Saudi Gazette report

DAMMAM – More than 7.5 million heating devices are used in Saudi Arabia for 200 hours every week during winter. The annual average use reaches 36 hours per week.

The Consumer Protection Association (CPA) has explained the features of the best heaters in terms of performance as well as space and energy consumption.

The CPA urged the public to use safe heaters during winter to prevent fire hazards and other accidents.

The General Authority for Statistics has found that electric heaters account for almost 45 percent, or 3.37 million, of heating devices used by people in the Kingdom.

These electric heaters are used for 76 hours per week in winter.

Oil heaters come second with 28.6 percent, or 2.16 million, and an average weekly use of 49 hours in winter.

Wax heaters come third with 1.8 million devices or 24.1 percent. They are used for an average of 36 hours weekly during winter.

A little more than 2 million fans are used for heating and the weekly average use is 39 hours.

Oil heaters have three main demerits: The heating process will be very slow, compared to other devices. They are also heavy and expensive, according to the CPA.

Halogen heaters, which operate by radiating infrared light, have three major demerits. They are mainly used to warm a small area. If not handled safely, the are likely to cause burns or trigger fires. In addition, they consume lots of electricity compared to other devices.

Speaking about fan heaters, the CPA said they are not suitable for big rooms. They also create a lot of noise, it pointed out.

For heating rooms where doors and windows are opened frequently, such as the kitchen, go for a halogen heater because they will quickly warm people close to them even when the room remains chilly.

To warm up the space quickly and then retain the heat then opt for either a fan heater or an oil-filled radiator. However, oil-filled radiators are typically slower to respond than the average fan heater.

"If you heat up a room and then change your mind, you can turn the fan heater off and let the temperature get back to normal within no time," said an expert who requested anonymity.

“The oil filled radiator will continue to emit heat for some time after it has been turned off as the oil inside needs time to cool down. That could work to your advantage if you want to fall asleep in a warm room but don't want to leave the appliance turned on through the night,” he said.