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This heater seems to have been cranked out to take advantage of the popularity of the new Micathermic technology. This new heating technology heats up the panel very quickly, but takes as long as the oil heaters to heat the room. This is to be expected. With out a fan, the speed of heating is determined by the size of the heating surface. Which in this case is around 30" X 30". This technology is completely silent, compared to the bubbling noise of the oil radiators.
Ok, the mistakes Soleus made. The digital thermostat is somewhat for show. In my 10' X 10' room the heater is set for 77 but the room never reaches 70 degrees. The heater turns off making you think it has reached it's goal. Same room, I put in another Soleus heater. I initially left this heater at the default 68 degrees that is displayed when the unit first comes on. Now the room stays above 78 degrees. After much experimentation and repositioning of heaters, I've discovered a trend. Each heater has a fixed error in their temp sensor. For instance the previous mentioned heater is exactly ten degrees off. You set it for 68, it tries to keep the room at 78. This error is different for each heater. In addition these heaters have roughly a five degree response range. In other words it may keep heating for an addtional five degrees past the target setting and after turning off may not start again until it's more than five degrees below the target setting.
Soleus did a great job at making a silent technology noisy. The single Micathermic panel heats up very quickly, so it expands quickly. Initially you'll hear these little creaking pops as the housing mount points are trying to hang on to the panel as it expands. Then you'll hear a gong as the panel bows out under pressure. These sounds aren't loud, but in a quiet room in the middle of the night, it wakes me up. Smaller multiple panels might reduce this noise problem.
As far as the smell, hang in there. It takes awhile, but it eventually goes away.
I gave this heater three stars because the problems I pointed out are pretty much the norm for most portable heaters I've used. Micathermic technology is great, someone just needs to put it in a quality device.
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First unit dead after 6 months (lights come on no heat)
replacement huge dent in back panel on arrival (box perfect... they sent it that way!)
second replacement OK for a few months. Tried it as the weather got colder this month. Worked once, now won't heat up.
Customer service says the warranty starts (and ends) based on the original purchase date, so I'm out of luck.
AVOID THIS COMPANY
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We are currently living in a small house with no central heat or air while we save for a new house. Because of this, we have had an opportunity to try several types of portable heaters. This heater is by far my favorite. Last year it kept my bedroom very warm. The heat radiates out more slowly than many of the heaters we have tried and it really warms up the room instead of just racing to the ceiling. I never thought about that before, but we are very happy with the results. We are just starting our second year with this heater and have ordered three more just like it. I have read several reviews on heaters and it is weird how some people will love a heater while others hate the same heater. All I can say is that we are using it as a primary source of heat in about 150 square feet where temperatures frequently get in the teens and it seems to do the job well.
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This space heater worked fine for about 6 months, then suddenly stopped working. For this price, I expect a product to function correctly and reliably. Less expensive space heaters I have purchased have worked beautifully for much much longer.
Customer service was not helpful. Do not buy this product.
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I've just had this a short time and have been testing it out, so I can't speak to the reliability issues that some have raises. I do think that problem units tend to make it into these reviews more than the trouble free ones. After all, if you get a lemon you are highly motivated to tell the world.
This unit heats my room up much faster than the 1500w Deloughi oil unit that I tried. It is much quieter than the Sunbeam quartz unit that I tried. There is a slight hum when it is heating, but not at all objectionable. There is definitely some radiant effect that you can feel several feet away so it can be used as an instant-heat, personal heater. I find the thermostat to be fairly accurate. The room has been running 1 or 2 degrees hotter than the setting. Room is 180 sq. ft.
I am concerned about EMF radiation, so I tested it with a gauss meter. It gets into the "safe" range at about 32" (2 gauss). The reading is negligible at about 52" (.01 gauss). If you don't know what I am talking about, you should do some research if you want to avoid cancer. Most heaters are a little less, but I find this acceptable in the room I am using.
I like the remote because I do healing work in this room and I can adjust the temp without getting up from massage table. Back to reliability: I can't say for this unit, but I have used a Soleus dehumidifier for two summers and it is an outstanding machine. I give this unit a 4 because of others reliability experiences and the slightly higher EMF. As far as performance is concerned, I am thrilled. I needed a machine that was efficient and quiet and this fills the bill. Oil and quartz fell short of the mark. I had planned to get a mechanical thermostat model but they were out. I spent $10 more for the digital and like the way it works and the remote, I think the mechanical would have been more reliable in the long run however. When a digital unit dies it is usually the electronics that fail. (I am a former repairman)
Addendum: Still works fine in spring of 2013. I love this heater--heats room fast and quiet.
