Customer Reviews

DeLonghi EW7707CB Oil-Filled Portable Radiator with ComforTemp Technology, Black

5 star:		(78)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(20)

 

 

This is my first oil heater, I have used spot heaters in the past. This oil heater is great because once it warms up (just a few minutes), it puts out a nice amout of radiant heat on high setting. You can feel the heat from the top of the unit when you put your hand over the top.

I feel safe leaving it on at night unlike the spot heaters. I didn't notice the strong odor on like others have posted.

Pros:

-Well built

-Seems safe to leave on at night

-Black color looks nice

-Has Low, Med, High and a maintain comfort setting

Cons:

-Thermostat goes from 1 to 6 instead of actual temperature.

-Wheels don't roll well on carpet

-Handle is only on one side, so have to wait until total cool to carry it upstairs.

-Wasn't the best packaging to ship with

I purchased the DeLonghi heater instead of another brand because I have for many years associated that name with the oil radiator type of heater. The one I purchased, the EW7707CB works well but has a couple of what I would call "design flaws" that would prevent me from purchasing another one. One of the flaws is that if you press the energy-saver button while the heater is hot, it is natural to use your free hand to hold the back end of the heater as you press the button on the front end. Well, the back end of the heater is hot at some points during use. The other feature that I have found not so helpful, is that when you turn the dial from * to 1 to 2, etc., to set the heat level, it is not easy to see the number. I have to put on glasses and use a flashlight in order to see what number I am turning to. This is not a big deal, but it is enough to keep me from ordering another one. I wanted a second heater, so I just bought another brand at my local hardware store. Other than the above feedback, the heater does seem to work well. It has two settings - one for 700 watts and one for 800 watts, or you can combine them and run it at 1500 watts. I have been using the 700 watt setting in an insulated garage with a concrete floor, and I set the dial around 1 or 2 for the heat setting. With nighttime temperatures outside of around 15 or 20 degrees, it keeps the garage at 48 degrees and uses around 2 to 3 KW of energy per 24 hours.

Heater is being used as a supplementary heater in a finished/insulated basement about 1000 sq/ft. Have only had the heater for a week and a half and the "comfort temp" is at least 70*. I have a thermometer on order to place in the basement to see how warm it is, but it keeps the entire finished area in my basement warm. Winter has not come yet, so we will see once it gets cold out, like highs in the single digits and sub zero temps. I'm in WI, so its only gotten down to 30* or so at night and close to 50* during the days. Have not had to turn on furnace yet, temps have gone down outside and with heater in the basement the upstairs has not dropped below 68* yet (1800 sq/ft).

Heater is silent, stink from being new took about 3 days of consistent running to wear off. Even if I have to run this unit on high it will be worth it. with the kwh charges for electricity by me if I run it on high, 1500w, and using the peak kwh rate it will cost me $63 to run it 24 hrs a day for 5 months. Plus, all the heat will just go upstairs, none wasted.

I opted for the radiant style heater for constant output without a fan to dry or force the air and the silent operation. I don't think there is anyway this would heat 1000 sq ft by itself in WI temps, but we will see. I also have furnace piped into basement as well, but haven't used it yet. Keep in mind the finished area in the basement is fully insulated and the house was built in 2006 and it cost me less money to heat this house as compared to my old 1000 sq/ft house that was re-insulated and built in the 1940's.

Usage:

I am using this as supplemental heat in a 10x12 bedroom so I can keep the rest of the house heat set lower (66F) since I spend little time at home--it seems wasteful to heat the entire house to comfort. I've only been using it a few days so I can't speak to the longevity of the product.

Pros:

Heats well at the 700-watt (low) setting for my 120 sq ft room.

Build quality seems good.

Black is more attractive than the many awkward shades of white/biege.

Seems safe at least in an all-adult environment. Surfaces don't get crazy-hot like ceramic heaters and it seems very stable.

Cons:

ComforTemp is designed to "save" energy but it is set WAY too high. I flipped it off when the room reached 78 degrees and it was still rising. I found that a thermostat setting of about "2.3" (see below) seems to keep the room at about 71 degrees.

The numbers don't seem terribly hard to read like I've read in other reviews, but I wish there were more numbers, like 12 instead of 6. The numbers are so far apart on the dial that they are no longer visible between settings. I used a marker to note the spot on the dial that I find to be suitable.

Other thought:

It seems consistent with all of these type of heaters, but I find it silly that low is 700W, and medium is 800W. Those seem too close together to me. Why would anyone ever want to make a choice between 700W vs. 800W? I would like to see one of these products use a 600W + 900W setting to reach the total of 1500W. This way there would be three useful settings. As is, you essentially get either Medium-Low, or High, to make an analogy to electric cooking range settings.

I received this in a great amount of time. I had actually expected it to come later than when it did. I've had it for a few weeks/months (not sure exactly) but it works great. In the instructions it tells you to leave it in a well ventilated area for the first 2 hours so the smell can go away. It had something to do with traveling, I'm not really sure. But I didn't really smell anything. I put it in my room after that, as I'm usually the coldest person in the house and it works great. It heats up my room quickly and when I reach a temperature I like, I move the nob so it clicks so it can keep that temperature. I've never really tried the ComforTemp button, but after reading the instructions about it, I wasn't sure I was going to like it. I like it really warm as, I have pretty crappy circulation and I'm always cold. There's no real temperature setting on this thing, because it's based on what you feel is comfortable for you. So make it go on the max to first get the room to the ideal temperature and then adjust it so it keeps that temp. This was TOTALLY worth every penny. It also looks really cute and chic so it'll fit any modern room like a glove! And it's great because you never have to re-fill the oil! Score!!!

I bought 2 of these heaters since running our regular forced air heat had run up a bill of $1000/ month last winter! The heaters heat the entire main floor of our house 2br, living room, dining room and kitchen (less than 1000 sq. ft.) very effectively. I no longer have to fear getting out of the bed anymore and facing the cold. For the cost these heaters work great and should keep our bill down too. I would definitely recommend them.

This is an update of my previous review, in which I said I was returning this heater because I was still getting an odor from this heater after ten hours at high heat.

I filed for a return on a Friday and UPS wouldn't be able to pick up the unit until Monday, so over the weekend I decided to test it some more. I didn't want to return it unless it really was defective. After about 16 hours of operation at high heat, the odor was finally mostly (but not entirely) gone, but now there was a new problem: the heater wasn't outputting as much heat as when I first had it. Initially, it became so hot that I could barely touch it with my bare hand, but on my last day of testing, I was able to lay my bare hand on top for prolonged periods without feeling any risk of being burned. In contrast, my much older DeLonghi EW0507 Safeheat still gets too hot to touch.

I have two other DeLonghi oil-filled radiators and I love both of them. After returning this heater, I considered ordering the same model as a replacement and decided first to contact DeLonghi and find out their reaction to my experience. I immediately received an automated reply that promised a personal reply would follow, but after four business days I still have not received the reply. I've now decided to stick with my old DeLonghi's for a while longer. When I buy another heater, it will probably be this model, but I'll do more research first to confirm that my experience isn't common.

There is one problem that seems to be common to DeLonghi oil-filled radiator heaters. It's the low quality electrical plug. It's true of both my DeLonghi's, it appeared to be true of this one, and I've read other owners complain about it, so it seems to be a widespread problem. I no longer use my oldest DeLonghi on high heat because the plug shows signs of melting, and my newer DeLonghi's plug also shows signs of melting, though not as advanced. This is the most disappointing thing about DeLonghi oil-fllled radiators. The heaters themselves will last decades, but if you operate them at high heat, the plugs won't last as long as the heaters. I don't know yet how hard it would be to replace the power cord.

In addition to my problems with this heater, I unhappy with the condition in which it was shipped to me. It was obviously a heater that a previous customer had returned. It was disappointing that either Amazon or DeLonghi (I don't know which) didn't even make an attempt to make it look new - the box was taped amateurishly, the power cord was unwrapped, the user manual was dog-eared, and the two power buttons and ComforTemp buttons were all turned on. Additionally, when I first turned it on, I didn't smell the intense odor that I expected, which indicated that it had previously been used, but what odor there was never ended, even after ten hours at high heat. I was not happy that no attempt appears to have been made to check out the unit after the previous customer returned it or to ship it in new condition. However I don't know whether the fault was DeLonghi's or Amazon's.

My other experiences with DeLonghi oil-filled radiators have been excellent, aside from my gripe with their electrical plugs. I love the steady heat they produce. I've owned one of my DeLonghi's for 23 years and it's still working, though because of the electrical plug's signs of deterioration, I no longer use it at high heat.

I checked the claimed and actual wattages of the EW7707CB using my Kill-A-Watt meter. It showed that this 700/800/1500 watt DeLonghi's actual wattages are 700, 750, and 1350. Discrepancies like this are common in electric space heaters, and in fact these readings are nearly identical to the readings I got for my older DeLonghi EW0507 oil-filled radiator, which is also rated at 700/800/1500 watts.

There was one more problem when I submitted my request to return this heater: Amazon gave me instructions to give it to my letter carrier for pickup! I can just imagine the expression on my mailman's face if I asked him to put a very large, 25 pound box in his mailbag! I had to contact Amazon via chat to straighten it out and schedule a UPS pickup. Amazon made that part of it quite easy.

General information about buying electric space heaters:

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I've owned and used electric space heaters since 1988, mostly DeLonghi oil filled radiators. When I recently began looking for a heater that would warm up a room faster, I was frustrated at the lack of hard, objective, facts about electric space heaters. Even the manufacturer websites often fail to mention or makes it hard to learn the most basic information you need to know, such as wattage ratings and warranty lengths. Not even Consumer Reports has enough information to really inform a consumer. Therefore it's up to us as consumers to share what we know. The rest of this review shares some of what I've learned.

In case you're wondering what heater I decided on to replace my DeLonghi, I didn't. I tried a Vornado PVH and a Bionaire BH1331-U, but I ended up returning both heaters. I finally decided to stick with oil-filled radiators and to replace my 23 year old DeLonghi with one of the new black ones, but it was defective so I returned it and am sticking with my old DeLonghi's for the time being.

Basic electric space heater facts:

1. All electric space heaters are equally efficient. All heaters rated at 1500 watts output the same amount of heat, but may do it very differently. You have to choose the one that heats the way you need it.

2. Power consumption is determined by two things: the power setting you're using and how long the heater is actually on. Turning up the thermostat setting doesn't increase the heat or power consumption; it just lengthens the time that your heater will be running.

3. To reduce power consumption, use the lowest power setting on your heater that produces the heat you need.

4. An electric space heater will save you money only if you turn your central heating down or off and use space heaters to heat only the rooms where you need heat.

5. The only kind of electric space heater that's likely to provide adequate heat in a large or draft space is a radiant heater (not to be confused with a radiator heater, which is very different), but radiant heaters pose a fire hazard.

Don't take manufacturer wattage claims too seriously. When I used my Kill-A-Watt meter on six space heaters, I found variations of up to 200 watts between the claimed and actual wattage for each space heater. In most cases the actual watts were less than the claimed watts, but one of my DeLonghi's 1500 watt heaters turned out actually to be a 1600 watt heater.

Two crucial steps in finding the electric space heater that's right for you:

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1. Learn which heater is right for your needs. A huge percentage of complaints by reviewers about space heaters are due to reviewers buying the wrong type of heater for their needs. Your first step should be to decide between the basic types: Ceramic heaters with a fan, oil-filled radiator, micathermic, and radiant. First learn the conditions in which each one works best and works best and then select the type that will work best for your needs. There is no one single "best" heater for all situations. Each one has conditions in which it works well and conditions in which it's terrible.

2. Look at the warranties. Warranties on space heaters range from one year to five years. Delonghi and Soleus heaters that I've checked have one year warranties. Other companies, such as Bionaire, Honeywell, Lasko, and Vornado offer three year and five year warranties on many - but not all - of their models. If a company offers only a one year warranty on some models but a five year warranty on others (such as Bionaire), it raises question about the durability of the heater with the shorter warranty. However a long warranty is only as good as the company offering it. Read reviews to learn what experiences people have when their heaters die while still under warranty.

In most cases, you'll have to download the manual from the manufacturer's website to get the length of the warranty. It's a nuisance, but it's worth taking the time to do.

Don't let anyone tell you that any particular type of heater is "the best". The best type is the one that best suits YOUR needs. The best heater for me might be the worst heater for you. Some heaters heat up a cold room faster, some keep a room at a steady temperature, and some will work better in a large space.

Some questions you need to ask yourself before deciding which type of heater to buy- Will it be keeping a room at a steady temperature? (oil-filled radiator or micathermics heaters might be best)

- Will it be heating up a cold room? (a heater with a fan or a radiant heater might be best)

- Are there children or pets who might be injured by touching a hot surface? (oil-filled radiator and radiant heater might be a problem)

- Do you want to heat just a particular spot rather than the whole room? (radiant heaters might be best

- Are you concerned about fire risks? (oil-filled radiator or micathermic heaters might be best, though no space heater is completely safe)

Oil-filled radiators:

These are my favorite heaters. These are the heaters that look like old-fashioned steam radiators. The oil retains its warmth after the thermostat cycles off, which is important if you want to keep a room at a steady temperature. The downside is that the oil takes longer to heat initially, which is why these heaters take so long to warm up.

I have two DeLonghi oil-filled radiators; I've been using one of them for 23 years, and the other is about eight years old. I love the heat they provide. It's steady, warm, with no noise and no drying out of the air like with some other types of heaters. They are ideal for maintaining a steady temperature in an enclosed room.

Oil filled heaters have a huge drawback, however: they are terrible at heating up a cold room quickly. It can take an oil-filled heater hours longer to heat up a cold room than other types of heaters.

The US Department of Energy recommends oil-filled heaters as the most efficient, because the fins generate warmth even when the heater's thermostat cycles off. However this efficiency is only when the heater is continually on, keeping a room at a constant temperature. If you turn the heater on and off frequently, you'll lose most of the efficiency that's inherent in these heaters.

If you have children or pets, look into one of the shielded radiator heaters. I prefer the unshielded ones because they radiate more heat laterally, but the surface can get very hot and be a hazard if touched. DeLonghi claims that their shielded radiator heaters circulate heated air more quickly. Both of mine are unshielded, so I have no way of confirming that. My concern about the shielded radiators is that they would direct more hot air up rather than to the side, where I need it.

If your electric rates are different for different times of the day, you can use this to your advantage in setting your radiator heater toswitch on and warm the room from cold when rates are low, then let it provide steady heat when rates are higher.

A word of warning about oil-filled radiators: if one is poorly made or damaged, it can leak oil and permanently damage rugs and floors or even start a fire. Only buy from a reputable manufacturer and don't accept one that has any visible damage.

Ceramic fan heaters:

These are great at heating a room quickly, however many people including myself don't like the heat they blow. I don't mind it in my Vornado Personal Heater (375/700watt), which is located under my desk, but I thoroughly dislike it in the old Honeywell ceramic oscillating heater that came with my house. I much prefer the warmth that comes from an oil-filled radiator. Ceramic heaters can be most effective at quickly warming up a cold room.

Radiant heaters

Radiant heaters (don't confuse them with radiator heaters!) work by heating whatever they are pointed at rather than heating the air in the room. If you have a large, drafty space, a radiant heater might be your best choice, because it doesn't heat the air, only the objects and people it's directed at.

Micathermic heaters

Micathermic heaters work similarly to oil-filled radiators, except that instead of heavy metal fins filled with hot oil, micathermic heaters have thin sheets of mica that heat up. I've only had experience with one micathermic, a Bionaire BH1331-U, and found that it's exterior surface remained very cool except for a few very warm spots on top. There would be less risk of young children being burned by touching a micathermic heater than an oil-filled radiator. Micathermic heaters are slower heating than ceramic fan heaters, but are faster then oil-filled radiators..

Baseboard heaters

I have a Lakewood oil-filled baseboard heater I bought five years ago that has many of the advantages of a micathermic heater. It heats faster than an oil-filled radiator but has no hot surfaces and low fire risk. My Lakewood does an excellent job of heating my 12x15 bedroom.

However I have not researched baseboard heaters and only have experience with this Lakewood, so I don't know whether others are as good as this one. I was impressed that when I measured the actual wattages of my various space heaters, the Lakewood's actual wattages came closest to its claimed wattages of all the other heaters I tested. Lakewood unfortunately went out of business in 2009 and had a major problem with oil leaking from its heaters a few years earlier. Despite this, it's in many ways my best heater and has the lowest cost of operation.

I bought this heater because the apartment I'm renting is in a very old, drafty house. I was really not looking forward to turning on the furnace because of the gas costs and it's inefficiency. I bought this heater to use in place of the furnace and so far it works very well. I turn it on for about 20 minutes and it warms my entire apartment (~750 square feet, one floor). I have my windows insulated so this is probably a contributing factor. Overall I'm satisfied with the product.

Was looking for a heat source for a small room (approx 250 sq ft) without having to use a typical space heater. This heater works very well overall with heating but switch settings and the dial thermostat could use some better instructions; very economical to use and I have to drop the setting down to the minimum level after the room has been heated. A good tip is to put the settings on high to bring the room temperature up to the comfort level you're after and then backing down the switch settings to either 'mid' or 'min' with the dial thermostat at 3. I bought the second one because of how well I liked it.

To each and every reviewer giving this unit bad reviews because of "lack of effectiveness". Buy a fan. A Ceiling fan is ideal, however a fan that you can aim at the ceiling will work perfectly well. Common sense will tell you that since this heater has no fan of its own, all of the heat it creates will simply rise to the ceiling and dissipate. Unless your room is extremely well insulated and relatively small, none of the heat will ever reach the ground. However with a fan blowing the air around the room, the heat will easily fill a large room.

Case in Point. a 30,000BTU Kerosene heater, that puts out much more heat than any standard household electric heater, will barely heat a 30x30 room on its own. Add a ceiling fan and blow the air 'up', and it will get too hot in the entire room.

To the reviewers complaining about leaks. Defects happen to even the best products.