Optimus H-5210 Infrared Quartz Radiant Heater
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Optimus H-5210 Infrared Quartz Radiant Heater
Customer Review: Compact, simple and works well
Summary: 5 Stars
I have been using this heater practically every day and I am very happy with it. This is probably the most compact quartz heater available and it is very easy to use. There are just two settings low (400 watts) and high (800 watts). Unlike other heaters that heat the air, quartz heaters heat objects and people directly. So, it feels like more heat for less energy. That makes this heater ideal for an open area that would be hard and expensive to heat with those other types of heaters.Also, this heater is very quiet; but you can easily see that it is on from the soothing orange glow it emits.Customer Review: Compared to other heaters I have used this one is almost perfect
Summary: 5 Stars
To understand why I like this heater so well I have to tell a story about other heaters I have used.
Many years ago I worked for an employer who provided a dormitory style building for employees to live in. You paid low rent but you also gave up many of what most people consider necessities. You could not have female guests in your room, you shared a bathroom with everyone, no cooking was allowed,no alcohol, maintenance was done grudgingly, and there were a host of other rules that I have long forgotten. How many rules did I violate??? Not ALL of them but I was a young single man and I will let the readers use there imagination here :-) .
With the approval of our bosses you could have a electric heater in your room. The one I had was rated to warm a room three times the size of mine. My heater even had a fan on it. I was to discover that even with this heater going full blast 24/7 my room was still cold. During the winter months I could keep food items in the window where they would on the coldest days freeze. In the summer this building was as hot as it was cold in the winter because it was not air conditioned. Not only was my heater inefficent it was noisy too.
Since that time I had work assignments where I had to stay in a outbuilding that was only heated by electric heaters and none of them worked well.
So when I got this Optimus heater a few months ago I was not expecting much. I saw the negative reviews on it but it was on sale and i only needed one temporarily so I decided to gamble.
First thing I noticed was that the heater did not come on. I soon discovered that I had it in a position where the tip over switch had it turned off. I also noted that there were no user serviceable parts. When I got to thinking about it I realized that no other heater I had owned had them either.
I've used this heater numerous times this year. I am impressed with how quiet it is (no fan) and how quickly it can heat a small room. I live in a 100+ year old house. I use the heater in my bathroom which has always had a problem with heat in the winter even though the baseboard heater that was already there is rated to heat a much larger room. This little heater warms it quickly and well. You cannot leave it on for too long or you would be roasting in there. Another good thing about this unit is that it does not use as much electricity as it is supposed to. My bathroom is on a circuit that the breaker frequently trips because it has too many other things on it. This heater has not yet tripped a breaker even on high. I will rewire this room this spring when it is warmer.
I've noticed that some of the negative reviews say that the unit breaks down long before it's time. All I can say to that is that mine is still going I guess I am just lucky in this aspect but I also wonder how many of those folks may have accidentally had the tip over switch tripped. Still I have to believe that they are right about the unit not lasting as long as it should but if mine quits I have gotten my money's worth out of it.
All in all I think this is a good unit just make sure that tip over switch is not tripped. It's an excellent safety feature that could possibly prevent a fire if the unit falls over.
Customer Review: Could be designed better
Summary: 3 Stars
I got this heater after finding many heaters dont have tip over safety protection.
I am comparing this to everstar space heater i got at home depot in 2009 and still going strong. The current similar make/model is a Lasko 754200.
Both have tip over. The OPtimus gets really hot on the top. Horizontal heat flow is better in Lasko / everstar as the fan tends to blow.
For those sensitive to noise, lasko has a fan sound, The optimus has a buzz like a choke of a tube light. Well if you born in an era that never used tube lights , you may never know what an annoyance it is. I will tolerate fan sound anyday over a tube light choke buzz.
After desired ambient temperature is reached the lasko / everstar cuts off and heats room / space / under the table areas much better than optimus.
I have safely left the everstar switched on for 6-8 weeks unattended and locked the house and gone away with no fear of accidental fire , unless the equipment actually causes electrical fire.
I turned the optimus and about 5 feet under a table away from a chair, Noticed the bottom side of the table / sides of chair getting very very warm .. left alone, i am sure it would cause spontaneous combustion. I also feel that when tipped over the red hot quartz lamps that generate heat might crack or damage... This has never happened in Everstar ..
So if you are looking for a good heater, I would totally recommend the lasko 9400 or its costlier model with fancy oscillating fan ( does not give you much but leaves you 20$ poorer )
Customer Review: Dead Quiet
Summary: 5 Stars
I just received my new heater today and it's everything it's cracked up to be. It's dead silent and warms up the room quickly. I can bring it in any small to medium size room and it works great. I use it by my desk at 400 and it keeps me warm. Great product for the price.Customer Review: Died after using three(3) times in 9 days.
Summary: 1 Stars
Used it for 3 times in 9 days for about 40 minutes, the fourth time it would not heat at all. Could not return it because I got rid of the box. When it did work, it worked well.