Should I Use A Fan With My Oil Heater?

Everyone wants their home warm and comfortable, but have you ever wondered whether you should use fans with oil heaters? We know you need the best possible answer. Don't worry! We did the research for you, and here's what we found.

You can use a fan with your oil heater if you want to. Fans distribute heat more evenly and quickly around a room, making an oil heater more efficient and effective.

Effective heating is a common concern among homeowners because they want to keep their homes warm while still being able to save on their energy bills. Hopefully, this article will help you decide if it's worth the effort. Keep reading to discover how oil heaters work, their benefits, and how to use them with fans.

Oil-filled electrical mobile radiator heater for home heating and comfort control in the room in a wooden country house, Should I Use A Fan With My Oil Heater?

Using a Fan With Your Oil Heater

Homes with high ceilings are hard to keep warm. Using a fan with your oil heater helps your home feel warmer, which makes a big difference.

Oil heaters transfer heat from the floor to the ceiling of your home. The reverse setting on your ceiling fan pushes warm air down. It also reduces how long it takes to heat cold rooms or how quickly heat dissipates when it's not in use.

Fans also improve airflow and the indoor air quality of your home. They help circulate stale air and keep mold at bay.

Understanding How Oil Heaters Work

Human hand adjusting temperature to save energy

Radiant heat comes from hot surfaces. Consider an oil heater, also called an oil-filled heater. It uses diathermic oil heated using electric elements. Since oil holds heat well, keeping the radiator warm takes less energy than keeping the air at the same temperature.

Here, the radiator heats the air in the room. Whenever the air gets warm, it rises to the ceiling, leaving cold air behind. The whole room slowly gets warmer, creating a relaxing environment.

Benefits of Using Oil Heaters

Oil-filled radiators or oil heaters are a great way to extend the life of your home heating system, but will they be worth it to you? There are so many heating options that it's hard to decide which is the best. But by knowing the benefits, you can find the perfect oil heater that makes a difference in the quality of your home and comfort levels.

Energy-Efficient Heating

You don't have to worry about increasing electric bills when using oil heaters since they use less energy. An oil heater only uses electricity specifically to warm the oil. Therefore, oil heaters are the most energy-efficient way to heat any room, making them ideal for residential and commercial settings.

Effective Heat Retention

Another reason oil-filled models are popular is that they continue to function even after being turned off. How? Simple: the sealed oil stays hot for hours even after the heating element is off. It makes them suitable for bedrooms, as you can stay warm while sleeping.

Safe to Use

A heater can be dangerous if you have small children in the house. With an oil heater, you can avoid accidents. That's not to say it couldn't get hot. No doubt it'll be hot, but not enough to burn you.

Overheat protection, tilt switches, and overheat sensors will also ensure the heater turns off immediately if it detects anything wrong. It means it is safe to leave an oil heater on overnight. Because there is no burnable fluid or gas, there is no need to be concerned about dangerous gases lingering in your home.

Silent Convection Heating

Oil heaters don't make as much noise, unlike other radiators. Oil-filled radiators operate almost silently because they don't require a fan to distribute heat. The thermostat's occasional clicks are the only sound you'll likely hear. It makes excellent choices for bedrooms, media rooms, and other quiet, undisturbed spaces.

Space heater making a clicking noise? Read this article on "Space Heater Making Crackling Or Clicking Noise—What Could Be Wrong?" to find out why.

Choosing the Right Ceiling Fan for Winter

A real electrician stands on a ladder while finishing hanging a ceiling fan

Running an oil heater and a fan may appear twice as expensive, but the opposite is true. According to estimates, homeowners can save up to 10 percent on heating costs by running ceiling fans in reverse during the winter.

You can turn the thermostat down because the room is more evenly heated. Keeping your room comfortable this way saves energy.

For maximum savings and comfort, choose an energy-efficient fan. There are a lot of fans in the market, but not all are energy-efficient.

Ensure your fan meets the ENERGY STAR® guidelines before you buy it. Fans with this certification are up to 40 percent more efficient than other models. For better warmth, also choose a fan that already has an updraft or reverse mode.

Find this pull chain controlled ceiling fan on Amazon.

Setting Your Ceiling Fan for Winter

White tray ceiling in small new construction house with windows and a fan

Make sure your ceiling fan is spinning clockwise during the cold months. It's natural for warm air to rise, so this setting creates a gentle updraft, redistributing the warm air that accumulates near the ceiling.

With most modern ceiling fans, you can change the direction with a remote, reverse fan switch, or a smart device. Using any of these ways, wait until the blades are still, then reverse the ceiling fan direction. Ensure the blades rotate in the opposite direction by flipping the fan and restarting it slowly.

If your ceiling fan is not reversible, you can adjust the pitch of the blades. Remember to reverse the angle of your fan blades. When you tilt the blade to the right, air comes down, and when you tilt it to the left, air comes up.

It is also preferable to use a lower setting than you would in the summer. You want to achieve a gentle air mixing, not a draft. Exceptions are if your space is broad or your ceilings are high.

Even though it might seem logical, raising the thermostat increases your energy bill. It is advisable to set it to around 68°F while awake and lower it as needed.

Make sure you adjust your thermostat if you reverse the direction of your ceiling fan. Don't forget to turn off the ceiling fan when it's not in use.

If you have a problem with your fan at home, check out this post: Ceiling Fan Not Working On All Speeds - What To Do?

Where should you place oil heaters in a room?

Feeling cold, getting warm, hands touching the heater

Manufacturers recommend placing your oil-filled heater beneath the coldest window in your room or where there may be a cold draft. It helps your room warm up faster and reduces drafts' cooling effects.

When it's only an oil heater heating a room, it shouldn't be near the door because even a closed door lets heat escape. It's also not safe to place your heater right next to a power outlet.

No matter where you put it, ensure it's 3 feet away from flammable materials and out of reach of kids and pets.

Does an oil heater dry out air?

Oil heaters do not dry out the air. Your air maintains its humidity and is comfortable to breathe. An oil heater is best for newborns since they do not reduce humidity or burn oxygen. As far as health is concerned, they don't cause suffocation, dry eyes, or rashes.

How Long Will an Oil Heater Last?

Oil heaters can last 15-20 years if properly cared for and maintained. However, oil heaters will only last for 10 to 15 years if you keep running them constantly. If you want your heater to last longer, don't leave it on all the time. Another thing to consider is that whenever you transport it, ensure to use the wheels or lift it for better product safety.

Can oil heaters produce carbon monoxide?

Oil-filled electrical mobile radiator heater for home heating and comfort control in the room in a wooden country house

Oil heaters don't produce carbon monoxide. As mentioned above, oil heaters use diathermic oil as a heat conductor. The radiant heat provided by oil heaters provides safe, carbon monoxide-free heating.

To Wrap it Up

Despite their portable size, the oil heater warms your home effectively. To ensure that they continue to do so, schedule routine maintenance and use them conscientiously. It also turns out that using a ceiling fan with your oil heater can save you money too. Just be aware of when to use a fan and when not.

After all, it’s just one more thing to be mindful of while you’re keeping your energy costs down. That said, if you like the ceiling fan you've got now and it's working well, you can leave it on with your oil heater.

For your winter preparations, check out these guides as well:

How To Insulate An Apartment For Winter

What To Set Thermostat To When Away In Winter

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