/stuff
Lakewood 792jr electric heater
Electric resistance heating is a mighty expensive way to get a lot of heat but a very convenient way to get a little heat for spot heating. I bought a Lakewood model 792/Jr recently. Lakewood classifies this as a utility heater, and calls it the Junior Milk House Heater. It cost me $12.99 at my local Fleet Farm. I was looking for cheap and I found it. It is much too soon to tell about long-term durability, but it does appear to be better made than I’d expect for only $12.99.
It’s a fan-forced heater with 750W and 1500W settings. It is thermostatically controlled with the warmer/cooler sort of thermostat rather than something marked in actual units. The fan runs when the heat is on. There is no provision for running the fan without the heat on, nor is there any real use for running such a small fan other than heating. The two-bladed stamped-metal fan is probably not an advanced aerodynamic design but it does the job and metal is probably a good material choice given the thermal environment it works in. The fan makes noise, but not too much. I find it quiet enough for television watching with the heater very close by. This fan has two speeds, on and off, and “on” is roughly comparable in noise and fury to the low settings my air filters and summertime fans. It doesn’t put out a whole lot of air, but seems to be well-matched to the heat output. That is, the output is nice and warm, you’ll need to have the heater nearby if heating your own personal self is the goal, and the fan is not obnoxiously loud even close by.
The unit is a gray-painted metal box. Metal loops serve both as handles and to keep the vents from being completely blocked if the unit falls over or is pushed against a wall. There is a high-temperature cutout to try to prevent disaster, as well. I suppose in some sense it is ugly, but in another it has the look of industrial equipment minimalism. I’d say the general fit and finish is quite good for $12.99. Plenty of more expensive items look cheaper by attempting a more ambitious stylistic statement than can be done well at the price.
So far, I like it.
category: /stuff | permanent link
