DEAR SUN SPOTS: In the Jan. 5-6 Sun Journals I received a flier from a company selling the “Comfort Furnace,” which is described as an infrared heater. The ad says that you get maximum heat without drying the air, and although this appears to be a portable electric heater, the testimonials that go with it talk about saving huge amounts on their electric bill.

Would you please research for me whether an “infrared furnace” is just a fancy electric heater with no real advantage over something I can buy at a local hardware store?

There is another company that advertises one whose cabinet is made by the Amish with similar claims, and I have been wondering for some time whether these are really superior. — David Jefferson, [email protected]

ANSWER: Sun Spots cannot speak directly to the effectiveness of the advertised product, with which she has no experience, but she can offer some information about electric heaters in general. (For specific product information, you could try consumerreports.org.)

There are two types of electric heat: radiative and convective. Radiative provide radiant heat. Examples are wood stoves, those plug-in radiators with oil inside and infrared heat. Convectives include those with fans.

Radiants heat the objects around them, while convectives warm the air.

Sun Spots prefers radiant heat and has often argued with Mr. Sun Spots that those heaters are warmer.

Mr. Sun Spots, who has a degree in electrical engineering, says that is not so and that “watts are watts are watts.” If an electric heater puts out 1500 watts, which is typical, they are providing the same amount of heat output, he says, regardless of the style of heater. He does add the caveat that those with a fan do divert some small amount of those 1500 watts of power to run the fan.

Finding an unbiased opinion about the effeciency of different types of heaters proved difficult. Much of the information is supplied by manufacturers or retail outlets. Sun Spots did find some thorough explanations at green-energy-efficient-homes.com (http://tinyurl.com/765ucg6), including this statement agreeing with Mr. Sun Spots:

“So most electric heaters are energy efficient electric heaters — 100 percent efficient in the case of heaters without a fan — in the sense that all the electricity input is turned into heat. When the fan is factored in the efficiency is still in the 95-98 percent range, as the fans consume very little energy compared to the kilowatts consumed by the resistant heating element.”

The same site goes on to say the key is not efficiency but rather which heater is most effective for a particular situation.

Say you have a big room with high ceilings and get cold while sitting at your desk or watching TV. In that case, you’d want a radiant heater pointed at your chair rather than a convective trying to warm up all that empty air.

A convective is more useful if you have a small space that you want to heat up quickly, such as a infrequently used room or small building. That heat is provided instantly, while a radiant takes a while to warm up. This is the case for Mr. Sun Spots, who has a separate building for his office and needs it to warm rapidly.

As for the “fancy” enclosed heaters, Sun Spots’ mother just gave her two EdenPure heaters, which Sun Spots tried. The fans are quieter than those you’d get in your local hardware store unit (although they still cycle), and the thermostats offer more settings.

They also have additional safety features. They are well-ensconced in sturdy cabinets, hard to tip over and less likely to harm children or pets, or possibly start a fire. (Electric heaters are a leading cause of house fires.) She also noticed that one of the heaters her mom gave her draws only 1300 watts instead of 1500, which would lower its energy cost, albeit with a commensurate reduction in heat output.

Ultimately, Sun Spots cannot recommend one type of heater over another. She does recommend you visit the website she cited for more detailed information about electric heat.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be e-mailed to [email protected].