Customer Reviews

DeLonghi TRN0812T Portable Oil-Filled Radiator with Programmable Timer

5 star:		(91)
4 star:		(39)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(19)
1 star:		(42)

 

 

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.

Bought two of these last year and really like them. They are only 15" high (21" long) flat saucer feet for good stabliity,and no sharp metal edges for the kids to hit their heads on.

The Timing and temperature dials are easy to use. We used them last year when natural gas was so expensive. They did such a good job keeping the kids rooms at a consistant temperature at night that we plan to use them this year too. It worked out much better than using the house thermostat at night.

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.

I purchased this at the end of 2007 because I needed a safe, small compact heater. I bought this at Bed, Bath, and Beyond, paying a little less than 60 with a 20% coupon. It was a wonderful heater and did its job really well that I bought a second one a couple of months later. Don't expect this to heat a large room, it's only designed for small rooms. The GFI plug is a nice safety feature. I would have given this a 5 star if I wrote a review then. Almost a year later one of them broke. I thought that was just a lemon, but then the second one broke shortly therafter (warranty was only for a year). It's a shame because I really liked this heater, but I wish the durability was better. It's really unfortunate because there are not many oil-based heaters in this size to choose from and price was not a major criteria for me(I would gladly pay more for a quality heater that would last).

I bought the DeLonghi radiator heater because I was looking for something that provided good heat but didn't have the noise associated with fan driven units. This unit certainly heats up with settings for 500, 700 and 1200 watts but the heat mostly radiates up, not out. This means that in order to feel the heat, it must gradually heat up the room and if your room isn't enclosed, you don't really feel the heater working. Since my home is more open, the heater had very little effect. In fact, I put a thermometer about 4 feet from the unit and after running it all afternoon, the temperature only went up 1 degree. I couldn't test it in a more enclosed space but I'm guessing it would work better there. For my needs, I'll go back to a fan driven unit that puts more heat directly into the needed area.

We got one of these at the hardware store. Liked it enough to get another at Amazon (at about half the price).
Great for a small room. One keeps our 11' by 14' TV room cosy. Doesn't dry out the air like the fan heaters, and totally quiet.
My wife loves the timer on the one in the bathroom. Nice in the morning, pretty easy to set up.
Two minor gripes. The cord comes out at the control end (you never see it in the picture). Also, it gives off a bit of a smell for awhile while it's new. They do mention this in the instructions and it did go away, but it might worry you if you're not aware.

Pros:
(1) Right size - doesn't take too much floor space
(2) Safe -No sharp edges, exterior material that won't burn on touch
(3) Energy Saver - 3 Power settings & antifreeze settings
(4) Feel Right Temperature - Timer and 6 temperature settings to get the right amount of heat
(5) Right Price - good value for money, its worth what you are paying for

Cons:
(1) Cannot be used as a primary heater; it is unable to heat up a room on its own - it definitely a secondary heater to give that extra oomphf (it can be used as a primary heater in a small room or bathroom)
(2) Since it doesn't have a fan, it take some time to heat up from antifreeze setting

On the 1st run, this heater performed well. I like the idea of a slow steady heat source that lasts after you turn it off. Heated my 12 x 17 room with no problems.

On the 2nd run, it leaked oil all over my carpet 10 minutes into heating. Dripping right from the bottom on the end opposite the controls. I unplugged it and moved it onto the linoleum and is currently still leaking as I type this.

I like the idea of this heater but I didn't pay $69.99 at BB&B for a !@*$@!!! idea.

Will I try it again? Depends on the defect rate. Maybe there's another radiator brand out there.

works well, puts out good heat and doesnt get too hot for kids touching it with the larger surface area of the fins. only problem is on med or high, the heating element creaks as the metal in the unit expands and contracts while the element turns on and then turns off. whatever metal they used in there, it changes size to easily with temperature so in themiddle of the night, click... tick tick tick tick tick as the element heats up, then click, element goes off and tick tick tick... as the element cools down. the larger version of this didnt have the problem, you cant tell, hardly, when the heater is switching on and off, you just get nice heat coming off it.

This compact unit takes up little space and heats up a fairly large room in a matter of hours. The temperature outside this morning was 29 degrees, but the room with this heater in it, was 69. As long as you keep the doors closed so that the heater works in a finite space, you'll see excellent results.

There was an acrid smell most of the first evening that it was used, I suppose from the oil inside being heated for the first time.

ADDENDUM November 18, 2008: This unit stopped dead yesterday. We live in a coastal area and don't have alot of cold days in the fall and spring months so it's not like this heater was really abused with overuse. Still, after less than 2 years - kaput with no other option than to add it to a landfill. Will not buy another one.