Frequently Asked Questions

Are Large Space Heaters More Powerful Than Smaller Ones?

Nope! It may seem counterintuitive, but large space heaters don’t necessarily heat any better than smaller options. In fact, most space heaters in the US and Canada deliver about the same amount of heat, regardless of size. Space heaters top out at 1,500 watts, which is the highest safe operating load for a 15-amp household circuit. And aside from some low-power personal heaters here and there, most space heaters available are capable of 1,500 watts.

What’s more, electric space heaters are all pretty much 100 percent efficient at converting that electricity to heat . Whether directly or indirectly, nearly all of that energy eventually becomes heat.

So if space heaters share basically the same power and efficiency capacity, why are some 1,500-watt heaters advertised for small rooms and others for large rooms? This likely has as much to do with marketing as science.…