Lifesmart 1500 Infrared Electric Space Heater with 6 Quartz Infrared Heater Elements Review
In an ongoing effort to conserve energy, I purchased a new Lifesmart 1500 infrared heater off E-Bay for about $165 with the hopes of saving some money in the coming colder months. Like most items I looked over reviews, researched several different brands and models and decided for the cost and size this would be the one for me. I found it on E-Bay for cheaper than any other site and was ready to make the purchase.
Positive Attributes and features
I liked the real wood exterior, quiet operation, and smooth warm air. It was small enough to put under a coffee table and stayed cool to the touch. I also liked the electronic display with the controller and timer. During the colder part of the day it kept the living room and den cozy while the heat pump was turned down to 60 and we closed off the other rooms. It had wheels and moved easily if you wanted it somewhere else and with the dark wood it matched about everything.
Not so Great Features
The Lifesmart as well as most infrared heaters cost around $200 for what seems to be a $100 item at most. I’ve seen some for double and some for less, but this depends on the size, elements, features, and design of the unit. The Lifesmart infrared heater never seemed to shut off, even when not heating it just blew cold air which defeated the purpose of an energy smart product.
Did NOT Save Me Money
To my original point, I purchased this product to save energy and that’s the main selling feature of infrared heaters. I read some bad reviews, but nothing to the level that I experienced. I’m on levelized billing with Sevier County Electric and after failing to receive a past bill and not worrying about it, I was devastated when I received January’s electric bill for $335 ($160 higher than any electric bill ever). In shock I was on the phone with Sevier County Electric trying to find out if my meter was broken, when I realized December was $425. Still determined something was seriously wrong it never occurred to me that this little box could have been the culprit. I was literally ready to sue the electric company for recommending such items as energy savers in their office and not notifying me in the previous month to see why my electric would have tripled in cost over any bill in the last 10 years.
Needless to say, I turned off the Lifesmart infrared heater, called the electric company two days later to monitor the usage, and never looked at it again. I boxed it up and resold it on E-Bay for a little less than I bought it, but paid $35 to ship and I’m still paying over $130 a month difference on levelized billing while the electric company figures out that this year I’m only spending around $150 in December and January. I would recommend using these infrared heaters with caution and with minimal use if no other heat sources are available
