Infrared Heating: A green, lower cost space heater alternative. REVIEW of Redcore Concept R1

[YJ02]

I looked on it and it is made in China...but so what? I dont really care. Apple buyers dont seem to have a problem with their iPhones, iPads and MacBooks being made in China. This thing has gotten good reviews, and I can PERSONALLY vouch for its performance and excellent energy efficiency. I am very pleased with it. The only moving part in it is the fan. And like you said, I dont need the $20.00 and would gladly have paid $200.00 for it. This thing is already saving me money.

Not buying energy star is un-american; buying chinese made is

By the way, they must be getting quite popular, I was at WM today and they have 4 different sized heaters that are infared quartz stuff. Price ranges from $89 to $169. They do look a bit cheaper then yours though

 

[YJ02]

More goodness...I mentioned before that the housing on this heater is plastic because it does not get hot. In reality, this thing is 100% pet and baby proof and you can touch any exposed part of it while it is running and set to heat at 90°. My cats love it, my plants love it, my fish love it, I love it, everybody wins. . Also, I have started noticing that some restaurants with patios are now using these instead of the heat towers they normally use with a propane tank. They are usually wall mounted.

Yong spoke earlier about these being good for only zone heating...that is EXACTLY what they are good for, and this is a good thing if you have a large home, and dont want to waste money and energy heating the entire place. I have a medium sized apartment and this easily heats the entire apartment. Also, since air is not heated, the energy loss experienced with using gas heating (or conventional electric heating) because the heated air escapes under doors and heat leaks, infrared heating does not. You can even open your doors and windows and still be completely warm.

Not saying zone heating is bad, its not, its quite efficient. Just saying that even for zone heating, up here you would need a bit more, or just a bigger version of same.

 

[Overmind One]

Not buying energy star is un-american; buying chinese made is

By the way, they must be getting quite popular, I was at WM today and they have 4 different sized heaters that are infared quartz stuff. Price ranges from $89 to $169. They do look a bit cheaper then yours though

LMAO...I dont care where things are made, and I have absolutely no brand loyalty notions which are connected to my patriotism. You are not going to find a halogen based or quartz infrared based heater for $89.00 anywhere, even online. You should look closely at the technology on the box. Infrared heaters will prominently feature "cool to the touch", and will specifically mention the extreme energy savings. Speaking of Walmart, one of the reasons I do not shop there is because of how they blight neighborhoods and also the fact that 100% of everything they carry is made in China. Not that I care...my Apple MacBook Pro is also made in China.

The infrared heaters listed at Walmart are here:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Dr.-Heater-USA-1500W-Dual-System-Portable-Quartz-Infrared-Heater/17153162

These are true infrared heaters, and the best of that lot are the ones made by Dr. Heater. Walmart does not carry Redcore infrared heaters. You would have to go to Best Buy for one.

EDIT: I found this cheapie one online at Walmart for $79.00, but I would not consider buying it:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/InfraLife-100-PTC-Infrared-Radiant-Heat-Space-Heater-Brown-99710/21106934?action=product_interest&action_type=image&placement_id=irs_middle&strategy=PWVUB&visitor_id=54732289648&category=0:1072864:133032:1085403&client_guid=37861d9f-6902-459e-aea8-7af43e7987c9&config_id=2&parent_item_id=17153162&guid=b0719f90-1da3-43d0-8fd5-87ea627cd2c9&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&findingMethod=p13n

That little guy will not heat more than about 600 sq feet. The Redcore heats over 1000 sq feet easily.

 

[YJ02]

LMAO...I dont care where things are made, and I have absolutely no brand loyalty notions which are connected to my patriotism. You are not going to find a halogen based or quartz infrared based heater for $89.00 anywhere, even online. You should look closely at the technology on the box. Infrared heaters will prominently feature "cool to the touch", and will specifically mention the extreme energy savings. Speaking of Walmart, one of the reasons I do not shop there is because of how they blight neighborhoods and also the fact that 100% of everything they carry is made in China. Not that I care...my Apple MacBook Pro is also made in China.

The infrared heaters listed at Walmart are here:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Dr.-Heater-USA-1500W-Dual-System-Portable-Quartz-Infrared-Heater/17153162

These are true infrared heaters, and the best of that lot are the ones made by Dr. Heater. Walmart does not carry Redcore infrared heaters. You would have to go to Best Buy for one.

EDIT: I found this cheapie one online at Walmert for $79.00, but I would not consider buying it:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/InfraLife-100-PTC-Infrared-Radiant-Heat-Space-Heater-Brown-99710/21106934?action=product_interest&action_type=image&placement_id=irs_middle&strategy=PWVUB&visitor_id=54732289648&category=0:1072864:133032:1085403&client_guid=37861d9f-6902-459e-aea8-7af43e7987c9&config_id=2&parent_item_id=17153162&guid=b0719f90-1da3-43d0-8fd5-87ea627cd2c9&bucket_id=irsbucketdefault&findingMethod=p13n

That little guy will not heat more than about 600 sq feet. The Redcore heats over 1000 sq feet easily.

Just SAYING (Geez! Mr defensive hey? ) That the "genre" of this heater type must be catching on othewise WALMART wouldn't bother selling any of them at any price point.

 

[Overmind One]

Just SAYING (Geez! Mr defensive hey? ) That the "genre" of this heater type must be catching on othewise WALMART wouldn't bother selling any of them at any price point.

Sorry! I wasn't being touchy, I was just saying that Walmart is probably not going to have the better ones, but I looked at some of the ones they are selling that they have good reviews. Mine is made in China too, so I am not sure why they are not at Walmart. But you can get one like mine on Amazon for only $119.00 now. Price dropped! There now ones with a Camo or woodgrained plastic case instead of the black one I have. The biggest reason to buy one of these is energy savings. My Winter heating is already HALF of what it was this time last year, but we are not in the truly cold part of it yet. For here, that means below 45°. Before, I could heat the house with those cheap Holmes ceramic space heaters, and they made the air stuffy, which made you want to open a window, which allowed the heated air to escape, etc. It was a vicious, uncomfortable circle.

The infrared heater will turn your walls and most of the objects in your home into radiators. Very low energy radiators of heat which is healthy and clean, and since the air is not heated you can open a window or door and you will remain warm. The energy savings is incredible. I can see that it is drawing much less kilowatt hours than the other heaters which I still have in comparison. This, coupled with using LED lighting throughout my home instead of incandescent or florescent, is saving me lots of cash.

 

[shavedape]

Not to thread drift here but I've recently been looking into the business of importing wholesale goods from China. I didn't know that just anyone could do it until recently. I've always heard that China has tons of factories but man oh man, when I looked into the various stuff that any Joe with money can buy and import it was mind blowing! Plus there's the ability to design and brand your own stuff too, all for much cheaper than anywhere else in the world.
Of course there's more to it than just placing an order willy nilly, like establishing a relationship with a trustworthy supplier (and not getting ripped off), but that is all something that one works on over time. At any rate, it's fascinating when you delve into it and really opens your eyes to so many things. Truly, truly fascinating. Check out these links for info on how it's done via the average Joe:

http://www.startupbros.com/how-you-...ng-from-china-the-rise-and-fall-of-my-empire/

http://www.alibaba.com/


*The "alibaba" link is to a nexus for Chinese companies and the products they offer, which you can also contract with to brand your own stuff. I posted it just for entertainment purposes and don't recommend that anyone invest money in any products via that method until they fully understand what they're doing. It is a fun site to surf though when you type in various stuff that you're interested in. Keep in mind that it's the large scale site but I think there's a site that handles smaller, more individual MOQ (minimum order quantity) stuff.

 

[Gatefan1976]

Not to thread drift here but I've recently been looking into the business of importing wholesale goods from China. I didn't know that just anyone could do it until recently. I've always heard that China has tons of factories but man oh man, when I looked into the various stuff that any Joe with money can buy and import it was mind blowing! Plus there's the ability to design and brand your own stuff too, all for much cheaper than anywhere else in the world.
Of course there's more to it than just placing an order willy nilly, like establishing a relationship with a trustworthy supplier (and not getting ripped off), but that is all something that one works on over time. At any rate, it's fascinating when you delve into it and really opens your eyes to so many things. Truly, truly fascinating. Check out these links for info on how it's done via the average Joe:

http://www.startupbros.com/how-you-...ng-from-china-the-rise-and-fall-of-my-empire/

http://www.alibaba.com/


*The "alibaba" link is to a nexus for Chinese companies and the products they offer, which you can also contract with to brand your own stuff. I posted it just for entertainment purposes and don't recommend that anyone invest money in any products via that method until they fully understand what they're doing. It is a fun site to surf though when you type in various stuff that you're interested in. Keep in mind that it's the large scale site but I think there's a site that handles smaller, more individual MOQ (minimum order quantity) stuff.

My "uncle" (family friend, not blood) built a company doing exactly that Shaved, and he started a little later than you (he started in his late 40's / early 50's). Essentially, he found a niche market, imported raw materials in bulk and with 4 people in a warehouse built the business.
It can be done dude, and if you have contacts in the industry you want to enter into, easier than you may think.

 

[shavedape]

My "uncle" (family friend, not blood) built a company doing exactly that Shaved, and he started a little later than you (he started in his late 40's / early 50's). Essentially, he found a niche market, imported raw materials in bulk and with 4 people in a warehouse built the business.
It can be done dude, and if you have contacts in the industry you want to enter into, easier than you may think.

The biggest issue would be marketing whatever product I imported. That's where it gets tricky.

 

[YJ02]

Sorry! I wasn't being touchy, I was just saying that Walmart is probably not going to have the better ones, but I looked at some of the ones they are selling that they have good reviews. Mine is made in China too, so I am not sure why they are not at Walmart. But you can get one like mine on Amazon for only $119.00 now. Price dropped! There now ones with a Camo or woodgrained plastic case instead of the black one I have. The biggest reason to buy one of these is energy savings. My Winter heating is already HALF of what it was this time last year, but we are not in the truly cold part of it yet. For here, that means below 45°. Before, I could heat the house with those cheap Holmes ceramic space heaters, and they made the air stuffy, which made you want to open a window, which allowed the heated air to escape, etc. It was a vicious, uncomfortable circle.

The infrared heater will turn your walls and most of the objects in your home into radiators. Very low energy radiators of heat which is healthy and clean, and since the air is not heated you can open a window or door and you will remain warm. The energy savings is incredible. I can see that it is drawing much less kilowatt hours than the other heaters which I still have in comparison. This, coupled with using LED lighting throughout my home instead of incandescent or florescent, is saving me lots of cash.

I am pretty sure the WM stuff is chinese--but again, it is still designed in America

How much on avg did you pay for those LED's? I haven't paid attn to them for awhile..

 

[Overmind One]

I am pretty sure the WM stuff is chinese--but again, it is still designed in America

How much on avg did you pay for those LED's? I haven't paid attn to them for awhile..

At IKEA, the LED torchiere (totally bendable and really bright cause it has a magnifier) was only $29.99 per lamp.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90214214/

I aim mine at the ceiling and bounce the (very very bright) light off the ceiling to get perfect indirect light. I have 6 of them, plus the desk lamp versions ($only 9.99) for my working areas.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/20169658/

Each of these takes only 3.0 watts of energy and are 85% less power to operate than an incandescent bulb. They take even less than a flourescent bulb like those CFL squiggly bulbs which take 25 watts. . I am using the Dioder programmable ambient colored lighting for my plants and mood lighting:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50192365/

I have these mounted to the back of my big 55" TV and they light the walls and shelves of my entertainment unit. I use the round version to light the cat trees. Each set of four light units and the controller are $29.00 each.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80192378/

All of them TOGETHER when lit equal the amount of energy that one single halogen desk lamp used to take. All of this translates to a fraction of my energy costs of last year. . Even my fish tank lighting I converted with new LED lighting heads, and not only do I get twice as much light (also dimmable), but they have a cooler light spectrum.

 

[Overmind One]

The last element of my new super efficient home energy scenario involves digital timers. I have all of my interior auxiliary lighting on timers now. This would be the fish tanks, the LED lamps, and my nightstand lamps (also LED). The torchiere lights have foot switches so I will still use them manually. I usually turn them off when I am watching a movie, so no timer for them. I also burn tea lights (candles) a lot. I have been doing that for a while, since before I moved to this place. But now...I make them myself. I bought some soy wax and 1000 tealight wicks from Amazon, and I actually make them myself now. I bought some sandalwood scent oil for them, and that is saving me about $10.00/month. I was buying them for $5.00 per 50 tealights, now I am making them for half that amount by making my own. These savings are starting to really add up!

 

[YJ02]

The last element of my new super efficient home energy scenario involves digital timers. I have all of my interior auxiliary lighting on timers now. This would be the fish tanks, the LED lamps, and my nightstand lamps (also LED). The torchiere lights have foot switches so I will still use them manually. I usually turn them off when I am watching a movie, so no timer for them. I also burn tea lights (candles) a lot. I have been doing that for a while, since before I moved to this place. But now...I make them myself. I bought some soy wax and 1000 tealight wicks from Amazon, and I actually make them myself now. I bought some sandalwood scent oil for them, and that is saving me about $10.00/month. I was buying them for $5.00 per 50 tealights, now I am making them for half that amount by making my own. These savings are starting to really add up!

How much does a typical LED "bulb" run? Say like one that would replace a 60w standard or CFL bulb?

Hey! You better watch out burning all that soy releasing all of that phytoestrogen into the air..you may wake up one morning a changed man

Kidding!

 

[Backstep]

How much does a typical LED "bulb" run? Say like one that would replace a 60w standard or CFL bulb?

Hey! You better watch out burning all that soy releasing all of that phytoestrogen into the air..you may wake up one morning a changed man

Kidding!

http://ecoleds.com/PR03.html

 

[YJ02]

http://ecoleds.com/PR03.html

So the price hasn't changed much then-high cost of initial purchase with a long life span.

I went all CFL (not for any environmental reason but I get tired of replacing and buying bulbs) about 7 yrs ago and the only ones I replaced were 2 that got hit by moving stuff around in the basement. other then that, they are still going strong.

Even use them in the chicken coop.

 

[Overmind One]

I thought it time to update this thread again, since I am using the same infrared heater from Red Core (the R1) I bought two years ago. I am basking in the comfortable heat of it as I type this, while it is 56 degrees outside (that is cold for California). Every kilowatt hour, the heater is burning around 800w - 1500w (depending on the temp you set it at). The OP says more about it. The model I chose is here, the Red Core R1 which heats 1000 sqft and comes with a remote. It cost me $149.00 on Amazon and in the two years I have had it I have saved hundreds of dollars on winter heating and my SCE charts prove it. I LOVE IT. It is still working as well as when it was new, just like it did last year.

The way these heaters heat is so cool. I believe a few of you here are using these? I think Shaved said he was using an Eden? They all work the same (infrared only). They heat very quickly when you are in front of them. Pretty much instant heat (because the air is not being heated, you are being irradiated with far infrared light. This light is invisible, but it acts like any light does, and can be bounced off walls. Infrared will heat all of the denser objects in the room. The denser the object, the more heat it will retain. So, after heating your room with the IR heater for about a half hour, you can turn it off and the objects in the room will radiate heat for a long time afterwards. And bodies are dense too. My cats love the IR heater!

One of the important features of far infrared heaters is that they are cool to the touch. This means great safety for pets, children and wood or other flammables. They all usually have tip over switches to turn them off if tipped. That grille you see on the heater is actually fabric, and you can touch it while it is glowing red like in the picture and it is cool. The housing is black plastic on mine, but there are woodgrain, camouflage and a variety of solid and artistic color finishes. I found that it fit neatly within one of the Ikea storage modules I have which also doubles as a cat perch. The square opening was just right for it.

I highly recommend these infrared heaters. Not just the Red Core, but the many others out there. Look for a range of heating from 60 degrees to 90 or 85 degrees (the Red Core is 60-90). A comprehensive comparison of most of them (except the Red Core) is here:

http://www.spaceheatercenter.com/best-infrared-heater-reviews-guide/

The Red Core R1 now goes for about $179.00 at Best Buy , and for about $135.00 on Amazon. Any of these will do.

 

[Overmind One]

Not to thread drift here but I've recently been looking into the business of importing wholesale goods from China. I didn't know that just anyone could do it until recently. I've always heard that China has tons of factories but man oh man, when I looked into the various stuff that any Joe with money can buy and import it was mind blowing! Plus there's the ability to design and brand your own stuff too, all for much cheaper than anywhere else in the world.
Of course there's more to it than just placing an order willy nilly, like establishing a relationship with a trustworthy supplier (and not getting ripped off), but that is all something that one works on over time. At any rate, it's fascinating when you delve into it and really opens your eyes to so many things. Truly, truly fascinating. Check out these links for info on how it's done via the average Joe:

http://www.startupbros.com/how-you-...ng-from-china-the-rise-and-fall-of-my-empire/

http://www.alibaba.com/


*The "alibaba" link is to a nexus for Chinese companies and the products they offer, which you can also contract with to brand your own stuff. I posted it just for entertainment purposes and don't recommend that anyone invest money in any products via that method until they fully understand what they're doing. It is a fun site to surf though when you type in various stuff that you're interested in. Keep in mind that it's the large scale site but I think there's a site that handles smaller, more individual MOQ (minimum order quantity) stuff.

Update on this? I am interested in this as well. I have recently been establishing online merchant accounts with Chinese manufacturers of e-cigarette products, and I may try and sell other items too.

 

[Joelist]

I wonder how these work in colder climates and with brick structures?

 

[Overmind One]

I wonder how these work in colder climates and with brick structures?

They work AWESOME. If the brick is exposed inside, that is great because the IR rays heat the brick and they will radiate the absorbed heat back into the room after the heater is turned off. IR heating should be compared with sunlight.

The difference is that the air is not heated by the heater.

 

[Overmind One]

I've got a couple of those Edenpure quartz infrared heaters that I've been using for the past few Winters. They help a little bit to lower my heat bill but not as much as I'd like. Looking at the one you listed I'm thinking there's a design flaw in the Edenpure ones as they block the heating element from view and simply blow hot air thru the small top vent. They're also big and bulky and take up a lot of room on the floor. The noise is manageable but they do have a steady low rumble that is noticeable.

I gave one to an elderly neighbor who likes to keep her house temp at like 90 degrees. She is hard of hearing, so the rumble doesn't bother her.

Found it. Are you still using these? A few winters...that means you are very familiar with how these heaters work and how they feel. Still using them?

 

[shavedape]

Found it. Are you still using these? A few winters...that means you are very familiar with how these heaters work and how they feel. Still using them?

View attachment 32107

Yes, I've got one going in my living room right now. I gave the other one to an elderly relative who needed a heater that was easy to operate and posed a low fire hazard compared to standard heaters.