Review of New - Twin Window Fan by Lasko

Customer Ratings:

I wanted an inexpensive haust fan to remove smoke from the room. This does the job and the noise is minimal. I would buy again if all you want is a simple fan that does the job without breaking the bank.

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I thought this was going to help my life be easier, to draw the cool air into the room, or vent the hot air out of the room.

I have to turn the fan in the window, front to back, etc. It does not lock into the window, I actually have had to place a large planted pot in front of it to keep it steady and not falling over. Would I buy this specific fan....no. I do think there is another fan that gives you the options of having the fan blow into the room or out of the room, just by turning a dial.

Oh yes, when having to turn the fan, its hard to hold onto, and often slips out of my hands. Cumbersome.

Reviews of Frigidaire FRA126CT1 12-000 Btu Window Air Conditioner W / Temp

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $439.00
Sale Price: $337.00
Today's Bonus: 23% Off

Update 5/29/13: Member "Coug Moog" in comments to my original review turned me on to the fact that price has drop drastically at some sources on this model all the way down to $298. At that price there's no reason not to grab this more powerful unit over it's 10,000 BTU bretheren. Now that this unit doesn't cost an arm and leg over the 10K, I'll probably never buy another 10K again. I'm also upgrading my review to 4 stars as well. The 12K units I operate have served well. Since they now cost virtually the same as a 10K that's a darn good value.

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Original Review Text Titled "Not the one to buy unless you have a little window" and given 2 stars:

The 12,000 BTU unit is a bad choice for most people. The smaller 10,000 BTU unit is 33% less in cost and typically much more reliable. The bigger 15,000 BTU unit is not that much more than the 12,000 unit.

So why would you pay so much extra above the price of the smaller 10K unit, yet stop short of going all out for the 15,000 BTU unit? Only one reason window height. Beyond 12,000 BTU the case gets much larger, which means it won't fit in some window styles.

Price not important? Measure your window, and if it fits get the bigger 15K unit.

Price important? Then why would you pay so much more for this one over the 10K unit?

I've bought and run this size, but only in special cases where I was restricted by window size and had a really large room to cool.

Also to consider... here's the review I gave on another model that is relevant to this one:

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Between family and rent houses I put all types and sizes to the test every year in the scorching Texas sun. Here's my experience:

If you want a solid window air conditioner, it really boils down to two choices: Frigidaire and LG. The current "sweet spot" on reliability/price/economy is the 10,000 BTU unit regardless of make/manufacturer.

Recently they've been making 12,000 & 15,000 BTU 110V (normal plug) units.

-The 12000 BTU truly is 20% stronger, but you pay 50% more here on Amazon.

-The 15000 BTU is a snowball tossing beast, but it's in a larger case that may not fit your window (height-wise) and doesn't have a long history on the market so we don't know how it will do long-term

LG Pros The 10,000 BTU LG is my "workhorse". Best value. Run them till they fail in 4 to 7 years, then swap `em out for another.

1) Better warranty (but really, who cares when it breaks because you're sitting there sweating)

2) Typically last an additional 2-3 years over other brands

3) An LG rarely just stops running it will degrade slowly over a season

4) They are more tolerant of neglect (e.g. dirty filters... can't rely on tenant to care for your stuff)

5) Better withstands being placed in harsher environments (direct sunlight, restricted airflow)

6) Lower "lemon" rate

Frigidaire Pros For family I prefer to run 12,000 & 15,000 BTU Frigidaires. They are a little nicer, and I consider it worth it even though they always break sooner. (Value and reliability aren't as important, but I do have to compensate by keeping a new boxed spare around because they always fail at the most inopportune moments. Most people can't do this.)

1) A little nicer looking

2) Better features

3) Quieter

4) Slightly easier installation

5) Circuit surge/drain on startup seems significantly less (think lights flickering when compressor comes on)

Other parting thoughts:

1) A thing to know about newer units: To obtain the higher EER (efficiency) ratings, they use finer design on heat exchanger fins. For the non-experts, this means smaller little spaces that get jammed up with dirt/mold/whatever resulting in a clogged/filthy/poorly operating unit much-much faster than your parents' old units. Appliance repair stores can service your window unit every year (clean it of filth) that will extend life by at least 2 years and sometimes much more. Of course this costs anywhere from $50 up, and the units are cheap, so it's your call whether to service or toss it.

2) The 10,000 BTU Frigidaire here on Amazon is a good buy w/Amazon Prime shipping. For other higher BTU models, as of this writing you'll be paying more but also know that right now with the national heatwave most box stores are sold out so you may not have a choice.

3) Something this heavy is a risky ship (versus store pickup). It might be shipped wrong-side-up, or dropped, or whatever. It's a risk you'll run so do so knowingly. (I seem to have pretty good luck w/Amazon shipped items.) The risk is offset, however, by advantages of buying from Amazon (store would take forever, you'd have to load it and bring it home, have to have a vehicle large enough to carry it, etc.)

4) Clean. Your. Filter. Every. Week. It will keep your little ice machine healthy.

5) Different stores have different models from the same maker. If they are made in the same year, it doesn't seem to make a difference.

6) Tempted to go cheap like a Haier? Don't.

7) Tempted to buy a 6,000 or 8,000 BTU model? Don't. Get the stronger unit. It will cool down the room faster. It will not need to work as hard as a weaker unit and last longer. It is built with some stronger/better key components.

Good luck and happy cooling.

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UPDATE We've had this AC for 2 years now and are still loving it. No problems whatsoever. Still cools like a champ, and we use ours a lot. This year, we even used it through the winter, during those uncharacteristic HOT winter days. Still love the thermostat remote too. Very happy we took the time to hunt down this specific model.

And now, back to the original review....

I needed to replace a 10 year old 12,000 BTU Kenmore AC and thoroughly researched my options before zeroing in on this Frigidaire. The clincher was the unique remote control -it has a key feature that no other AC's have, including other Frigidaires.

Thermostat & Automatic Climate Control Built Into The Remote

Let's be clear -most modern AC's come with a remote that turns the temperature up or down, but that's NOT all this Frigidaire's remote does. It actually controls the climate via it's own thermostat and direct communication with the AC itself. The remote also has a digital readout that displays the actual room temperature at the remote itself. This is significant, because most AC's have a thermostat in the AC housing. But this Frigidaire has a thermostat built right into the remote control, which means the AC will cycle on and off based on the temperature at the remote, instead of at the AC unit. I hated how my old Kenmore would click off the compressor because the thermostat thought the room was cool enough, yet where I was sitting, was still hot and muggy. Now, with this new Frigidaire, the compressor keeps running based on the temperature on the remote's digital readout. Every few minutes the remote sends a signal to the AC unit, telling it what the temperature is; and the compressor adjusts, based on that readout, keeping the room a constant, consistent temperature. This feature alone sets this AC apart, head and shoulders above the rest. And after just a few days of using it, there's no way I'd ever want an AC without this feature from here on.

More About the Remote

Other than the awesome feature mentioned above, the remote can turn the AC on or off, set the temperature, timer on, timer off, sleep mode, auto fan and energy saver. It's also a cute little thing that feels good in my hand. It's about the size of a small cell phone and the rubberized buttons are well laid out and easy to use, even for those with poor eyesight and dexterity, like me.

Eco-Friendly

The power surge my old Kenmore caused would literally make the lights dim whenever the compressor kicked in. On really hot days, that sudden power drain would often trip the circuit in my fuse box, knocking the power out. But this new Frigidaire is so energy efficient, that I barely hear the compressor kick in, and the lights dim for just a fraction of a second. So the power drain compared to my old Kenmore is almost nonexistent. I feel confident that when we go through another round of brown-outs here in California, my Frigidaire will keep running even when Edison throttles down everyone's kilowatt usage. Even better, the Electric Company is giving me a rebate for upgrading to a new "green" AC; how COOL is THAT?!

Cooling Powerhouse

There aren't too many 12,000 BTU air conditioners out there; any higher in BTU, and you can't use a standard 3-prong wall outlet. So I was happy to find this 12,000 BTU replacement. This Frigidaire cools my 650 square foot room without a problem. Actually, I have yet to run it higher than Low speed, and at that setting, it's been cooling off the whole room quite quickly, and keeping it at a constant temperature. I know it's early in the season, but it's already gotten hot and muggy here in Southern California, so I've had plenty of opportunity to put this new AC through its paces already. But thus far, I'm quite confident this Frigidaire can more than handle the sweltering heats that are coming.

Clean Air

I have a couple different air purifiers, but it's cool that this AC also has a built-in ionizer. With all the air it blows around the room, it's good to know that I can turn the ionizer on with the push of a button, and minimize the dust flying around. For those of us with respiratory problems, this is a HUGE Bonus!

Installation

If I could find an AC that does all this one can, plus install itself, then it would be the perfect AC! Short of that fantasy, this AC was well worth the setup. I had help with it, and 2 hours later -voila -we were enjoying the reward of cooler air. The unit itself was a little lighter than the Kenmore I was replacing, but let's face it, it's difficult to balance a big, heavy, square object on a windowsill. We got the job done though, with no real headaches or problems. The side louvers were easy to attach, and the screws, brackets and weather stripping were all self-explanatory.

QUIET!

Some other reviews had me concerned about the noise level of this particular unit, but I have to say, this Frigidaire is about as quiet as an AC gets. I have a smaller 5,000 BTU AC in the bedroom, and it's much louder than this 12,000 BTU. My old Kenmore was waaaaaaay louder than this, even when it was brand spanking new.

Bottom Line -Frigidaire really hasn't done themselves any favors by describing and marketing this AC so poorly. They should be punching up what's special about this remote (the built-in thermostat,) how it interacts with the AC, and why that unique feature matters to consumers. It's truly one of a kind and that feature alone squashes the competition in my book. This AC is so much better than it appears, at first glance. Thankfully, I was very thorough in my research, both online and in store, and I doubt you'll find a better AC for the money than this Frigidaire. I fully expect this AC to work flawlessly for years to come; and because I'll have it for many years, I'm glad I took the time to make the right choice.

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New unit was very noisy. Rather than return it, it was easier to it take to a local warranty repair center. I kept Amazon in the loop just in case, and they were gracious in offering to exchange the unit if I chose not to have it repaired.

The repair center diagnosed the noise as a bad bearing in the fan motor. The blower motor was replaced, and the unit is OK now. The motor being bad right out of the box suggests that these units go through no testing at the factory, and quality control is low.

After the repair, the overall noise level is about average which is OK with me. Most of the sound is the air movement swish of the blower. There is very little compressor sound when it is running, and a light "clunk" when the compressor turns off.

This 12,000 BTU unit is the same physical size as the 8,000 BTU Frigidaire unit I am replacing. For what it's worth, the blower in the 8,000 BTU unit lasted two seasons. That might explain why Frigidaire has only a one-year warranty (which is really one season) on that part of the unit. Perhaps Frigidaire is trying to take over Haier's role as the industry purveyor of cheap appliances.

I later found out that LG has a five-year warranty on everything -no need to buy an extended warranty. Frigidaire has five years only on the compressor, one year on everything else. The repair guy at the warranty repair center said he has seen only two LG units in the five years he has been there.

Having gone through multiple window units, I'll offer the advice that, in order to get the high EER ratings, these things (all brands) use delicate fins on the heat exchangers the design and spacing of which easily accumulate micro dust particles in spite of the filter. The moisture on the fins along with the dust encourages the growth of mold if the fins are not meticulously cleaned. But the delicate nature of the fins along with the presence of the electronic controls means you can't do like the old days where you took the thing out of the chassis and washed it out at the local car wash. Cleaning the fins now requires something like using a strong shop vac and a tooth brush to carefully comb fins clean at the end of each season.

In other words: It might have a high EER when you get it new, but it doesn't stay that way for long. It's too bad the EER is only for brand new in the lab, and no thought is given to the EER over a typical lifespan of the product.

Honest reviews on Frigidaire FRA126CT1 12-000 Btu Window Air Conditioner W / Temp

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Update number two: After the summer season, I can say this with total honesty. Using this unit with my other unit, I saw NO increase in my electric bill. But, and this is a huge BUT, I felt a decrease in the heat in my home. Using two units means twice the power consumption but the on time was reduced dramatically that it actually means you are using less power over all.

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Update number one: The remote sensing is, for lack of a better word, a joke.. Yes, it uses IR light to talk to the unit, SO, as long as the remote is pointing directly at the unit and there is nothing obstructing the path between the remote an the unit, then it works fine. BUT, and this is a huge but, in the REAL world this rarely happens. I still give this unit five stars but come on Frigidaire, this is 20th century technology used in a product of the 21st century. Get with the times.

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I already have an older version of this model, and was eager to get this one. I'll not bore you with a ten thousand word essay like some feel the need to write, but I will tell you in as few words as possible that this is a good product and why. I got this unit to put in the opposite end of my home so it would take some of the work load off of my older unit, which is still working like a charm.

Size and weight for this BTU amount is good/great. One person can install it but I do recommend two. I'm going on 56 and I was able to install it by myself but don't let my results influence you. Being 115 volts instead of 220 means you don't need an electrician to install wires and an extra circuit breaker. The extra long power cord also eliminates the need for an expensive extension cord.

As far as operation, it's easy. Just put it in an window, plug it in, and turn it on. Remember this though. It is 110 volts and an energy efficient unit, SO, it will NOT produce icicles within thirty minutes of being turned on, BUT it will cool down your room and in a not so slow fashion. Plus, it will not require you to take out a second mortgage to purchase it and also to operate it.

Within an hour of installing this unit, the entire house is cooler and the humidity is MUCH lower. Thus, it is very comfortable now in all parts of my home, and also most of the time now neither unit is running so I think that two units will actually save electricity over running just one. I hope this makes sense. I'm old, and heat doesn't bother me but HIGH humidity does. So, I actually run the window units to be more of a dehumidifier than an actual cooling system. The best part of a window unit is that you get both for the price of one. Just a dehumidifier alone will cost more than a window unit.

As far as sound. This unit is not very loud but let me pass some important information along. If you suffer from hearing loss, as I do, then even the smallest amount of "background" noise will be very distracting and thus, be very annoying. For me, that is not a problem, as it helps me sleep, but while watching TV, you will find that you have increased the volume quite a bit, each time the unit turns off. ;)

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I have recently received this product. Installed it in my bedroom facing down the hallway. When i come in at night after work, I walk into a cool house from just this one a/c unit working. I have over 1800 sq ft. and this a/c unit does a fantastic job of cooling this area. I love the timer and sleep timer. The remote is a bonus. Was an easy install. Just myself and a neighbor. A little loud when you turn up the fan all the way but not to bad. Overall, I would recommend this to anyone looking for a new a/c unit.

Reviews of InnoMax Thermal Guardian Quantum Solid State Waterbed Heater, Full

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List Price: $112.00
Sale Price: $58.16
Today's Bonus: 48% Off

My first waterbed heater lasted nearly twenty years. When it died, I grabbed the first heater I could find and it was small and chintzy, the thermostat lasted barely a year. To replace it, I shopped more carefully this time and found this one. This waterbed heater is big and beefy, like the first one. It heats the bed quickly and efficiently. I did have to get past the safety warnings which were rather scary, but really just said to use it only on a big sack of water type bed only and keep it off the seams in the supporting wood. Though I have only had this a couple of months now, I expect to get many years of service from it.

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It was easy to install and works great. You can't beat the price for the quality of waterbed heater. I would recommend this product.

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This heater lasted 3 1/2 months...tried to return and wasn't able to because the window already expired. Waste of money.

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The full watt heater maintains the temperature accurately. This is our second InnoMax Thermal Guardian Quantum, the last one worked well for over 5 years. Will buy again if I live that long.

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Product does what it's supposed to do. I can't rate it higher because I don't know how long it will last.

Review of Cuisinart DCC-1200 Brew Central 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $165.00
Sale Price: $89.95
Today's Bonus: 45% Off

I've had the Cuisinart DCC-1200 for about a week now. I was hesitant to spend so much on a coffee maker but I'm happy to report it's well worth it. Sure, you can get other brands of coffee makers for under $25 if economy is the most important feature, but I've had those machines and I decided that, this time, a good cup of coffee was most important for me. This unit makes the best coffee I've had in a home or office machine and better than most coffee I've had in restaurants.

This coffee tastes smooooooth! I suspect the charcoal water filter is the reason for that. I also like the "shower head" design of the water spout. The water actually runs up a track onto the underside of the lid and is sprinkled over the ground coffee like a rain shower.

It's an attractive unit but it also looks like a serious coffee maker. This unit is no toy. It looks and feels solid. The carafe has a good solid feel and balance. The plastic parts (like the plastic carafe lid and handle) feel like good heavyweight plastic and are well molded. It's not the lightweight crappy plastic that cracks and discolors easily in the cheap coffee makers.

I like the 5 beeps when the coffee is ready. Now I can leave the kitchen and go clean or whatever and I don't have to keep running back to see if I can get a cup yet. I can hear the beeps. But if I really can't wait and want a cup in mid-brew, I can just remove the pot and pour a cup you've got a full 30 seconds to reinsert the pot, before you risk an overflowing filter.

I like the permanent gold-tone filter too. I always thought paper filters were a pain. They'd fold over sometimes and there'd be grounds in my coffee. But you can use paper filters in this machine if you want to. I just prefer the convenience of the gold-tone filter (top rack machine washable too).

It has an indicator light for cleaning -it says it's "self-cleaning" but really it's just a light telling you when you need to pour in a pot of water/vinegar and run it through to decalcify the unit. (I never thought to do that with my other units. Probably another reason my coffee wasn't as good as I wanted it to be.)

The low-medium-high setting on the hot plate is pretty nice too. And the auto-shutoff feature is great. I don't have to worry about forgetting to turn the machine off.

The instruction booklet is very good and very thorough. Comes with a parts reordering form too.

What don't I like about this machine? It requires maintenance in that you have to change the charcoal filters. But actually I don't mind since I think they are the reason the coffee tastes so smooth, and they are very easy to change and not expensive

Also, the area in the top of the machine where you pour in the water is narrow but again this is just a minor inconvenience. Just have to pour a little carefully.

So really it's almost all positives with a couple of very minor negatives. I highly recommend this coffee maker.

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(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM) When my Braun FlavorSelect coffee maker unexpectedly stopped working, I had to scramble to find a new machine. I wanted another Braun, but unfortunately, they seem to have stopped making a 12 cup coffee maker. So I had to begin an intense search for a machine that had the features I wanted combined with good value. I finally found it with this Cuisinart model.

The advantages? For one, it makes excellent and HOT coffee. The carafe is solidly constructed and fits securely in square body so there's no chance of someone accidentally knocking it loose. Because the lid fits tightly, the pour is precisely narrow and smooth, with no side leaks even when the pot is full. The basket fits inside the housing instead of swinging free like so many models which prevents a misalignment between the water and the filter; the conical (Krups/Braun style) basket accepts both paper filters and gold-tone, although I learned the hard way that not all gold filters fit. The timer is very easy to program, as is the clock. The carafe warmer can be set at low, medium, or high for the temperature that's right for you. I found the "high" setting too hot since I drink my coffee black (I like my coffee hot but not scalding!), but those who add a lot of milk might appreciate it. The brewing is quick and efficient, with the process taking about a minute a cup, maybe less. The retro/stainless look complements most modern kitchen décors. There's a 1-4 cup setting to make sure such small amounts stay hot, and you can select how long the warmer remains on. The pot beeps five times when brewing is complete and just before the warming plate shuts off. Parts are top rack dishwasher safe. It comes with a water filter system designed to improve the taste of the brew.

But the Cuisinart does have disadvantages. The water reservoir is located on the right side, in the back, which makes it a little challenging for lefties like me to dump the final bit of water inside even though the carafe pours very accurately. Although I haven't yet missed the opening, I do struggle briefly with those last few drops unless I use my right hand. The housing is fairly tall, so if your counter space is only under the cabinets, you may not be able to lift the top in its entirety. (This is when the small rear reservoir becomes a major issue as you have to have room to completely lift the rather large top toward the back.) Clearance required: 7.5" wide by 8.5" deep of counter space with no overhead obstruction to pull out for filling OR 21.5" of overhead space to fully lift top. Without the top open, the coffee maker measures 7.5"w x 8.5"d x 14.25"h.

If you have the space for this coffee maker, you'll love it. I can't attest to how long it will last, but, as it comes with a three year warranty, I'm hoping for a good run.

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Two weeks ago, I needed a new coffee maker. The Krups Aroma Control maker is in all the stores and catalogs, so I bought one in the local mall BEFORE reading the Amazon reviews. BIG MISTAKE. Lesson learned read the reviews many negative comments. I used it for 3 days, and readily understood the description (...) of "eye candy" (looks nice, but seems like cheap plastic) and weak coffee (what they describe as a feature allowing the coffee to steep is really a euphemism for a poorly designed system that is guaranteed to give you a weak cup of coffee). One redeeming feature the carafe is very nice.

Within 2 days of having the Krups, i was on Amazon looking for a replacement coffee maker (a good cup of coffee is critical in the morning!). I went out on the risk curve and ordered the new Cuisinart no reviews yet. The Cuisinart has a more classic brewing system (water goes through grinds via gravity), yields a delicious cup of HOT coffee, has a variable temperature hot place, and looks and feels solid. We happen to have stainless steel appliances (refrigerator, freezer, stove), and it matches beautifully. Best news excellent coffee!. I would highly recommend the Cuisinart.

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I've commented on others' reviews, but wanted to get this up there where people can see it readily. I liked this coffee maker a LOT since I got it just over a year ago. It has a few little quirks, which you'll read about in other reviews, but made good coffee and I hadn't had any problems with it. UNTIL last week. It auto-brewed like normal and my husband had taken his coffee and left the pot with the remaining coffee (2-3 cups worth) for me to drink later. I came into the kitchen perhaps 20 minutes after the brewing to find the pot BOILING...literally, a HARD, rolling boil, there was a little smoke and the kitchen smelled like burning wires. I cringe every time I think of what "could" have happened if I hadn't been there! I removed the pot, unplugged the unit, and poured water into the reservoir in hopes of cooling it down which worked.

I was outside the return time for Amazon so I contacted Cuisinart to inquire about the 3-year limited warranty. They "normally" charge a $10 replacement fee, plus require you to pay to send the old unit back to them. They were willing to waive the $10 return fee, but I paid $9.95 to send the old one back. I haven't yet gotten the replacement, but after doing more research, I've decided that I don't feel safe using it. I've contacted the Consumer Products Safety Commission (1-800-698-2772) and suggest that anyone with a similar problem do so. I think that this coffee maker should be recalled.

I'm adding more here in hopes that this review gets refreshed and up to the top again! In addition, I've commented the following on another's review:

"I'm one of those who posted in an earlier posting about the fire hazard on this coffeemaker. I am SHOCKED that it is still being sold! People if you are looking at this coffeemaker, I suggest you keep looking. Yes, it makes great coffee and looks great, as many reviewers have said. However, please give more weight to the safety issues than the coffee or the looks. As far as I can tell there have been no injuries from this...but it seems just a matter of time. If you insist on this coffee maker, don't ever leave it alone on the stay warm setting!"

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Folks, this is one excellent coffee maker. I read the comments here and decided to get it even though some had complained of spillage when lifting the lid and also the coffee not being hot enough. Well I can tell you that when I lift the lid on mine, the water rolls to the back and then drips back into the machine on a nifty little lip attached to the back of the machine. It appears that Cuisinart has engineered a solution for the complaints of spilled water that some reviewers mention. Also, the coffee coming out of the carafe of my machine has steam drifting off of it, so it is plenty hot, another complaint that seems to have been remedied. There were also a couple of complaints about finger prints on the stainless and the small LED clock being hard to read, but let's be for real, all brushed stainless appliances will fingerprint and this is a very stylish coffee maker, not a kitchen clock(that's what your microwave is for! (wink)). Actually I think the Cuisinart guys intended the clock for autoprogramming functions and made it LED to match the stainless on the machine. And if you don't like the water filter, you don't have to use it. It is a nicety and can be readily found if you search the net for "dcc1200 water filter".

Enough defending complaints though. This machine makes superb coffee. It has the best carafe I have ever used(it will not spill a drop and it has a built-in plastic rim to keep you from busting it on the sink). It comes with a gold metal filter. Buy it and you will like it. And if for some strange reason you don't, then take it back. All jabs aside, this is an outstanding machine in form as well as function, and the people at Cuisinart obviously care what their customers think of their products. That means alot to me. How about you???

Review of PROCOM Blue Flame Vent Free Wall Heater - 30,000 BTU Output, 1000

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List Price: $219.99
Sale Price: $199.99
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I love this heater. I live in 1000 sq ft home, and this is my only source of heating. It does a fantastic job of keeping us warm. We are using natural gas and the hookup was easy. We can set the thermostat control and don't have to worry. I got a gas heater because of electrical problems and power outages in the winter. This was a good choice.

I like that is mounts on the wall, taking up no floor space.

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THIS IS a great heater. It heats the entire first floor which is 1300 sqft and then takes the chill off the upstairs also 1300sqft. On HI the main floor get to 74 or 75F. as the temp goes in the single digits it does not hold up as well. However keep in mind that the area is larger than what they estimate it heats. Go for it you won't regret it.

PS The only thing negative we found was that the wall above the heater gets very hot. Maybe thats because we did not get the fan.

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We live in greater Kansas City on the Kansas side. This heater is awesome. I have it in one corner of the basement, it is running right now. Low nightly temperatures this winter & late fall have dipped down into the mid teens and at bedtime we run only this heater. It heats 3 floors of our two story home. The house has never been so toasty.

A fantastic heater at a great price.

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My ProCom red flame vent free wall heater is 25,000 BTU but heats up to 1,000 sq. ft. and throws out a lot of heat almost instantly. I've installed mine on the legs rather than the wall and am very happy with it.

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I bought this heater to replace an old infra red one that was about 30 years old. This new Pro Com heater is rated at 30,000 BTUs and heats up the entire house with the thermostat set on only 2 or 3 with 5 being maximum. I am glad I got a radiant heater since it heats up the entire second floor of the house as well. I will no longer need to use the electric heater upstairs, which will save me substantially on the electric bill. I am trying to avoid using my inefficient gas furnace this year. It is forced hot air and the house always had cold spots. Let's see how this new heater does this winter! Note: my house is 1250 square feet.

Review of iHeater 1500 SQ FT Infrared Heater

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $379.00
Sale Price: $219.00
Today's Bonus: 42% Off

iHeater IH-1500 Quartz Infrared Heater Best Value on Amazon

I am very pleased with this product. It lives up to all they say about it, with possibly one exception. It costs more than a $1 a day to run. It did raise my electric bill considerably, but it lowered my gas bill as well. I've given it one less star than top rating because dealers are misrepresenting the cost to operate.

What is so great is that I was much more comfortable running this heater. It keeps my whole home (granted, a small home 1100 sq feet) warm. It is such a comfortable, even heat. Not like my forced air furnace which makes the room either too hot or too cold about 50% of the time. And the heat is even throughout the house, unlike the furnace where some rooms are too warm and some too cold. I don't feel the drafts as much, the air isn't dry and I don't have to run a humidifier. My furnace rarely kicks in.

It is hard to believe that a small compact unit can do such a big job and do it safely. Only the small output area gets hot. Having a remote and being easily programmable is a definite plus also.

I am so pleased I made this purchase.

Bobbie's Buttons and Bows

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I ordered one of these after I got a $460 power bill in this crazy winter in the mid-Atlantic region, after the power company raised their rates through the ceiling and I read the reviews on what an incredible innovation in heating this unit is. It's a nice space heater; looks great, great controls, very quiet, etc. But it is what it is a 1500 Watt space heater. It won't cut your electric bill in half, unless you're willing to freeze in the process. The hype is transparent to me now, and I could have spent a lot less for the same heating output, though it certainly wouldn't have been as nicely adorned wi5h features that are expensive but in the end add nothing to the real goal...staying warm cheaply!

Best Deals for iHeater 1500 SQ FT Infrared Heater

I had the opportunity to use two of these units. I had an area of about 500 square feet to cover and thought that this would work well at supplementing the heat from electric baseboard heating.

This heater works a little different in that it does not really increase the temperature of spaces. It is designed to maintain the temperature in a room after you have getten it high enough using your main heat sources. They said to leave it on continuously for two days to bring all of the surfaces up to temperature and then turn down your main heat source about 10 degrees and let the heater maintain the temperature.

Unfortunately, the heater was not able to maintain the temperature very long at all and the unit remained on all of the time so I was burning through about 36KWH per day just for the iHeater in addition to the cost of running the electric baseboard heat which ran quite a bit as well. In my application, the energy costs were actually higher for me than they were before using the iHeater. In addition, the heat was very uneven across the area being covered. The unit does not blow that much air through it so it has a real limited coverage area, and that was on the 1500 square foot setting.

This might work in a very small room but not in any larger spaces. I had much greater hopes for this product than it was able to deliver on.

Honest reviews on iHeater 1500 SQ FT Infrared Heater

We recently had 2 of the 1500 model iHeaters bought for us as gifts from my parents. After getting them I looked at some of the reviews online and never really felt like I got very good information. At least I never saw anything written on how to actually use the heaters... I understood the concept -"your central heat doesn't turn on as much and therefore you save money". Made sense to me but what were the best settings to use? What should I expect? Etc...

Here's some background which should be useful:

This particular house I'm heating is a double-wide trailer, therefore it doesn't have Pella windows and isn't insulated like a brick & mortar home "should" be. We live in the mountains of Western NC. When we moved into this home the previous owner had just installed a brand new propane-powered central heating unit -it is NICE and it puts out the warmest heat I've felt from any central unit. The unit was so new that last winter was its first winter to actually be used. Last winter my parents were living with us, and as many people getting up in their years, they were both cold-blooded -so all winter they kept the thermostat at 72 degrees. 72 degrees meant that we paid somewhere around $500 every 6 weeks for propane! My parents moved out last spring and got us the 2 iHeaters to try this winter -paying $500 every 6 weeks for propane (excluding any electric bills) seemed ridiculous! I guess they figured that anything could help and nothing could hurt, so why not an iHeater (or 2).

Open the Box, Read the Directions:

At first the iHeaters seemed nothing more than "Ok". I got them when it was still warm outside and I was undoubtedly prejudging them. Mine are the fake wood models which I didn't find all that aesthetically pleasing. They didn't seem to put on a very "warm" heat in comparison to a ceramic heater. I needed to remember that the iHeater wasn't a ceramic heater and was actually meant to save money, which the hot-heat of a ceramic does not do. I thought the remote was cool and the back lighting looked good. I have 2 young children and these seemed very safe, which is important. I liked the fact the iHeaters are on rollers. For some reason I really like the oversized power button on the back of the unit. I needed to hold off on most of my judgments until I got them into action during the winter.

As I stated above, I didn't really know how to set them or what to expect. The directions that come with the iHeaters are no help. As an example, one of the iHeater settings says: "Small Room/Medium Room/Large Room". The only thing the directions tell you about these settings is that they are on the unit and can be controlled by the remote... What do they actually do? What is considered a small room and what is considered a large room? You have to find that out on your own I suppose. I honestly still don't exactly know what these buttons are for. I don't know if changing the room size setting changes the angle of the heat exiting the iHeater. I thought changing the room size setting might change the fan speed, but the best I can tell, it doesn't. Perhaps it somehow changes the fan setting or heat setting to use less electricity? I just have no idea...

One of the 2 iHeater units that we got has an extremely loud fan (in comparison to the other model 1500) and will have to be sent back to be fixed before the 1-year warranty runs out. If I didn't know how quiet the other unit was I would think it is normal (meaning it is not unbearable or anything). The unit that has the quiet fan is extremely quiet -you can hardly tell it is running. I returned my warranty cards and registered online with iHeater as soon as I got the unit out and realized how loud the fan was in comparison to the other unit. The faulty fan allowed me the opportunity to call iHeater and speak with their customer service. The young lady I spoke with had no accent and sounded young. Since it had been over a month since I registered the warranty she was able to pull up my information from their system easily. I have to admit that I was not very impressed with iHeaters customer service representative, at all, but between her coughing and gagging into her headset (and my ear!), she gave me the information I needed. It definitely seemed like talking to me on the phone was the last thing on her mind. It was almost comical how disinterested she was. I literally thought of the Discovery card "This is Peggy" commercial. Heh.

FIY: iHeater simply told me to box the unit back up and ship it to their Indianapolis, Indiana facility. They had pretty specific directions about how to box and ship the unit. I was told that I would have to pay to ship it to them and they would either fix it or replace it and get it back to me. I have since decided that I would keep the loud-fanned unit for this winter before sending it back. I simply am saving too much money to lose it for no telling how long (in the middle of winter).

Winter is Here! Running the IHeater:

One of the keys to using the iHeater is finding the right thermostat level between your central heat thermostat and your iHeater thermostat settings (the sweet spot). We found that if the central heat is set at 68 degrees the iHeaters (2 running at the same time in different parts of the house) will put out enough heat that our central heat will not kick on AT ALL, all night long. Sometimes the central heat will kick on 3 or 4 times first thing in the morning, but that's it. This example is when the outside temperature daytime highs are around 32 degrees Fahrenheit and the nighttime lows are from 10 15 degrees Fahrenheit.

Again, we have 2 iHeaters so we had to find the right thermostat level for EACH iHeater unit. One is set at 77 degrees and one is set at 72 degrees. With the discrepancy in settings between units this may mean that one of them is giving a faulty thermostat reading -not sure. There is also a big difference between the iHeater thermostat and the central heat thermostat -not sure why? At any rate, with these settings (77 & 72) both units will kick on and off if the daytime highs are in the high 30s and above. If the daytime highs outside are in the low 30s, both units will pretty much run all day long; however, the central heat thermostat level will not fall below 68 degrees and therefore the central heat unit will not engage, at all. The iHeaters are heating the entire house on their own to 68 degrees.

If my central heat's thermostat is set on 69 degrees the central heat will still turn on and off all night long. I'm not sure if the central heat runs as often, or not; however, I can for certain say that it runs on multiple times each hour. Again, while running the iHeaters the central heating unit does not turn on at all, but there is a big difference with the central heat between what happens at 68 degrees verses what happens at 69 degrees. 68 degrees is the "sweet spot" that you want to look for if you have an iHeater -the temperature where your central unit does not cycle. I submit that if I had better insulation and windows the "sweet spot" would be 70 or above. I would expect that the cost savings would greatly increase, too.

As winter approached I paid close attention to my electric bills and to my propane level. The propane tank started the winter in October at 41% full. At the beginning of December (after 2 months of weather cold enough to use the central heat, and one month of weather cold enough to use the central heat all day long every day) the propane reading was 37% full. So I only used 4% of the propane in the tank during October and November. Our usual "summer" electric bill was around $100 per month. Our November electric bill was $160. Obviously the iHeaters used quite a bit of electricity ($30 a day to be exact); however, the enormous savings in propane easily offset any electric costs (I really need the electric bills from last November -my guess is that the bill was close to $150 just powering the central heating unit). I suspect that the electric bill will go up substantially in December since the iHeaters are running more often. As I mentioned, when the outside temperatures are at or below 32 degrees Fahrenheit all day long, the iHeaters pretty much run all day, nonstop.

We are more than happy with the cost savings, so far. I feel that if I had better windows, doors and better insulation I could save much more money, but I'm not going to fault iHeater for the construction practices of trailer manufacturers. I figure you know something is good when directly out of the box it is not running like it should -which leads you to find out that the customer service is laughable -not only do those things not bother you, but you wouldn't give the item up for the world because you are saving so much money by using it!

Sam

Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for iHeater 1500 SQ FT Infrared Heater

Lat year, I bought the i-heater for the first floor of my house, to cut down on fuel costs. It lowered my oil bills considerably, and did not significantly raise my electric bill. It was quiet, easily portable, and heated about 1500 sq feet rather well, considering that I have several rooms coming off a central hallway,and not one large open space.It heated all the rooms evenly, without drying the air and without hot and cold spots.

This winter I put it in the basement, which has no heat, after my pipes froze leading to the bathrooms on the second floor. Since it has been running, I have had no further problems with the plumbing.

An electric heat pump warms the second floor, but in 10-20 degree weather, it has been working very hard, almost constantly since my oil furnace shut down this past week.When the i-heater is on, the heat pump almost never kicks on.

Because of this, I am ordering another i-heater for the first floor and another for another property where the electric bill was about $800. this past month. I know that this heater will help lower that cost considerably.

I have paid almost $2,000. in oil bills so far this winter. I intend to use the i-heaters (2) to eliminate that cost entirely.

Like someone else, I only gave it a four rating because it does not run on a dollar a day, but since it will save me at least 100-500 per month in heating costs, I think that anyone would agree that it is an almost indispensable purchase.

Given that my furnace shut off on Friday afternoon during a snow storm in weather in the teens, it was, as I said, a life saver that weekend.

By the way, I have a neighbor whose furnace broke down and needed it replaced. I lent her mine for a couple of weeks and it kept her house warm until she could get that done. It is amazing that such a small machine can do such a good job.

If you want a hot room, this machine is not for you, but if you want a less expensive, portable and reliable heating source, I don't know of anything better.

Discount ChiliPad - Cooling/Heating Mattress Pad

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $599.00
Sale Price: $499.00
Today's Bonus: 17% Off

I purchased a dual-zone King sized Chilipad about 1 1/2 years ago. Previously I would often waking up sweating at night, even if the room was cool. The Chilipad has helped significantly. I generally sleep cooler, and wake up less.

Unfortunately, this a great idea in need of some further engineering and refinement, and I am not so happy with the quality. After 1 1/2 years of use, here are my observations:

-The pad never quite gets as cool as I would like. After a couple of hours, its noticeably cool. But I wish it would get a bit cooler. Sometimes when the room is too warm, the unit cant keep up and I still wake up hot.

-The lights and controls on the cooling units need to be thought out better. I would be much happier with a simple on/off switch for maximum cooling... without the bright lights and the loud beeping. The lights on the top of the cooling units are extremely bright; I have to place a shoe or something on top of each unit in order to darken the room. The unit beeps quite loudly every time you turn it on or make an adjustment, which is distracting if someone else is already in bed sleeping. To set the unit for cooling, you have to first push the on button, which beeps loudly, then hold down the temp button for a few moments til you get to the lowest temp, and then you can finally set the temp. Its an unnecessarily long and loud process. If the unit is bumped when its running then it shuts down and resets, and you have to go through all the button pushing and beeping again.

-My pad recently developed a leak, which caused a big wet spot to form. I spoke to Becky in their customer service department, and she said that LEAKS are NOT covered under their "2 year warranty". She says that if it develops a leak, even under normal use and during the warranty period, you have to pay $90 for a new pad. So I paid the $90.

-One of my two cooling units recently stopped cooling. It would power on... bright lights, loud beeping and everything... but it would not cool. As a result, one half of the pad would not work. I had to ship the cooling unit back to them for a repair, which was completed promptly and it works fine now.

I hope they re-design this product in the future and fix some of these issues. When its working right, its pretty good. In spite of my frustrations with it, I would probably buy it again. I think it has the potential to be a great item if they come out with a higher quality version.

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I have been using the chili pad for about a week now, after reading a pretty good review on gizmodo I decided to give it a try.

It advertises itself as being able to reach a temperature as low as 46 F, the lowest It's gone is around 59, which would be fair if it didn't go up to 70 as soon as you lie down on it, and it takes around 2 hours for the thing to reach this temperature. So you can forget about turning it on as soon as you lie down. This is on an Air conditioned room at around 67 F.

I called the company and they told me that to use a really thick blanket to trap the air. I was already doing that. They also told me to make sure that the control unit had at least 24 inches on all sides of cleared space, which it did since I actually read the manual.

What made me a little angry was the Rep's attitude towards me. After I told her I had tried all of those tips, she instantly told me that they offer a 90 day money back guarantee. I kept telling her that I just wanted to see if I didn't have a faulty unit since some reviews on amazon stated that the unit worked pretty well and cooled really fast (including the gizmodo review), and again she insisted on the money back guarantee. I mean, I want to like the product and give it a fair chance but she assured me that it's working correctly even though its performance is sub-par.

So I have mixed feelings about this. If it would get near the temp its advertised to reach (46) quickly and maintained it, then I would rate it 5 stars immediately, but since the rep told me that my unit was working correctly without even attempting to troubleshoot it somehow or ask me to send it back, then it gets only 2 stars from me.

It's a very expensive product, at the very least I would expect decent customer service. I didn't get this for pleasure either, I got this for my mom who experiences hot flashes and can't sleep well at night.

Since there are no videos of this thing on youtube, i'm thinking of creating a video to film the Temp indicator and show that the whole setup is done according to the manual and demonstrate how long it takes to cool and how it does not reach the advertised temperature. I will update it when I have it.

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Let me start by saying, yes, I understand it's expensive, HOWEVER, in the 2 months I've had it, my heating bill is already lower, and I can see that with winter and summer heating bill savings, it will end up paying for itself.

The temperature control is fantastic!!! If your body heats up at night, the chili-pad will cool you down, and if you cool off, it will heat you up. It will heat or cool to the temperature you set it too, so you stay comfortable all night!

I really LOVE the dual zone. I sleep at 73degrees (winter temperature), and my girlfriend sleeps at 80. We both sleep ALL night in a deep, restful sleep. Both of us can set our own temperature to whatever makes us comfortable.

Review I read before I bought this product talked about the 'noise' made by the fan from the control unit.

After turning both sides on, I could not believe that anyone would complain about it. It's barely even a whisper!! I put the two control units at the foot of my bed, and it sounds like a small fan on in an adjacent room. There is a separate remote for each side, so you don't even have to get out of bet to turn it up, down, off, or set the sleep timer.

They say to use distilled water, and it holds a surprisingly small amount of water. You have to top the water off about every 2 weeks or so.

My dog and cat also sleep on the bed. I was slightly concerned about what their claws could do, but I turns out that the tubing is well protected inside the chili-pad so no worries about the pets!

This product has FAR surpassed my expectations!!! I work nights, so I can't wait to see how cool it keeps me in the summer, while I sleep during the day! I would highly recommend this to anyone who wants a better more restful sleep!!!!

Honest reviews on ChiliPad - Cooling/Heating Mattress Pad

I have also owned my Chilipad for a year. Based on my experience, I would say the other reviews so far are accurate.

PROS

Definitely cools the mattress. The area under the sleeper still heats up but you can roll over and find a cooler spot.

Cooler sleep temp allows the user to run ambient AC slightly warmer and save on cooling costs.

Can work as a heating pad too.

Pad can be washed.

CONS

Noisy (about the noise level of an ocillating fan).

Bright control unit lights, which can be irritating in a dark room.

Works better when new, cools less efficiently as it gets older. Cooling temp never reaches as low as advertised. Lowest temp depends on ambient air temp might not get below 70 in a very warm room.

Weird pressure points, you can definitely feel the tubes inside the pad.

Bottom line: It did not eliminate my insomnia and night sweats but did reduce their intensity. I recommend combining the Chilipad with a cooling pillow for maximum effectiveness. Would I buy this again knowing what I know now? It's expensive, but yes, probably.

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I bought this product less than a year ago and was stunned to find that it was leaking badly. Had I not encased my very expensive new mattress in plastic as I did when I first purchased it a year ago, my new mattress would be ruined and full of mold. That's a lot of loss to bear for any consumer. Most people do not use plastic around their mattresses, so for most people, having a product leak like this, could be catastrophic. I sleep alone and don't do gymnastics on my bed. No pets have access to my bedroom. I have treated this product with kid gloves from day one (I did not even wash it when it first arrived for fear of damaging the tubing). I even use a mattress pad over the Chilipad just to give myself added protection between myself and this extremely expensive product. I am well under the weight limit and can't think of any reason whatsoever that would make this product leak.

Like most people, I do not wash my mattress pad as often as I do my sheets, so there was no way to pinpoint when this started. It may have been leaking all along to some degree, and I just didn't notice it as the mattress pad on top of it was absorbing it until it began leaking badly enough to seep through and leave everything wet. I was horrified as I took apart all my bedding and found that everything was wet beneath me (including another protective sheet I had around the plastic that encases my mattress)! The plastic around my mattress was wet and that means that my new mattress would have been destroyed had I not had it encased in plastic, and after experiencing their customer service, I would have been left to my own devices for that as well!

They do not cover leakage of their own product! What good is a warranty if it does not cover any leaks, which is a huge issue! After reading some of the other reviews regarding this exact same issue, I am truly horrified that they force us to buy a new pad! Because my mattress has memory foam inside, and becomes insufferably hot, I felt hostage to having to shell out the money or live with the heat (and lose the huge investment I made in purchasing this unit). I paid nearly $700.00 for this contraption and they leave you on your own if it leaks! That's ludicrous!

The icing on the cake was the mold that had been slowly growing all over this pad that I have owned for less than a year and was extremely careful with! There is nothing acceptable about this situation as it is a serious health hazard, and after reading other reviews with people stating that they are having the exact same issue as well, the company should have already gone back to the drawing board by now and rectified this issue (as well as cheerfully refunding the people who have had this problem, sending them a new pad for free, and praying that they don't sue)! God only knows what laying on this mold has done to my health! They act as if it's a mere inconvenience and have the audacity to ask you to pay for a new pad!

The above is my personal opinion on this product. I would not recommend it under these circumstances. Condensation is one thing, but this kind of leakage can actually be dangerous. Either reinforce these pads with safer enclosures or use tougher, flexible, silicone in place of what is currently being used (better still-do both). This should have been fully covered, (and with this many people complaining about leaks, they should have already gone back to the drawing board on this).

Mr. Heater F270320 MH125KTR Contractor 125,000-BTU Forced-Air Review

Customer Ratings:
List Price: $537.57
Sale Price: $325.22
Today's Bonus: 40% Off

Good product. Only needed to run 3 hours on diesel when it got really cold. Puts out fumes but that was to be expected.

We may try kerosene next winter, if we can find it!

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Looks high quality, packaged well.

One neat feature we did not except was the unit iself (the black part) is cool to the touch even while its blowing out MASSIVE heat. We are pleased with this purchase and the temperature thermostat works well and is pretty responsive. It is noisy, but to be expected with the amount of heat/pressure. We have had temperatures in the 0 to 20 degree range and on the lowest setting it keeps our shop around 57 degrees. We could heat it up to 80 if we wanted to pretty quick, but are being conservative with the diesel fuel we are using to keep costs down. We went through 2 heaters before we found this one, we will keep it!!

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I purchased this heater last winter and it worked very good. This year it won't start, spark is ok but no fuel coming up into combustion chamber. After some tinkering with the heater it eventually went to the junk yard.

Honest reviews on Mr. Heater F270320 MH125KTR Contractor 125,000-BTU Forced-Air

I use this to heat my uninsulated 24x40 shop. Its loud, its noisy but man does it make it warm. Down side is finding that I have to leave a door cracked to keep from getting light headed from exhaust fumes.

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This heater heated my 30X50ft garage in the winter

with no problem. I burn #1 fuel oil in it and it does not

give off any odor.

I like the idea of a built in thermostat and also a pump

pressure gauge. It is a bit noisy and does like its fuel

but all in all I would recommend it to anyone.