Electric Heaters under a desk.

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the blur

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This week there were 2 local fires. Both burnt down to the ground from electric heaters.

What's the safest heater to put under a desk?
A) Radiant panel type ??
B) Low wattage fan type?
C) oil filled ?
D) Radiant dish types throw off alot of direct heat, but I can see them igniting a piece of paper with the intense heat.

This is a commercial office space, where the HVAC blows warm, annoying air. and the business owner wants happy warm employees. There are always a few employees who are cold no matter what. and these days it's hard to retain help, so happy employees are best.
 
Maybe a dog that can lay on your feet would be about the least fire hazard?

Radiant panel type maybe about the best electric heater to use, but never any guarantee it can't start a fire.
 
the blur said:
This week there were 2 local fires. Both burnt down to the ground from electric heaters.

What's the safest heater to put under a desk?
A) Radiant panel type ??
B) Low wattage fan type?
C) oil filled ?
D) Radiant dish types throw off alot of direct heat, but I can see them igniting a piece of paper with the intense heat.

This is a commercial office space, where the HVAC blows warm, annoying air. and the business owner wants happy warm employees. There are always a few employees who are cold no matter what. and these days it's hard to retain help, so happy employees are best.
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I am suspicious that the mere presence of an electric heater would start a fire.

Personally, I think the oil filled ones are the "safest", but the fan types are pretty safe as well IMO.

The part that is often unsafe are the cords and extension cords that get beat up over the years and eventually fail.
 
Buck Parrish said:
Heating in the wires at the connections, down line outlets, etc...

IMO The safest are 240 v baseboard heaters.
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why would the voltage matter any?

I am inclined to agree that a permanently installed baseboard heater of some sort is "safer" than something powered by plugin cord.
 
I had one of the radiant heaters when I worked in a large concrete building where my desk was a built in table against the outside concrete wall. First I put a 1 inch styrofoam insulating panel up against the wall, then the heater. Heater is very low wattage and low temperature, but it does the job really well. When it finally died and I removed it, I found the styrofoam did almost as good a job.
 
We struggle with electric heaters within office spaces which create a larger issue. People using portable heaters create ‘spot’ warming which gives the HVAC system bad readings depending on where the thermostats are located. We tend to find that a few heaters can cause the system to be satisfied when much of the room is too cool which results in more space heaters. Space heaters are much more costly to operate that the balanced HVAC system not to mention the benefits of mixed and balanced outdoor air, etc.
 
dpcarls1598 said:
We struggle with electric heaters within office spaces which create a larger issue. People using portable heaters create ‘spot’ warming which gives the HVAC system bad readings depending on where the thermostats are located. We tend to find that a few heaters can cause the system to be satisfied when much of the room is too cool which results in more space heaters. Space heaters are much more costly to operate that the balanced HVAC system not to mention the benefits of mixed and balanced outdoor air, etc.
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The problem though is that there are always areas where the temperature is not the same as what it is where the HVAC system is measuring it. The people in those areas can be either cold or warm.

I am next to a south facing window. It is much cooler here (maybe 3-5 deg F) than at the thermostat that is 20 feet away in the winter and about the same warmer in summer.
 
Is keeping a sweater handy too much to ask to abate the risk of burning down the building? I have a desk fan for when it gets too hot but a long-sleeve shirt when it gets too cold. 🤷‍♂️
 
petersonra said:
yes, it is. if the company cannot get the HVAC system right, they should fix it rather than expect the employees to just deal with it.
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You just made the comment that there will always be cold and hot spots since you can't measure everywhere.
 
EC Dan said:
Is keeping a sweater handy too much to ask to abate the risk of burning down the building? I have a desk fan for when it gets too hot but a long-sleeve shirt when it gets too cold. 🤷‍♂️
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The problem is usually the dead zone created under a desk. Heat blowing down from the ceiling is not likely to warm up your feet under a desk in a cubicle.
 
jim dungar said:
The problem is usually the dead zone created under a desk. Heat blowing down from the ceiling is not likely to warm up your feet under a desk in a cubicle.
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For that reason, I think that a radiant panel installed with or replacing the modesty panel is the best option. There is at least a fighting chance that the thing's been designed so as to be fit for use.
 
I'm probably biased because it doesn't get all that cold down here in south Florida. We just got the coldest snap we'll likely get this year and it was still only down to 2 degrees C. All ya'll up in Illinois and Wisconsin and New Jersey have it much worse!
 
EC Dan said:
I'm probably biased because it doesn't get all that cold down here in south Florida. We just got the coldest snap we'll likely get this year and it was still only down to 2 degrees C. All ya'll up in Illinois and Wisconsin and New Jersey have it much worse!
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Today its above 0°, but with the wind it will be in the negatives through the weekend.
Panama Canal cruise here I come.
 
EC Dan said:
I'm probably biased because it doesn't get all that cold down here in south Florida. We just got the coldest snap we'll likely get this year and it was still only down to 2 degrees C. All ya'll up in Illinois and Wisconsin and New Jersey have it much worse!
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Low overnight temperatures in NJ for the northwest have been bouncing around 7-10F until yesterday. Since my "office" is in the basement, I wouldn't mind an under-desk heater at the moment! Until yesterday, we were colder than my in-laws in Montana.
 
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