Dimplex DHCERA20E review
Fan electric heater. Priced at $149.
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CHOICE Expert Rating
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The CHOICE Expert Rating is made up of heating (70%) and ease of use (30%).
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Heating score
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Based on heating speed, heat distribution and thermostat performance.
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Ease of use score
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Equally weighted between labelling and use of controls, the heater's mobility and stability on hard surfaces and carpet, and ease of cleaning.
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kWh at maximum over 120 min
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The number of kWh used over two hours. You can multiple this by your own electricity cost to get a more local cost to you.
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Comparative energy efficiency
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Comparative rating, based on power used versus temperature rise achieved in the performance test. The best models rate as 'good'; acceptable models are 'OK'; 'borderline' means mediocre. See our article on how we test electric heaters for details.
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Noise with fan on (dBA)
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40dBA is very quiet, while 60dBA is equivalent to normal conversation; enough to be disruptive when watching TV, for example. Most fans have one fan setting - apart from a few which have 10. We measure on the maximum fan setting.
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Recommended
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Our recommended models score at least 70% overall, and at least 70% for heating performance. We don't recommend any models which fail any of our safety tests.
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Availability
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This column shows which products have been discontinued and which are still available in shops. 'Models tested' indicates they can still be found in shops.
In some instances, at the request of members and when products are still available on the second-hand market and via sites like eBay, we include discontinued models in the tables.
- Tested model
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Price
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This is the manufacturer's recommended retail price.
- $149
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Running costs / 2 hours
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How much does the heater cost to run over 2 hours. This will give you a base to calculate how much running it for longer will cost. This is run at max temperature.
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Running costs / winter
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Based on 500 hours of use during a winter (6 hours/day for 3 months). Peak pricing at 30c/kWh.
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Safety tests
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Our testers check electrical safety, measure surface temperatures, and carry out a tilt test. They also check which heaters continue heating when on their sides, as if they'd been knocked over. They also perform a towel drape test. See our article on how we test electric heaters for details.
- Pass
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Fan settings
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How many settings does the fan have, when used with a heater?
- 1
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Heater type
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Radiant heaters are personal heaters. They radiate heat from a red-hot heating element.
Convection and panel heaters draw cold air over an electric heating element. The warmed air then leaves the heater and rises towards the ceiling, while cooler air moves in to replace it. This includes oil filled column heaters.
Fan heaters are specifically designed to blow hot air; the fan is a key part of the heater design, rather than a booster as on other heater types. Their fans are usually more powerful and can project the hot air a reasonable distance into the room.
- Fan
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Design type
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Heaters come in all shapes and sizes, but generally conform to type. If you see elements like 'ceramic' or 'micathermic' we've found these aren't guaranteed to give better results than other formats, so tend to fall into the marketing spin category. We list the common forms seen here, such as oil columns, towers, panel heaters, fan heaters and radiant heaters.
- Ceramic tower
- Claimed maximum wattage
- 2000
- Dimensions (cm, H x W x D)
- 51 x 15 x 15
- Warranty (years)
- 2
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Weight (kg)
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Weight in kg, rounded.
- 2.4
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Cord length (m)
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Length of the power cord in metres, rounded.
- 1.5
- Country of origin
- China
- Contact
- dimplex.com.au
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Fan
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Whether the heater has a fan to help spread the heat around the room.
- Yes
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Frost watch
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Useful for colder climates as it claims to maintain a temperature of about 5 degrees C if the thermostat is left on its lowest setting, avoiding frost/freezing on the heater which could damage it. We don't test this feature.
- No
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Timer
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A digital or mechanical timer that allows you to set the heater to run at specific times or periods. Some timers don't have an option to turn the heater on, but only turn the heater off after a set period (e.g. so that it won't run all night).
- Yes
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Thermal cut-out
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Prevents the heater from overheating and potentially causing damage or even a fire.
- Yes
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Thermostat
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Maintains a pre-set temperature.
- Yes
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Tilt switch
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Switches the heater off if it tilts over or falls. We've found some models that don't state whether they have one, but still turn off when pushed over.
- Yes
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Fan-only option
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For models with a built-in fan; can the fan be used on its own without heating? Handy for cooling in summer.
- Yes
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Cord storage
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Whether the power cord can be neatly stored, such as on hooks on the heater, when moving or packing away the heater.
- No
- Heat settings
- 2 plus fan assist