DeLonghi TRN0812T Portable Oil-Filled Radiator with Programmable Timer
by Delonghi
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of DeLonghi TRN0812T Portable Oil-Filled Radiator with Programmable Timer
Customer Review: Great Oil-filled Heater
Summary: 5 Stars
This is the second Delonghi oil heater that I purchased through Amazon & I am completely satisfied with both of them. (I also purchased the Delonghi HM25E Dragon Ultimate Oil Filled Radiator Heater purchased in 2005, twice the cost, twice the heater.)
I like the size of this smaller one a little more -- it fits better into the small space where I am using it. We use it in a 10' x 10' main bathroom. The room is not insulated (85 year old home) and gets almost no heat from the home's central heating system (radiated water heat).
I have used it every day this winter and found that it is more than adequate for this room, even on the coldest winter days. The temperature recently has dropped to -5 F overnight (Chicago) and I have the heater set on high to turn on 60-90 minutes before I get up. The bathroom is always nice and toasty in the AM, even though the exterior wall is cold to the touch.
I was concerned about the safety of using an electric heater in the bathroom because of electric shock and fire risk. No problem on either account. I recommend using a GFCI electric outlet to reduce the risk of electric shock; also, the oil-filled radiator does not build up an excessive amount of heat (as long as you don't cover it - keep it open so heat can radiate away from it).
The heater has on/off switches (one for high, one for low) and a electro-mechanical timer. You set the current time with the dial, then set the timer to turn on & off as much as you wish during the day. You can be accurate to within about 15-30 minutes. The unit must stay plugged in for it to keep accurate time. Electronic LED timers (like on the Delonghi Dragon) can be set more accurately, but usually have a limited number of on/off automatic settings (Dragon has a limit of 2).
This heater also has a "thermostat" of sorts. It doesn't give a temperature, just gives a min/max range of 1-6 (my other one goes to 11). A 6 setting for about an hour is necessary for a toasty 10x10 bathroom at 0 degrees F, while setting at 3 for an hour is sufficient at 32 degrees.
Energy consumption - my electric bill increased only about $8-10/mo from fall to winter, a small price to pay.
The heater is short (about 16-18 inches)& very stable, fits under my pedestal sink between the sink & tub - perfect spot. It gets hot to the touch, but not so that you (or a child) might burn yourself.
Customer Review: Instructions! The first time you start this heater....
Summary: 5 Stars
Take the heater to a room that you can close the door to and will not use for the next 24 hours- spare bedroom, bath, or garage. Before you plug it in- push all the red pins on the timer dial toward the center. This will prevent the heater from going on and off during your testing. You can program it later. Plug the cord in. Click both red switches to on and they will light up. Each switch controls a separate heating coil. If they do not light up, go to the black box on the power cord and press the red button. If you now have both switches light up, you have just solved the problems of over half who have written reviews saying the heater did not work. Rotate the temperature dial to the highest setting. Run the heater for 3 hours. There should be a lot of heat coming off the unit. If both switches are still red, the heater is working. You will smell the burn off but it is over at this point. Turn the switch for the hotter side off. You can continue the test in the room you want to run the heater in or leave it where it is. Turn the temperature dial down to a lower setting if you wish. It is better to run the unit on a low setting 24 hours a day than to have it going on and off. I found that I had to leave the door to the room open at setting #3 to keep it from getting too hot in my mountain home during the winter. I ran 3 of these units in my 2 story home all winter and the main furnace hardly kicked on. They cost about $20 more a month in electricity compared to gas. Not bad. I bought 7 of these units. I left each on for a month. I then boxed it up and tried the next one. I had one quit after 2 weeks and got a replacement. Once a room has been at a constant temperature for several days it does not take much to keep it there. If you want a warm bathroom, leave it on a low setting and crack the door. The excess heat will warm your hall and other rooms over time. The bath will stay warm no matter when you use it. Timers are a weak spot and they will fail before the heater is worn out. Its your money. Other than a factory defect-like the one I had- most of the complaints are because the people did not follow these steps. The manufacturer failed to explain these details.Customer Review: Delonghi oil electric heater
Summary: 5 Stars
I discovered these heaters at a garage sale and I purchased one for my daughters bedroom which is usually freezing in the winter. Her room is the only room now insulated in the whole house as no one ever insulated it when it was changed from a milk house to an underground house. She turns the heater on in her room for around 2-3 hours and then turns it off and it keeps the room fair throughout the night. That was when I started doing research on oil filled heaters against other heaters since propane has not done the job for our house that it should be and also lack of funds come into play. I decided to try 3 more of these heaters and wow what a difference in being warm. The heater works great, has saved some money on the gas bill and keeps the area warm where I need it. I also put it in the bathroom when I went to take a shower, usually I freeze in there but I was toasty warm. This particular unit has a special plug to use in damper places so that was why I purchased this one for that area of the house. When it is not in the bathroom it is in the kitchen with another one because my kitchen is very long. So with the two on low it keeps the kitchen warm, before it was always freezing because I had to count on the heat from the propane wall heater to come into the kitchen which it never did without a fan. My electric bill went up with 4 of these and one other type of electric heater to 317. for the month compared to 553. for the month on propane. So there is a tad bit of a savings there I would say, wouldn't you? For the first time ever in the 19 years in this underground house we are warm and not freezing with drafts all over hitting us and with all the heat up by the ceiling. Thank you for making such a good product Delonghi.Customer Review: Mini-powerhouse
Summary: 5 Stars
This is my fourth DeLonghi oil-filled radiator, and the first "mini" one. I've only had it for a month. Size has nothing to do with it's heating ability, so this little guy can produce up to 1200 watts. I like the fact that it is portable & easy to carry from one room to the other, although wheels would make it a lot easy to move from room to room (it is not really "light"). It also fits nicely in a small room, without being too noticeable. The radiator produces even, steady, dry heat; has a programmable 24-hour timer (I'm still trying to figure out all the settings, but that said, I should have read the manual first). I have an old, big, drafty house and the corner rooms are colder than the rest of the house, especially on windy days. Rather than raise the thermostat to heat up four (4) floors, I turn on the radiator where it's needed most This little guy heats my L-shaped living room/TV area (approx. 260 sq. ft.) using the low setting (lower than it's bigger brothers). Lastly, I should mention that this radiator is mostly cool to the touch, so I don't have to worry if my granddaughter is around; I can program it & it will keep an enclosed room at a comfortable temperature or it will turn off even if I fall asleep. Overall, I'm really liking this product & while I'd like to buy another one for my unheated laundry room in the basement, some reviews say that they have a tendency to break after the 1-year warranty is over. Since my oldest DeLonghi is about 10 years old and is still going with absolutely no leakage, I think I'm going to wait.Customer Review: Great for Room Heating in Old Houses!
Summary: 5 Stars
We bought three of these last year, and plan on another couple this year. Our old (1900) house had way to many radiators, but none in the little bath under the stairs. We had to choose between leaving all the doors between rooms open and wasting a lot of heat, and closing the doors and having a freezing bathroom and an overheated kitchen, living room, and family room. The massive radiator in the hallway sent all its heat upstairs (yet was controlled by the downstairs thermostat). The whole house was to warm or to cold.
So when we redesigned the downstairs we removed three radiators, and bought several of these heaters. Our gas heat bill went down significantly, and now we use these heaters in the bathroom, hallway, and an unheated attic room. The timer means they only operate in the morning & evening when we need them, so they have not driven up the electric bill that much. They also throw a nice even heat, and the combination of 96 timer switches (one for each 20 minutes of the day) and the thermostat keeps the heat just right and there when we need it.
My only criticism is that a digital electronic timer would be easier to use, and having weekday / weekend programs would be better in working with our 7 day schedule. But the benefits of this far outweigh these minor problems.
If you have a problem with uneven heat in your home, a few of these units carefully placed and programmed can pay for themselves in a year or less, and make your home more comfortable every day of the winter.