with what they all have in common:
  1. Infrared heating technology - They use the same basic technology. Some have 3 coils and others 4, it doesn't seem to affect the heat output.Shop SolarLightStore.com Today!
  2. Safe for kids and pets - since they use infrared heating surface areas don't get very hot. They all are safe to the touch - no accidental fires and it's safe for kids and pets. Which of course makes it the safer option above wood or pellet if you have small children around or pets.
  3. 1000 sq.ft & 5,000 BTUs, 1000 watts - They all heat about 1000 sq. feet and put out about 5,000 BTU and use 1000 watts of electricity.
  4. Will not reduce oxygen or humidity - They all use an air filter and do not "dry" the air as traditional heaters, even wood stoves do. So no nosebleeds from dry nasal passages and running electricity from additional humidifiers.
  5. Zone heating - All of the infrared heaters use the concept of zone heating. If you have a large house, or the flow of your house is broken up, you will need several units.
  6. Heat first and maintain temps - If you look further into the websites and advertising you will notice it says "supplemental heating" what this really means is you will need something to get the temperature up in your home but then can use this to maintain. The costs of oil,wood,electricity are minimized because you're not spending money on cranking out the heat. You will need to get the house up to temperature warmth first and then the heaters will keep it at the same warm comfortable level.

Do you have a portable infrared heating system?  

Loading poll. Please Wait...

Eden Pure's Video  

Runtime:
views
Comments:

curated content from YouTube

The Big Secret - My experience to making it work 

I'm not going to explain the Infrared Heating Technology, I can't get my head around it. But if you watch the video, it will help you understand a bit more.


What I can tell you is that before I bought it, I read reviews and listened to different consumer complaints. The most common is that it doesn't really heat a room.

Infrared Heating does not heat like other heaters. It does seem to maintain heat

That is the most difficult thing for people to get their minds wrapped around. It is not the same kind of heating experience as we are accustomed to. As Sunheat advertises, it is not a "blowing" heat like a space heater or blow dryer. This is key. That's why it's safe around kids and won't start a fire. The heat is more of a radiant, zone heat.

You can't really stand in front of it like a fireplace and get warm - at least with mine you don't. But I can tell you it's always comfortable warm. Not hot, not blazing, but comfortable.

My experience is that if you will first get your home to temperature, with the use of wood heat or small space heaters or even cooking/baking, then it will maintain that temperature. It's not the ultimate solution to heating but so far, I really love my Sunheat heater.

If you've purchased one of these type heaters, I'd love to hear honest feedback. We haven't gone through the coldest part of the winter with it yet - January/February. We also haven't gotten our electricity bill yet. But I will keep you updated on this lense. Please share your experiences as well.

I believe we're going to be seeing more of this type of heating technology and it's very nice to have actual customer's experiences.

EdenPure, Sunheat, Heat Surge: A summary of their differences 

These are just my observations based on research done off these website. Please do your due diligence and choose for your needs. Let us know your experiences too.
  • Heat Surge is the Amish heater.
    It is a fireplace type insert with the "electric flames".
    1 yr warranty included, additional upgrade to 2yr warranty available.
    Without the Amish Mantel it is the least expensive.

    Unfortunately the worst Better Business Report:
    Based on BBB files, this business has a BBB Rating of F

    Reasons for this F rating include:

    * Length of time business has been operating
    * Number of serious complaints filed against business
    * Overall complaint history with BBB
  • Eden Pure, SunTwin and Comfort Zone are very similar.
    All have the plastic housing unit and are similarly priced.
    Eden Pure and SunTwin are made by the same manufacturer and marketed by different companies.

    If you do a Google Search on customer complaints for Eden Pure, you will see that Eden Pure does seem to have some customer service issues. It seems most complaints are related to their 30 Day Return Policy and customer service. They charge a restocking fee and will not subtract the fee from your purchase costs, and there may be a inconvenient and lengthy repair process if something does go wrong.

    Eden Pure operates under the parent company of Suarez Corportion Industries. It is listed under Suarez Corporation Industries and under Eden Pure with the National Better Business Bureau. Here's the report:


    BBB processed a total of 233 complaint(s)     about this business in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total 233 complaint(s) closed in the last 36 months, 108 were closed in the last 12 months.

    Repairs have to be shipped Ohio and an ETA for return is not usually given. Customer service is outsourced to overseas companies, making communication, and resolution difficult at times.

    Comfort Zone eliminates the whole issue by stating clearly on their website that you pay return shipping costs.

    BBB processed a total of 1 complaint(s) about this business in the last 36 months, our standard reporting period. Of the total 1 complaint(s) closed in the last 36 months, 0 were closed in the last 12 months.
  • Sunheat Heaters.

    I choose Sunheat because of the construction features specifically:

    Manual knobs (heat and electronic controls usually are a source of problems - and again most likely the meltage of the remote will happen in the middle of the worst storm in local history).

    Real wood casing (toxicity from heating of plastics or veneers),

    Dealer/Repair Center is an hour's drive from us and Sunheat's policy states repairs can be done by dealer or customer. If it's winter and cold and it breaks - it's worth the drive.

    Better Business Report: 0 complaints in 36 months.

Our Sunheat Heater Experience: Updates 

I'll post updates on our real life experience here. No sponsorship, no sales pitch. Just a straight recording of our electricity bills, weather conditions, etc.

This is for a small 2bd/2ba manufactured home (on pier pads w/skirting =little insulation underneath home) at 4,500 feet.

  • 12/13/08: First snow of the year - this will be the test. Windows are shrink wrapped to keep in heat, have recycled pantyhose stuffed with sand at bottoms of doorways to help seal the doorways. Staying warm.

  • 12/17/08 : -9 degrees - staying fairly warm. Using small space heaters to bring heat up as the temperature drops, Sunheat keeping things warm.

  • 12/18/08 : Got Electric Bill for November 2008 - Full month use of fall temperatures of 40 high and lows in 20s.

    +14 kwh/489 kwh per month (3 extra days)
    +$80 on our electric bill. Not great but still definitely less than wood and oil heat.

    Our neighbor who bought the Eden Pure is sharing similar electricity rates and results, and loves her Eden Pure.

  • 12/24/08: It's been snowing pretty constant for the last two weeks. Staying warm.
  • 1/21/09: January has been usually warm - it's usually the start of the coldest part of the winter.
    Got the bill - Yikes $282 - but December was freezing whether and on top of the heaters we kept the water dripping through the night and had a housefull for two weeks, more showers, lights, etc. than usual. Once I calmed down, it's still better than what we would have done with oil monitor.
  • 12/11/09: Coldest winter since 1992 according to locals. Single digits during the day and up to -21 some nights this week and we're staying warm with our Sunheat heater and a little space heater in the back bedroom. We added some nice thick area rugs this year and that seems to have made things a lot warmer.


back to the top

How do you heat things up? Furnace, Oil Heat, Wood Stove? How do you heat your home? 

submit
Show All

by gbenton789

More than all things, I am forever the optimist! It helps that I'm a bit like a bulldog and know how to work real hard. It's really the only way any o... (more)

Related Topics

gbenton789 Recommends...

Create a Lens!