Blog: Space Heater Fuel Guide
A space heater provides a quick and easy way of keeping warm at home, at work or on site during cold winter months.
It is a Health and Safety requirement that workspaces and garages must be heated to at least 16C. If your workplace does not have a central heating or air conditioning system in place, a space heater can be used as a solution to keep you warm and comfortable in the workplace.
There is a wide range of space heaters available on the market, in a huge choice of sizes and fuel options, suited for use in different spaces.
How do you pick the right fuel for a space heater?
One of the main factors on which type of space heater is best for you is the space it is being used in.
Indoor: Electric or Indirect Oil Fired
Outdoor: Electric, Gas or Direct Oil Fired
The price range is also important - both the up-front cost and running costs.
When determining your budget consider:
- Future Running Costs
- The size of the space you wish to heat
- Safety of people on site
- The nature of work being performed in this area
- How long (on average) will heating be needed each day.
- Whether you want the unit to be portable.
These are just some of the factors that you may want to think about when choosing the right fuel and space heater for your business. Our fuel guide below will help you decide on the most appropriate fuel for your chosen space heater.
Fuel Types for a Space Heater
Electric: Obviously, you will need a mains power supply in order to power an electric space heater. The benefit of electric heaters is that they do not require any fuel to be bought, they are easy to use, warm spaces up quickly and offer clean warm air. They can be used safely in indoor spaces.
The power supply you have available in important. As, typically, the maximum heat output you can get from a standard 240v power supply is 3kW. For larger capacities, you would need a 400v 3-phase industrial power supply.
LPG: LPG heaters (Liquid propane gas) run from propane or butane gas bottles. They are easy to use and simple to maintain, and they are very cheap to operate. However, they must only be used in well-ventilated spaces like garages, workshops and warehouses with large open doors, or on work sites.
Oil: There are two types of oil-fired heater available – direct and indirect.
- Direct oil-fired heaters pass air through the flame to warm the air. This is very efficient however it means that the air is not completely clean, so direct fired heaters must only be used in outdoor or well-ventilated spaces, not enclosed indoor spaces.
- Indirect oil-fired heaters pass the air over a heat exchanger to warm it. The air does not come into direct contact with the flame, and exhaust gases or expelled out of the unit via a flue. This means that the warm air is completely clean, so it can be used to heat enclosed indoor spaces.
Oil fired heaters can typically be fuelled using diesel, kerosene, paraffin and heating oil, or biodiesels like HVO. Kerosene typically offers a cheaper alternative to diesel.
Natural Gas: Natural gas space heaters are typically fixed cabinet heaters, designed for installation in workshops, garages, warehouses and factories. They offer a powerful, convenient and effective source of heating, though they are usually fixed installations and they must be installed by a registered gas engineer. The initial upfront costs are usually much greater than with a portable space heater.
Waste Oil: Waste oil burners also provide a fixed heating solution for workshops and garages. They can be fuelled using the waste oil from everyday activities, like waste engine oil, as well as biofuels and vegetable oil, rapeseed oil and more.]
More Information & Advice
We have a wide range of space heaters available to order online or over the phone. Contact our sales team via online live chat or telephone for any help & advice you need, to find the best heater for your needs.
