Goshdarn Heater.

I would use stronger language but I try not to these days. You can be sure I used stronger language last night, when I found out my heater died on me. ONE MONTH EARLY. And I mean that only in the sense that there's still about a month of 50 degree weather left here (thank god I don't live in a colder locale). It lasted about oh, three, four months tops. Ridiculous. Absofrickinlootely ridiculous.

It took me awhile to find the information pamphlets, because I hadn't included them in my handy new filing system (it's a glorified box). When I did, I discovered that the warranty lasts a generous 3 years (and mine broke in three months, why?). Sure, that sounds great. But in order to use the warranty I have to not have "abused" the product - and who says what was outside normal usage, anyway? Not only that, I have to ship it to Tennessee, I believe. On my own dime. The think is at least a foot tall and half a foot wide. It's not heavy, but for shipping purposes I certainly wouldn't call it light. FURTHERMORE it's up to ME to provide return shipping and handling, etc, at about $10-$15 which should be included in the shipping, from what I understand.

And for those who told me not to research, just to go to Target to pick up a cheap one... after all my research, I went to Target. I didn't buy the cheapest one because I thought (obviously incorrectly) that if I bought a mid-range heater it might last longer than the cheapest. I dont' know how long the cheapest ones last, but if it's proportionate to the money spent on it, they shouldn't even be making them. Not that they should have made this one, either.

I'm never buying a Honeywell product again. Fool me once... why should I make the same mistake again, thinking I'm getting a quality product when really it's a Piece.Of.Junk.

So I have four or so more weeks of 50 degree weather - INDOORS - to look forward to. Forgive me if I'm grumpy all the time.

Space Heaters and How Mine Failed Me

Okay, before you get the wrong idea, the heater still heats. It still has two heat settings, low and high. It still has a timer and a temperature gauge, so it turns off at a specified temp (if I so specify).

And yet.

All the safety features I looked into, which were very important to me because I'm actually a little afraid of the electric heating devices which can start fires in the home ... ARE NOT THERE. I stand directly in front of it some mornings, due to the cold temperature of the room (65 if the heater's been working hard all night) and it DOESN'T TURN OFF. One of the safety features listed on the "safety features list" was that it would be able to detect close proximity to other objects, and if said near object was not removed within a certain, short, period of time, it would automatically shut off. Hrmph. I have not accidentally knocked the machine over yet, because I'm not that clumsy... but I have tested it. Result: There is NO automatic shut-off feature for tip-overs. And yup, you guessed it! That was also listed on the fabulous, mendacious "safety features list".

Gotta love it. Actually if it didn't heat my room in a remarkable, lovable (that's to say, I love the heat) way, I would throw it out. And I wouldn't just throw it out, I would have a copier-destroying-style party to bust it to bits before consigning it to the dump.

And I'll never again buy a Honeywell product. That'll teach those lying manufacturers of dangerous electric appliances. Cross your fingers I don't burn before then.

More on My Love/Hate Relationship with Heating Appliances

It appears to be a bad winter for heaters.

I probably shouldn't count my own situation at home, because my little space heater is doing just fine. Brought my room temp from 58 to 68 this morning. I'm so proud. But that I had to buy one adds to the instances in which heaters have appeared in my life. They haven't played a big role before this year.

Heat at the museum, where most of my coworkers spend their days, is non-existent. Luckily my office isn't as cold, but I've heard stories (and seen evidence firsthand) about blankets used to keep warm at desks. I have a space heater in my office (slightly illegal, as we all know) and so do half a dozen others I know of.

Just had a story this morning about a friend whose heater died last night, and then was revived, only to overreact in its new lease on life and stay on for two straight hours, making the room temperature a steamy 98. She said she opened her front door to bring in some cold air; I would have opened my windows, too.

Now. It might seem to some that I'm a little hung up on these heating appliances, but I'm not. I swear. I predict that my next post will have an entirely different subject.

Space Heater Part 3

So I bought my space heater last night!! I'm very excited. I tried it out, and my room was 68 degrees Fahrenheit! Instead of the 55 it had been before I turned it on.

Started out at Home Depot, but they had a pretty pathetic selection, so on my cousin's suggestion we went to Target, luckily not that far away. Ended up with a Honeywell, with a digital display, and it oscillates, and it was inspected and tested by Underwriters Laboratories, which I wanted in my space heater. It's reassuring to know that the heater has been tested for safety by a recommended laboratory. I won't go into it, but it had everything else I wanted, too, except maybe a remote control. How decadent would that have been.... Sigh.

Because space heaters make me nervous (and I know you're going to laugh when you read this) I also purchased a smoke detector for my room, a carbon monoxide detector (both of which I'll install this weekend) and.... a fire extinguisher! As my coworkers have just told me, Fire Marshal Bill and Smoky the Bear would be proud of me. Shiny.

Postscript: Space Heaters

Some websites to check out if you're in the market for a space heater. Besides the ones mentioned in my last post, there's also a great review on ConsumerSearch.

Then, for a cute picture and another list of top space heaters, read this. Although it's a little disappointing, because I expected the reviews to have some green basis and that doesn't appear to be the case, still it's worth a look. Some of the favorite types overlap on both websites.

Some of the reviews mentioned on both of the above websites are Amazon, Viewpoints and Epinions, for reference purposes.

Problem: Being Cold. Solution: Space Heater

I hate being cold. Period. If I'm out of doors, having fun, say playing in the snow or something, then I can tolerate it. I tolerate being cold in the winter on my walks from work. I can't stand being cold indoors. There's just something inherently wrong, in these days with heating units and indoor temperature controls.

I live in a sunroom. It's a beautiful sunroom, and warm during the day when the sun coming through the windows heats the room beautifully.

NB: If you get direct sunlight through a few windows, it might help keep a room or two warm in your house/apartment if you leave the windows clear. On the downside, when they're not covered and the sun is not shining light directly through, it will be colder. In which case, you might want to cover it with heavy curtains or plant some shrubberies outside for insulation.

So, if you're like me and you hate being cold, live in a sunroom, and don't live in the tropics, you might be interested in space heaters.

First step, in my hunt for a reliable, safe, high performance, shall we say perfect, space heater, is to research safety. And what I should be looking for in the perfect space heater. I found a brilliant website earlier this week, but managed to lose it - here is another, an article produced by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission in February 2001, which seems to be the latest edition.

But I'm very into this safety-of-product information, especially when such a high percentage of house fires are caused by space heaters. "For the years 1999-2002, there were about 9,900 residential fires per year and about 190 deaths per year associated with portable and stationary space heaters " (CPSC 14 Dec. 2005). Pretty scary.

Here's to being an informed consumer - Powers That Be willing, I will not burn down the apartment.

Economy and The Saving of Energy Versus Warmth: Where is the Line?

For me, the line is drawn significantly in front of freezing in the office. Just moments ago, I had on three layers, one of which is some kind of wool blend, and fingerless gloves, also a wool knit blend (%60 wool, %20 angora, %20 acrylic), and I still felt cold! I have decided to put my coat on, even though it somewhat restricts my shoulder movment, and confuses my keyboard into opening strange windows. My fingernails are not blue, not yet, but they feel as though they might be.

How does Lucky say it, in 101 Dalmatians? "My nose is froze, my toes are froze, my ears are froze..." I've misquoted, for sure, but the point remains the same. Nobody should have to wear her coat in the office. Coats are for outdoors. There was a day not too long ago, on which I can remember noting the fact that I didn't even have to button up my (winter) coat, before going outside - because it. already. was.

Thankfully, I am not working in the museum, whose thermometers yesterday measured the cozy temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit. But with all the people coming and going from our building, and our position right next to the foyer, and the glass wall that forms part of the exterior wall, it's still not warm.

Now, I'm all for saving energy, and if that means not having a really nice 72 degree temp in the home or office, I can handle that. But 60 degrees I definitely do not do. Nor do I appreciate 65 degrees. In fact, whenever I feel cold and prickly all day long, I'm not comfortable, and quite frequently as a result, do not work productively. There's an old saying that seems relevant here, although it leaves the audience with a negative impression of the speaker/writer: "I can't work in these conditions!" Quite literally, I can't. Just like when a person has to pee really badly, the discomfort of being cold completely overrides all other thought processes. All I think about is how cold my fingers are, and how uncomfortable wearing my coat for 5 hours is, and even how cold my toes (in socks and boots!) feel.

Color me unimpressed and very cold, and unproductive. Did I mention irritated?

Why Bother?

I know a few readers and I have been having something of a debate to answer the question: What effect can one individual have on the Big Problem? (Whichever problem one might be referring to at the time, or indeed, all of them at once). In this case, however, we'll stick to the Green Problem.

This article, by Michael Pollan of the New York Times, proposes to answer the question, Why Bother ? Why bother growing your own garden, or turning off your water faucet while you wash your hands or brush your teeth? Why bother using a clothes line instead of a dryer, or handwashing dishes instead of using a dishwasher (see post about Dishwashing Dilemma, and article at Slate.com for more on that issue, however)... Why bother opening windows instead of turning on the AC in the summertime? Why re-use and recycle when the trash can is right there? Why make all these little changes in your life when it's easier, and more habitual, to go on as you always have?

What can one person do, when the crisis is already here? Does it really require legislation and different technology before the change can be effective? Then again, what happens when 300 million people make the decision to bother?

Autumn Breeze Trumps Air Conditioning

Hands down. I am 100% all in favor of fresh air, whenever the temperature makes it comfortable. Today the weather has been cool enough that I felt cold eating my lunch outside on a bird poo-infested picnic bench. Furthermore, I've been able to keep the window open all day, without melting into my seat. Not only does this mean that my office has smelled fresh and outdoors-y, and that I haven't been wasting money and energy on air conditioning, it means most importantly that I have not felt my fingers, nose and toes turning into little organic blocks of ice. Now if only I could get this to work in my tiny apartment that has no air circulation...