Indus-Tool Cozy Electric Foot Warming Pad #FW

by Indus-Tool

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

As anyone who's been out in the cold knows, toasty feet go a long way toward keeping the rest of you warm. That’s why using an Indus-Tool FW Cozy Foot warmer can help reduce your indoor heating costs. At only 90 watts, one of these units tucked under a desk allows you to turn the building thermostat down, thereby saving you money. The warmer is less costly to use than a space heater, and safer, too, as there are no exposed heating coils or carbon monoxide emissions. ETL listed. Lifetime warranty.--Josh Dettweiler

What’s in the Box
Foot-warmer pad, power cord

Five Tips for Buying a Heater
Choosing a space heater is a matter of sifting through a bewildering array of types, power ratings, and fuel sources. Let’s break it down a little to make the process easier.

What are the different types of space heaters?

• Radiant heaters emit infrared radiation that directly warms the objects in front of the heaters (rather than the surrounding air). If you only need heat by a desk or in a small section of a room, a radiant heater is quiet and will use very little power.
• Forced-air heaters use a fan to blow air that has been warmed by metal or ceramic heating elements. A forced-air heater is appropriate for quickly heating up a small- to medium-sized room, but can be noisy.
• Convection heaters draw cold air from the floor; the air is warmed by heating coils and emitted from the top of the heater. A convection heater is appropriate for quickly heating up a small- to medium-sized room, but also can be noisy.
• Radiators work by heating oil enclosed in a reservoir, gradually heating the surrounding air. If heating speed isn't an issue, you might want to opt for a radiator. These are extremely quiet and effective--perfect for bedrooms.

Should I buy an electric or a combustion model?
If you want a heater that will be available in emergencies, or that can heat areas larger than a single room, choose a "combustion" model--one that is powered by a gas or fuel like propane, kerosene, natural gas, or diesel. Which fuel type you choose depends largely on convenience and local availability. For example, diesel would be appropriate for a heater you take with you on long car trips.

How powerful a heater do I need?
Heaters are rated by BTU, which stands for British Thermal Unit (the amount of heat needed to heat one pound of water by 1 degree F). To find out how many BTU you need:

• Calculate the volume of the space to be heated by multiplying square footage by height.
• Multiply that number by 4 if your insulation is poor, 3 if it's average, or 2 if it's good.

The resulting number is a ballpark figure for how many BTU you'll need.

Do space heaters cost a lot to operate?
As a general rule, electric space heaters are more expensive to use than combustion models. To ensure energy efficiency, a thermostat is a must-have feature for any heater. For radiant heaters, models with a 360 degree heating surface can heat larger spaces. If you need a forced-air heater, models with ceramic elements tend to be more efficient.

Are space heaters a fire hazard?
Space heaters are implicated in about 25,000 residential fires every year. To ensure proper safety, always follow the manufacturer’s usage instructions and fill out the warranty card to receive informational updates from the manufacturer. Also, look for extra safety features such as an automatic shutoff switch that can shut down the unit if, for example, it gets upended. In addition, choose a model where the heating element is adequately enclosed within the unit.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 21 x 1 x 14 inches ; 6 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B000079896
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: FWXXX
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (119 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #19,244 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

116 of 120 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Will our office ever stop stinking?!!, October 18, 2005

By	Leeese "leeese" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Indus-Tool Cozy Electric Foot Warming Pad #FW (Tools & Hardware)

I bought this last winter (2004), despite the many reviews warning about the odor emitted, and boy, do I regret it! I thought I could tough it out; most people said the horrible skunk smell would GO AWAY after some time, and, to me, warm feet would be worth a temporary annoyance. As some have suggested, I plugged this in the garage first, to try to burn off much of the odor before bringing it inside. I left it plugged in a large part of the day for about two weeks. The smell was definitely horrible, but I guess because our garage is very large, and far from airtight, the full extent of the noxious odor was not obvious, until I moved it into the office. In just a few minutes, the entire HOUSE smelled like a charred skunk. But it was more than a smell, it was a TASTE as well, and we coughed quite a bit if we tried to stay in the office with it, and I got a horrible headace. I turned it off and decided to give it another week in the garage, this time I left it plugged in all the time. The second try in the office was JUST as bad as the first, and at this point the mat had been "burning off" its smell for over 3 weeks! I stubbornly left the mat in the office for a week, forcing myself to use it, trying to adjust to or ignore the skunk that was attacking my nose with every breath. After all, it REALLY DID keep my feet nice and toasty warm. Finally I'd had it, I couldn't take it anymore. The headaches and permeating odor were simply not worth it. I took the thing and threw it in the garage, unplugged, where it remains to this day. I only wish I had been realistic and sent the thing back when I had the chance. It is an absolute nightmare. By the way, the reason I thought to write this review today is because when I sat down at my desk I was reminded of this mat , as I am every day, because I smelled the lingering, embedded stink of burning SKUNK that it left behind. And this is October 2005, nearly a year later and several carpet cleanings and after it briefly occupied this space. Does it warm your feet? Definitely. But you've been warned, it isn't worth it!

62 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Good lord - the smell!!!, April 12, 2005

By	Johnny K "amazon3168" (Buffalo, NY) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Indus-Tool Cozy Electric Foot Warming Pad #FW (Tools & Hardware)

Have you ever seen that Seinfeld where Jerry's car is attacked by BO that doesn't go away, and lingers on anything that crosses its path? This has the same disease. Plus, it was clearly a used item - the packaging was repacked and the foot warmer was dirty. Gross, but it's a foot warmer so I thought I'd give it a chance regardless. In its defense, it *does* work - my terminally cold wife liked the warm footsy feel; unfortunately she has a sense of smell. The room we had it in is still stinky! Get this thing outta our house!!! :)

46 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Keeps feet warm like nothing else can for 1 cent a hour, January 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Indus-Tool Cozy Electric Foot Warming Pad #FW (Tools & Hardware)

I must say I have been pleased with the overall performance of this product. I had contemplated getting this about a year ago after seeing mention of it in an old issue of the Lawrence Berkely National Labratory newsletter "Currents". The administration had suggested it as a energy efficient solution to many of its staff who found the cooler 68 degree settings at the lab to leave their feet cold. Previous to that individual staff members were bringing in their own 1500 watt space heaters and really driving up the electricity bills.
Anyway, I was finding that even if I had the temperature in my house up to 68-70 degrees that my feet would still get cold, especially at the computer desk. Seemed silly and very expensive to crank up the furnace even higher just to get two cold feet warmer. The rest of my body was OK but the feet just got cold and stayed cold. So after waiting another winter I finally bought one. Now with this foot warmer I find that in as little as 10 minutes I can begin to warm my feet. Sometimes I begin with only my socks on for that direct heat but that in a few more minutes it is really cranking and will heat your feet directly through your shoes.
The cost to run this mat is as close to zero as you can get. In California with our very high energy costs and a local tax it still only costs 1.2 cents per hour to operate. In most other states I imagine the cost will be only about 1 cent per hour. I have also gotten a optional Hi-Lo switch to operate it a little lower and now it only costs me about .6 cents per hour. That means I can run it for 8 hours for a nickel. It would cost me a hundred times that amount to operate the central gas heating to a level that would keep my feet equally warm.
So on a economic level it is a no brainer.

Now for some practical operational considerations. I have had mine a few months. When I first got it, like any new rubber product, it had a new rubber smell....much like you smell with any new rubber product, tires, tennis shoes, etc. This is made more evident because you are heating it to about 135 degrees. As I have used it more and more this has greatly diminished and I expect it to all but go away as the months go on. I suppose if you really wanted to speed up that process, you could turn it on and stick it out in the garage for a hundred hours. Remember, that would only cost about one dollar to power it that long. I have used it in my home office and find it quite acceptable. Oh, I suppose I can still detect the new rubber smell, but as low as it is, its an acceptable trade off to have warm feet and I imagine by the end of this winter it will be all but gone.

Another consideration is that since this unit gives off such a good amount of heat, some people with diabetes and some elderly folks should use it with great care since their feet can be ultra sensitive to any heat over 95-100 degrees. From what I can understand this will give off as much as 135 degrees and with only thin socks on it can get quite hot for some people. As it heats up, I find it more comfortable to use with shoes on or I switch it down to a low heat level with the optional Hi-Lo switch I got.

So all in all, I am pleased with the product. It sure beats trying to heat my toes up with a blow dryer or by running a 1,500 watt space heater right next to my desk for hours.

Oh, one last thing. Given the amount of heat this puts out, and since I have it on a hardwood floor, I took the precaution as instructed in the directions to place a cardboard template I cut out from the box, under it, since I was uncertain if years of use in the same spot might affect the hardwood floor finish.

I'd buy the product again and suggest it to anyone who like me was long suffering from cold feet.