Having a portable heater can be very useful, and some of these uses might be things that you never even stopped to consider. From supplemental heat to plant care, you can find a variety of interesting ways to use a portable heater that will make it indispensable in your home. If you haven't ever thought of ways that you could use a portable heater, here are several things that a portable heater would be perfect for.

Bathroom Heaters

It generally seems that the coldest room in most houses during the winter is the bathroom. Porcelain bathtubs, linoleum or tile floors, and a generally more humid environment than the rest of the house can cause the bathroom to feel several degrees colder even when the rest of the house is reasonably warm. By putting a small portable heater in the bathroom you can provide instant heat when you need it most.

Heat for Flowers, Plants, and Pets

Winter can be hard for flowers, plants, and small pets… they can't just move to a warmer part of the house or turn up the thermostat if they get cold. By using portable heaters you can help to make sure that the air temperature around your plants and furry friends doesn't get too cold, which can lead to wilting in the plants and health problems for animals. Even larger animals like dogs and cats can appreciate a small heater placed near their preferred sleeping spots on cold days.

Outdoor Heat Sources

If you and your family like outdoor activities, having a propane portable heater can make them much more enjoyable when the weather turns cold. The heater can be placed wherever you need a little extra heat, or a group of heaters can be used to create a “warm zone” that can surround a picnic area or spectators' chairs. You can also use portable heaters like this to help you stay warm while stargazing or watching the several meteor showers that tend to occur in autumn and winter.

Shop or Workplace Heat

Portable heaters aren't just for fun and games, of course; you can also use them in your shop, garage, or workplace to give you a little extra heat when and where you need it. Shops are usually large enough that trying to heat them with a central heating unit is a nightmare, since most of your heat will end up rising to the ceiling while leaving you and anyone else with you in a chill. Portable heaters generally have directed heat, and you can even buy heaters with larger blowers on them that will send quite a bit of heat to exactly where you want it. Instead of having to try and keep the entire shop or garage warm, you can focus only on the specific parts of it that you're using; if you move to another part of the shop, then you can move the heaters so that they're warming your new location instead.

Supplemental Heat for Furnaces and Fireplaces

Not everyone has central heat and air… many people still use wood stoves, furnaces, and fireplaces to provide their heat. Unfortunately, these heat sources might not reach all parts of the house. Portable heaters can be used to supplement heat sources such as furnaces and fireplaces, providing a little bit of extra heat in those areas of the house where the main heat source just doesn't reach. You can even use a single heater for several parts of the house, as all you'll have to do is carry it with you when you go from one location to another.

Emergency Heat during Power Outages

The problem with a lot of heat sources is that they rely on electricity to function. When the power goes out, not only is there the inconvenience of not having lights, television, and computers, but if the power outage lasts for too long the house can start to get cold as well. This is where propane and kerosene portable heaters can come into play.

Many people choose to buy portable heaters as an emergency heat source in the winter, making sure that they buy a heater that uses some sort of fuel instead of electricity. These heaters can produce a lot of heat, and that heat will stay in the area around the heater. If you're caught in a power outage that seems like it's going to last for a while, you can keep your family and pets warm by using a heater and then put the heater back into storage once the power has been restored.