We review the Pelonis Electric Radiator Heater model HO-0260 here, which we used for several winters in the apartment. Now this 7 Fin, oil-filled unit works well for heating a whole room. It sports a tall and thin yet low-profile. So it fits into corners, between furniture pieces, and under most windows. the HO-260 also works well as a bathroom heater with the right ground fault protection. It blasts most of its heat upwards, to reduce overheating walls, furniture, and people sitting near it. Follow the safe-operating instructions in the included users guide.
We purchased this heater to warm the bedroom in our ground level apartment. Cheap price, at $26.00 on sale at Walmart. Yet this electric heater performs the same as most other 1500 watt radiators we tested. Very much like the HO-0250 sold in past years. The big difference is that the price of this newer model is nearly one third less.
The HO-0260 provides a slowly-rising, silent, gentle warming, can roll from spot to spot. It rolls around on plastic casters to those drafty, chilly areas as needed. Plus, the enclosed heater and parts mean little chance of oil spillage, electrical shock, or burns. Quite safe. And should it fall, the HO-260 has a tip-over switch that shuts off the heater. Cool down then happens fast.
Pelonis Electric Radiator Heater HO-0260 Review: Benefits, Pros, Advantages, and Features
Safety Tip-Over Switch
This safety switch cuts power if the heater falls over (is not standing straight up).
Durable Heater-Thick Power Cord
They kept this cable short enough to reduce tripping hazards. Yet it’s long enough to reach from the heater to most nearby wall outlets. So avoid running the Pelonis electric radiator heater on an extension cord. Instead, plug this heater only into an outlet that tightly grips the plug prongs, for safest heating.
Cord Keeper
A round power cord holder appears at the bottom of heater front. You may wrap the cord around this roll when not in use.
Pelonis Electric Radiator Heater HO-0260 Review: Built In Thermostat
Furthermore, an adjustable thermostat holds the room temp to within a few degrees of the set point.
Energy Saving
Heats up a single, large room. This lets you turn down the main furnace for the whole house. With heaters like this, you can heat just the areas you wish.
Offers Simple Setup
Four wing nuts attach the two sets of two wheel casters each to the underside of the unit. Do not operate this heater without these pieces correctly installed.
Oil Filled
The oil inside submerges the heating element, for even heat distribution throughout the convective fins.
Pelonis Electric Radiator Heater HO-0260 Review: Three Power Levels
Choose either 600, 900, and 1500 watt heating power levels via the four position power choice switch.
Thermal Overheating Protection
The Pelonis electric radiator heater includes safety sensors. These shut off power to the heating elements, should the unit become too hot to be safe.
Has a Pilot Lamp
The orange neon pilot lamp glows whenever the heater is switched on.
Caution Light
The Pelonis heater caution light illuminates if the heater becomes overheated.
Pelonis Electric Radiator Heater HO-0260 Review: Simple to Use
The control panel has some lights and controls as follows.
- Power switch.
- Knob-style thermostat.
- Power lamp.
- Caution light.
Carrying Handle
Find this near the top of the front panel. It supports easy pulling / rolling of this Pelonis heater to new locations, even when turned on.
Features a Polarized Power Plug
Added protection against electric shock. However, this is a two-prong outlet. So, you don’t need those three-to-two prong adapters to connecting this Pelonis electric space heater to mains power.
Plastic and Painted Outer Parts
These non-metallic knobs and coatings on the heating fins help reduce risks of severe burns and electrical shock.
Pelonis Electric Radiator Heater HO-0260 Review: Quiet Operation
This Pelonis electric radiator heater makes little noise, except for the occasional snaps, cracks, clicks, and pops as it warms. But once hot these sounds largely go away. Then all you might hear, is the built in thermostat clicking. You’re hearing the t-stat switching the heat on and off.
Typical Power Draw for Portable Home Heaters
This Pelonis radiator runs from standard 120 volts AC, and draws 12.5 amps maximum. So it can operate from any correctly wired circuit in the home that is rated 15 amps or more.
Safe for Bedrooms
As with all pelonis electric heaters, you may set this one up safely where people sleep. Why? No fumes. It runs on electricity, and not natural or propane gas.
ETL and RoHS Compliant
These standards promote ease of use and enhanced safety of the heater.
Pelonis Electric Radiator Heater HO-0260 Review: It’s Quite Affordable
We bought this Pelonis electric radiator heater at Walmart for under $30.
Pelonis Electric Radiator Heater HO-0260 Review: Disadvantages, Cons, Problems, Limitations, and Concerns
Thermostat Clicks
For those sensitive to noises in the bedroom while sleeping, this Pelonis space heater indeed clicks. The thermostat turns on and off the heating elements as it maintains room temperature. We found this to be a non issue.
But some might not be as forgiving as us. So turn the thermostat fully left and fully right before you buy. Then, listen to it while it clicks. Unless the store you’re in is very cold, this will switch the t-stat contacts. So you can hear how loud this clicking sound will be, should you take the heater home.
Oil Filled Heaters are Heavy
We carried one of these Pelonis space heaters in our suit case on a 100-mile train ride. Yep. Weighty.
Longer Heat Up Times for this Pelonis Electric Radiator Heater
By no means instant heat. Being oil-filled, this Pelonis whole room radiator heater takes ten to twenty minutes to fully heat up. No doubt, this is due to the oil inside taking a while to reach full temperature.
Hot
The outer surfaces grow way too hot to touch while operating. So, keep away. Avoid direct contact with skin while the heater is on; especially when running it at full (1500 watt) power output.
Strong Smells when Turned On for First Time
The strong scent of paint / plastic lasted for nearly the first week after putting into service. But with repeated use, this odor soon went away. We “burned in” the heater outdoors on a dry porch for a few hours. This helped dry up any damp paint. A burn-in like this got rid of most of the new-heater smell before we brought it inside.
Pelonis Electric Radiator Heater HO-0260 Review: Our Rating
It’s easily moved around via its pulling handle, without fear of burning our fingers. We found the Pelonis™ simple to clean. When it’s cold, just wipe around and between the fins every month or two. Dusting removes dust and cuts start-up odors in the fall.
This whole room yet portable space heater very well heated our living areas. We combined it with the primary furnace heating system there. It outputs 5200 BTUs when set to 1500 watts out. This is fine for small to mid-sized rooms with well insulated walls and windows. For more drafty spots though, you may need two or more of these.
We like how low cost the Pelonis electric radiator heater was. Plus, it was simple to put together and run. So, we rate it at 95 out of 100. It’s a high-quality, useful household appliance.