Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

After reading the positive reviews of this heater, I purchased one from Amazon. While initially happy, I noticed that it was not tripping my circuit breaker when used with other high wattage appliances. The sum of the rated wattages on all the devices connected to this residential circuit totaled 3000 watts. This implied a 25 amp current draw that should have easily tripped the 15 amp circuit. The reality was that the Lasko heater consumed far less electricity than the stated 1500 watts. Given this realization, I tested the Lasko 754200 Ceramic Heater under various conditions over multiple periods of time with two different Kill-a-watt power meters. The results were somewhat surprising, indicating half the stated wattage was actually being consumed. Like any electrical heating element, the initial current and wattage will vary during the startup phase. Hence, measurements over a period of time must be made. The test results show the average wattage consumed by the Lasko heater was 720 to 725 watts over a two hour period. Lasko Cermaic Heater Date of test: 10/18/2011 Ambient Temperature 68 degrees F High Setting and thermostat set to max Elap Time (h:m) ... Watts .... Amps ... KWH 0:00 ................... varied .... varied .. 0 1:01 ................... 725 ....... 6.06 .... 0.74 1:43 ................... 723 ....... 6.06 .... 1.25 2:00 ................... 726 ....... 6.06 .... 1.44 average wattage = 720 10/19/2011 Ambient Temperature 68 degrees F Low Setting Elapsed Time .... Watts .... Amps .... KWH 0:00 .... varied .... varied .... 0 0:30 .... 492 .... 4.07 .... 0.25 1:00 .... 492 .... 4.09 .... 0.49 1:17 .... 502 .... 4.15 .... 0.63 1:46 .... 493 .... 4.09 .... 0.87 2:00 .... 492 .... 4.09 .... 0.99 Average wattage = 495 (increase at t=1:17 due to cold air from open window) In another test, I forced the exhaust of another heater into the Lasko when it was on the high setting. This caused the power consumption of the Lasko to drop into the 500s. This suggests there is probably a thermistor circuit being crudely used to manage the heat and power consumption. Unfortunately, whatever Lasko employed isn't working that well. Lest there be any confusion, a lower wattage heater is NOT more energy efficient or greener. Electric heat, unlike gas forced air, is effectively 100% efficient inside the residence. Losses occur during power transmission and production, but heat is not vented outside the structure as would occur during a combustion process. Hence, greater wattage is better if the circuit breaker can handle it. Other problems with this heater include the brittleness of the plastic. After a few months, the knob and grill cracked. The former had to be replaced with a spare knob from another device. Due to its overall operation, I would not suggest this heater. Lasko could do a better job with the temperature and power control circuitry. Cons: Only 725 Watts on high and 490 watts on low Brittle plastic Pros: Inexpensive