Just ran across a two-page spread in the Sunday paper for the Heat Surge Roll ‘n Glow portable electric fireplace which set off a red flag alert in my blog-addled mind. The company HeatSurge, LLC has a website amishfireplaces.com where you can enter a code to presumably get 2 free heating units during this special offer by purchasing the accompanying Amish-made mantle, you just have to respond within a 1-800-ripmeoff-ish 48 hours.
The headline for the ad reads “Amish man’s new miracle idea helps home heat bills hit rock bottom” which would indicate that an Amish man (traditional Amish sects disavow the use of electricity, phones and mechanized stuff) invented this product. The small print states that the heating technology itself was actually invented by an “engineering genius” in China. The Amish are making the handcrafted wooden mantle. Some consumers have taken issue with the company’s claims, with the most comprehensive evaluation appearing on Yahoo! Answers here.
The other claim in the ads is that the unit consumes less electricity than an electric coffee-maker (I believe that is if they are on for the same amount of time) while producing over 5000 BTU’s of heat and that you can save amazing amounts of cash on your home heating bill by moving the unit from room to room. (The Paul Harvey endorsed, EdenPure, makes similar claims). In both cases, though, turning the heat down in the rooms you’re not currently in, is not normal home owner behavior. ConsumerReports.org has a post on space heaters and lower heating bills. The Heat Surge units do appear to create a nice fireplace-like appearance, don’t require a chimney or flue, and can be rolled around the home. Checkout ConsumerSearch.com or pick-up the October Consumer Reports for a closer look at space heater ratings.
A better way to conserve heat might be to add some insulation to your home and get programmable thermostats that can regulate your home heating by zone and time to enable you to turn the heat down when you’re not home or in a particular room. Do your research before jumping to throw money at a ‘miracle’ offer that appears to be too good to be true. Also consider safety issues concerning space heaters. Portable space heaters cause thousands of home fires each year.
Anyone who has purchased one of these units or done additional research on the Heat Surge product, please chime in.
Related: Space Heater Alternatives to Heat Surge and Heat Surge Update
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WOW. I’m glad I read some of your comments concerning electric bills when using these so-called Amish Built Heaters. I was going to purchase a Heat Surge or a Eden Pure for a 24×30 garage. I don’t believe I’m going with an electric heater now. Thanks for the comments. I have only read a few comments where they only noticed a little change in their electric bills, everyone else says they are dissatified.
you retards that think your getting something free obviously have no common sense and need to learn how to read. like LS. J said it the best! You people need to realize that you live in America. NOTHING IS FREE! When have you ever gotten anything for free in your life?? And your mom and welfare doesnt count..
This place is a TOTAL rip-off, and anyone who is considering dealing with them should RUN. My Mother bought one of these space heaters and after I told her of all the complaints about them, she canceled the order, and it has been like pulling teeth to get these idiots to give me an indication of when she will get her money back. I have called at least 15 times in the past few days, and is all I get is “We can’t get into our computer system right now.” ??!! WTH? Its either that or they are “having a large volume of callers” and will call me back asap. So far, no calls. Again, I tried a few minutes ago, and got the old “we can’t get into our computers right now” line of BS. Its just a shame they are making a nice bit of interest on my Mom’s money that is just sitting there. Unfortunately she paid by check, and I’ve told her NEVER do that again. Use the plastic!! At least you can get your $$ back. I fear she is out $445.00. They should be ashamed.
The heat surge at the $279 price is a total waste of money…they barely blow out hot air and they make the electrical meter move very fast. A better alternative would be to go out and buy a $50 model from Walmart…It will at least heat a small room and you just saved yourself $225. Customer service was poor and it took forever to get the paperwork to return it, as well as being on the phone with customer service for at least an hour. IMO
Man! Comments going back to Dec 07. Some pro (probably plants) most con. Saw the ad on TV again. These guys are ripping people off left and right! It’s a SCAM people, don’t buy these things! A BTU is a BTU and “heat” is “heat” there is no measurement in its quality! Furthermore, I doubt the Amish folks have anything to do with this, and are too reserved to say so. Let the buyer beware!!!!!!
My wife and I have been researching an economical way to heat our basement (recently finished) and thought the Amish fireplace would be a great functional enhancement. Just a little research revealed – steer clear.
I subscribe to Consumer Reports (CR) and the short version is they recommend: DeLonghi SafeHeat Flat Panel Micathermic HHP 1500 $80 to heat an entire room (not just spot heating). Factors like efficiency, tipover shut-off, overheat protection, and a reliable thermostat were all rated high.
If you’re looking for a “fireplace” heater, Lowes has several reliable models, but expect to pay $250 – $1000. Also CR states that no “miracle” electric heaters exist. (The Eden Pure came in with one of the lowest ratings!)
I hope this helps folks – I was definitely hoping that there was some legitimate technology breakthrough that produced a low cost heater but, alas – not so much. Good luck and God bless.
I was almost going to purchase one of these. I’ve read 3 hours worth of feedback. Regardless of what folks are saying about the Amish and lying advertising. I’m looking to save money and heat my house safely. I don’t care about the lavishness of the lie in the ads. But I can say, that I purchased comfort Zone heater last year for my boys bedroom and I did the same research as I am doing now, found many of the same sceptics and bought it anyways. I am totally happy with that purchase. I can sleep at night and know that my kids are safe and warm and it’s not killing my bank account. We’ve had some really cold night again recently in the north. I’m looking to again supliment the heating in another room. I like the stylish look of these fireplaces and thus set out to research them. Hours later, I’ve come to the conclusion that I haven’t read anywhere that the fireplaces use infrared heat. Which is what I do like about the comfort zone heater. Which makes it safe and won’t start a fire. Nock on wood!!, that’s what I research and have experienced to date with it. My boys love it (ages 3-8) they play around it, on it and in front of it. It’s the absolute only sourch of heat in their bedroom. The house was built without heat ducts to the upstairs room! of course I bought it in the summer and didn’t realized that then! All this said, I’m giving up wanting the look for safety and am purchasing another Confort Zone heater. Good Luck to everyone in their searching and if you are interested in knowing about Infrared Heating here the link I used/will use again to get my heater(s). http://www.infraredappliances.com/index.html
My mother-in-law bought one of these heaters last winter. What a joke!! First of all, good luck with that 2-year warranty – her’s had damage to the wooden cabinet when it arrived an she has had absolutely no success getting them to stand behind the warranty. Second, this thing produces about enough heat to keep a large broom-closet warm – what a waste of money. I spent about the same amount on a 30,000 btu natural gas heater that heats my entire house to the point that my gas furnace rarely kicks-on (and temperatures have been below zero this winter). Several of her friends have purchased them also, with similar results. Don’t waste your money on this piece of junk.
Concerning the post by Bob Ninas… He lives where the temperature is 10 below(didn’t say if that was F or C)? His gas bill is only $57 and electric bill is only $88 running these heaters 24/7? Where does he live, in a tool shed??? And electricity is what, like 1 cent per kilowatt? That’s ridiculous!! If you like the heaters, that’s fine – your prerogative. But, at least make up something credible. And get your head in the sunshine!
First of all, for everyone out there complaining about the customer service: I work as a CSR for the company and can tell you first hand that a lot of improvements were made from 2007. In 2008 the number of BBB complaints went down 70%, and if you go to the BBB website, make sure you also check out major franchises too. Infact, most of the companies you search on their site have an unsatisfactory or D – F rating (ie Wendy’s, Walmart, Taco Bell). Secondly, there is never a problem with returning the units if they are damaged, as long as a person is within the warranty. If someone is complaining that they knocked over their Heat Surge, and now it doesnt work and they purchased it 2 years ago, how can you expect us to compensate for their mistake? Also, a lot of people are complaining that their units came damaged, and those of you smart enough to use your real names might like the other readers here to know that you purchased a “Scratch and Dent” fireplace at a discounted rate. The maximum warranty on the unit is 90 days, and can not be returned due to physical appearance. The reason for the low rate is so that you can fix the minor imperfections yourself, why else would you purchase a visually imperfect heater? Another thing, in terms of the returns of units within the 30 day satisfaction warranty: the legal memorandum all customer service agents have on their desk states that the unit can be returned within 30 days for a full refund including shipping, as long as the the unit is in the original shipping carton, this info can also be found in your paperwork. To state that we are a scam is false, the fact that only 40 or so different people commented on this website over the course of a year and change should tell you that….considering we sell 4000-9000 of these units A DAY!!!!! Lets get real, if they were a scam, people would know not to buy them, they wouldnt have the popularity they do, oh and in 2008, we wouldnt have had only a 2% returning for refund figure. If a unit comes damaged, call us and we can pick it up and get you a new one, if you didnt order a scratch and dent. Also, we have been experiencing a high call volume and are forced to offer a call back at times, so not to overload our switchboard. Hey, be happy all customer service is done right here in Canton, Ohio, and not ABUDABOO, Taliban Iraq or wherever every other company you purchase crap from is located. This problem with be resolved shortly, as we are having a job fair next week to hire new employees. The company has grown 3000% in 7 years, dont mess with the numbers guys, the company knows what theyre doing. If you doubt me, order one anyways, hell if you dont like it you got 30 days, with no cost to you if you hate the thing.
Where can I get some technical details on this product. How does it work etc.
Purchased a heatsurge to get use from a room we close off. Doesn’t put out enough heat to supplement 275 square feet and is very nosy. Purchased in August – didn’t use until November and it died the 2nd week of January. I got approx. 60 days of use but cannot return for complete refund because it exceeds 90 days. Can’t find that in paperwork. They will replace and pay shipping for which I’m thankful. My recommendation is to buy another type heater that will probably be cheaper.
I kinda fiqured these were a joke, I’m a heating tech/installer. I can buy a 50,000 btu furnace for 385.00 Whats wrong with this picture.
Well, I was thinking about getting one, but decided against it.
I just keep the thermostat set on 65 and snuggle up on the couch during the evening with a hand crocheted blanket which I made myself. (cost $30.00)
Let us pray!
http://www.miraculousbeads.com
The fireplace feeling is nice I admit. HOWEVER, when I took the unit out of the box and set it on the floor it almost tipped over. I looked at the bottom where there are 4 casters. Two were in the correct position. The other two look as if a 3 year old installed them. It is absolutely ridiculous the way this was installed. I quickly repositioned them (with my 2 1/2 year old, since he thought it was fun). By putting the Amish name on the box, everyone just assumes quality. That is bunk. As a matter of principal, I do not recommend purchasing one. If anyone would like to see the picture of how the casters were positioned, email me at cgmoses@hotmail.com and I will send you the picture.
Thank You all…… I ordered, got on this web page and cancelled. All within an hour…..
Hi, as others I wanted one of these after seeing the ad on tv, after a little research I found this blog which then really confussed me, hesitated but went on and bought one. It took forever to get it almost three weeks, but I love it. But I didn’t order it to heat the whole house just my bedroom to take the chill off. I also bought it for looks didn’t want an ugly space heater. I purchased the cherry and love it. So I guess it depends on why you want it and how often you plan on using it.
My neighbor just took delivery of his Amish heater and the first thing he noticed is these are not solid wood. It is a verneer glued over particle board. The heater itself is also not as advertised. Better off with a nice oilfilled radiator style electric heater. Very efficient and these are made of REAL STEEL casing. Anyone buying one of these Amish heaters is truely being taken to the cleaners.
I think the only positive responses here are from the crooks who are responsible for making these things. Go directly to jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.
Cindy and Jen – where did you purchase your fireplace? I cannot find anything for the price you paid, but I would like to!
Thanks.
I’ve had ond of those Surge Heaters for about three monthes now. In the TV commercial it says the electronics are from China. They aren’t hiding it. The Cabinet is very well made as advertised. It looks like all these short-sited comments here are not at all justified. Oh yes, the Amish are cons and crimminals? Get real dumbasses! I guess you folks were expecting the Surge Heater to operate free of charge. My electric bill has fallen 15 percent!It doesn’t surprise me to see unfair negative comments; some people, it seems, can only make disgraceful comments. A-holes!
Is Dimplex any better.
This is the SAME fake fireplace as we have in our RV, which is two years old.
The tiny fan got increasingly noisy, so we unplugged the silly thing. It sits there, taking RV space, until we pay someone to design a matching cabinet to put in its place.
Yes, we DID like it at first. But it really is not as good as the $50 electric heater we bought at Home Depot.
I have contacted the customer service department at HeatSurge. I returned my fireplace because it is too large for the area I wanted it for. The agent, Lisa, that I spoke with was great. She didn’t give me any hassle and sent me a label to return the unit. She didn’t give me any hassle. It was very easy. The 30 day money back guarantee is a full money back guarantee. I had my money credited on my next credit card statement. This company was really easy to work with. If they come out with a smaller fireplace I won’t hesitate to try it out.
Was curious about the heater at first and was taking them at their word about the savings on the heating(which is what I mainly bought it for)with the ambiance factor being secondary. While waiting in anticipation of recieving it, I decided today(a week later)to re-think my $441 purchase and came to the conclusion that a regular $30 space heater in an enclosed room would pretty much do the same thing without taking up as much room, and less the initial sticker shock. So I decided to cancel my order since they told me it would take 10 days to ship hoping to get a refund before they put it out the door. I connected to a live person within 10 minutes and they verified my info asking my order number and usual info to make sure it was me. She was polite and was ready to cancel the order but with the usual tactics to re-sell me on the product(as they are told to do) by reading to me the vital stats on the “revolutionary, new, 2 year old” technology (no real satisfactory technological info though) in order to get me to re-think my cancellation. I respectfully declined and she told me that it had already been shipped out but she would put an intercept on the shipment to UPS. I then decided to do a little research on the Heat Surge technology and came to this site. I can just say that it affirmed my concerns about making the impulse purchase. None of the pro Amish Fireplace customers had overwhelming evidence that it was a “mircle” heater worth paying $350+ more than an average space heater from anywhere else. After reading the various posts I checked on the UPS site and saw the intercept notice on the unit being shipped to me(which was 15 minutes or so after talking to the rep). I talked to the rep at Heat Surge(Amish Fireplace) again and she assured me that they usually apply the refund within the next billing cycle(within 30 days) after the cancellation request. So it’s a waiting game from here. So far everyone I’ve talked to at the company seems to be courteous and professional in dealing with the customer. As for the product, I have not seen it nor do I have any opinion on it except that I let the newspaper ad convince me temporarily to make an impulse purchase.(live and learn, again) I will see how long it actully takes to get the refund back. God bless. P.S. Come on folks. The ad hominems need to stop. We’re talking about a heater here.
“That’s assuming the people in the barn are actual Amish crafts-persons, and not just porn-stars on a day off.”
LOL
Why don’t they explain the so-called miracle technology in the ads? Why do you need to manufacture something with parts made from different countries? Labor and raw material are more cheaper overseas, so why even add this Amish angle to the product? I have seen online ads for caskets made in China and by the Amish. Both supposedly made of solid wood like Mahogany. My one question is this, if this creation is truly the all time energy saving invention of all time, then why don’t they stop installing heating units in newly manufactured homes?
I was given one on these heaters by my father for christmas last year. I was working beautifully and I did notice a decrease in my electric bill. However, shortly after the warrenty was up it STOPPED WORKING. My father also gave one to my broher and his never worked and had to be sent back for replacement. His new one works (for now) but the exchange took several month’s. If your heater will only run for a year where is that any savings
I bought one of these heaters for my home in Montana. I thought it worked very well to take the chill off in early fall and early spring.
The fact that I did not have to turn my boiler on until late Sept. and was able to shut it off in early April is where I was able to see my savings. Just a little warmth in the evenings and mornings. To think this unit would warm my entire home in mid-winter in Montana would just be unreasonable.
Ok I keep seeing this commercial and now Infomercial on all day every day and what bugs me is my Grandfather & Grandmother were Amish and left the church at 16 and I know that this doesn’t fit the stories I grew up with. Now my grandfather spends his days in his work shop building Amish style hampers and Baskets by hand all day long everyday. So I did some research and it didn’t take long to figure out my gut was right. I thought when I told my grandfather about this product he would be mad but I go to his house and right there sitting in the living room (NEXT TO HIS REAL FIREPLACE) is this damn Faux Amish Fireplace! I about lost it. So now I know my 90 year old grandfather has officially lost his damn mind.
After reading so many of these comments for those not familiar with the Amish (I live about an hour from Lancaster Co, Pa where there is also a very dense population of the Amish people) there are different sects of this community just as there are different sects for many religions. Growing up in a stricly Jewish neighborhood I believe there are 4 different types or levels of that religion. If you are very religious (or Orthodox) you have 2 different kitchens and all dishes and flatware, etc. I am Catholic, there have been quite a few changes over the years with the Church as well, eating meat on Fridays, being able to go to Mass on a Saturday instead of Sunday and never knew a Pope to wear Prada yet there are people in his faith that are starving but it is the biggest money making operation in the world. So basically something can be said about just about anything and everything. So with that being said…the issue is safety. Common sense tells you that a space heater will not heat a mansion type of home that so many have bought to keep up with or out do the “Jones’s”. Most of those people cannot even afford to furnish a lot of those rooms let alone heat them. And there was no mention made as to the height of ceilings…hot air rises. So if you are in one of these “mansions” I think one would have to sit right in front of it to get any benefit. The Amish are excellent woodworkers so I do believe the mantals used are exceptional and not slapped together flakeboard. As far as the inserts if you go to the websites provided within the article you will see that steps are being taken to resolve problems. I now live in a ranch house and not the city and for the first time I am using oil heat. I didn’t think I would like it at all but was I ever wrong. I get one fill up per year & do not have a monthly bill. Would I try one of these heaters, maybe, but for now I have a real fireplace and that really only heats the living room, etc. It does not heat the whole house. I think people complain just to have something to complain about. Look back years ago with babies dying because their mother’s placed cribs too close to windows with the cords hanging from the blings. Doesn’t sound like those mother’s had 2 brain cells that met, maybe they just floated around up there never making a connection. As with anything electric one has to be careful and have a little common sense. Oh and by the way some of the Amish now have indoor plumbing! They never had that before. I used to go to an auction there and bought a Kitchenaid stainless steel inside and out dishwasher for $6.00 so help me God. The Amish were outside bidding on farming tools, because yes, that is there way of life. But they also have a terrible teen drug problem just like many other places and also teen pregnancy. I do commend these people for living off the earth as maybe the rest of us should have and now we would not be as worried about global warming as the world has been abused. But as far as the heaters go…anything electrical can be a danger, so guess what, keep your eyes and ears open for any problems. I am sure that everyone here that has commented has a smoke detector in properly placed locations in their homes….. Anyway, common sense is always the key. Oh and just a footnote..I saw on the news yesterday a 92 year old man froze to death in his own house because he didn’t know what to pay first, for his prescriptions, heat, electric, food, etc. What a disgrace!!! Sorry I have went off on a tangent but an Amish cabinet and another company’s insert is a problem but just a spit in the ocean. Again, common sense is the key. And also money can buy anything even black marks against a company, etc. Money has let people off the hook for murders so why should people take such stock in Consumer Reports as though it were the “Bible”. It is a great tool, but not law.
Why do they throw the word “Amish” around so much in the ad? The Amish don’t make the heater…check out the website…the heater is made by Andong Electrical Appliances. A quick Google search shows that outfit to be in China. Even if the Amish make good wood products, that’s hardly relevant here. Do you think those folks in the Amish-looking clothing in the ads are anything but salesmen?
Wife bought one. I could not convince her otherwise. It seemed to work all right. Her dad bought two. Sent one back to be replaced when it quit working with no problems at all. Two days later my wife’s quits working. It is out of the original warranty. The fire place lights and the fan works but no heat. I call customer service and sit forever waiting for some one to pickup the phone. I do the leave my name and # thing and no response.
I called them again today wait for ever, some gal named Deb picks up the phone and wants my name and # to call me back. I said that is ok I will wait be cause you have not called me back yet from the last time. She said I could not wait on hold. I said okay let me talk to someone in tech or repair. She said they did not have any one to fix them. I said so if it does not work after 14 months (with not being on for ten months) I can’t get it fixed? She said No. I said there is no place in the world you know of where I can get this fixed or parts? Again she said no. I asked how that works. You sell a product that can’t be repaired? Finally she took my number and surprise no call yet.
So if any of the other workers from Heat Surge get on here to defend themselves or their product. Pick up the phone and call me back and let me know how I can get this fixed. I was happy with it until it quit. I see that Chris Pugh is on other site saying how wonderful his company is. Well email me Chris so I can get this fixed. mnkc@charter.net
Recently a friend gave me the ad for the HeatSurge fireplace when my central furnace died. He thought it might be a good interim solution. Since seeing the ad, I’ve been doing what I always do – researching the product. I’ve read hundreds of comments from mostly dissatisfied customers, although some were satisfied, and some from HeatSurge employees who are clearly defending their company. And not very professionally in some cases.
What I have concluded is HeatSurge is a real company owned by a parent company that owns other businesses, the heater is real, and if you purchase it you will receive it. Therefore, it’s not really a “scam” in my mind. But is it a crappy product? Before I buy anything I research opinions from what I can only assume are real owners. In the case of this heater, the dissatisfied far outweigh the satisfied, so I won’t be buying one.
What I do find interesting is how the product is marketed. Full page ads in newspapers are expensive, and HeatSurge is buying full page ads in many major newspapers and advertising in other media. So their advertising budget must be quite large. Therefore, given the relative low cost of the product to the consumer, the cost of the product to HeatSurge must be significantly lower to offset their advertising costs and still make some profit. Huge advertising budgets for inexpensive products generally indicates sub-par quality.
As far as bashing the Amish about working with HeatSurge, the Amish need to make money too. A business partnership is just business. So just get off their back about it. And some Amish do use elecricity for certain things, and many have cell phones and laptops. It depends on their church doctrine.
As far as the heater being some miracle and saving huge amounts on heating bills, well that’s just advertising. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand their heater is not a new innovation and is really nothing more than a fancy space heater. Similar units are sold at Home Depot, Lowes, and other building supply stores for about the same price.
In my opinion, HeatSurge borders on making false claims in their ads. But if you read carefully, it probably cannot be considered false advertising. They do, however, disguise the truth by redirecting the readers attention and focusing on the word “free”, which of course nothing really is. Clever wordsmithing in advertising is also nothing new.
Same old story people, let the buyer beware. My recommendation is to never make an impulsive buying decision based on bloated advertising claims, and research the hell out of what you are considering buying so you can make an educated decision. Whatever happens after that is just fate.
Good old USA bs marketing wins again.
This is sleazy marketing on a terrible product. The fifty dollar return charge alone makes this company five million dollars on 100,000 units sold…and it sounds like lots have fallen for this, so I can only imagine how much money they are making off the poor, the eldery and gullible folks out there! My friend has one, it is definitely veneer, it looks terrible and it lets off less heat than the 19.99 cube heater I got at CVS recently. I can only hope that more people Google this product before they buy.
I certainly hope everyone realizes that the perfectly written, “folksy” positive reviews are all written by the scam artists trying to put a positive spin on their scam.
They know the value of modern internet blog marketing and are posting false positive reviews all over the web.
scam artists.. stay away.
Maybe a slight correction, to my knowledge Amish do not ‘disavow’ the use of electricity, many have electric generators for the convenience and safety of electric lighting in places like their barns over oil lamps or candles.
What they do disavow is relying on the grid. Their fundamental objective is to live a life that is condusive to being self sufficient. Nothing wrong with that in my mind. We’d all be better off to at least be prepared to live, (AND KNOW HOW TO..), like them if we needed to at any given moment.
As to this scam ‘heater’. Ok.. ANYTHING that uses electricity, (assumming less than 100% efficiency), is going to generate heat. Thus, my computer is a ‘heater’, a light bulb is a ‘heater’, the coffee maker they reference is a ‘heater’. Their mention of it generating ‘5100 BTU’ is TOTALLY MEANINGLESS statement. My cell phone charger ‘generates 5100 BTU’ and so does yours! My furnace generates 5100 BTU, so does the SUN AND YOUR OWN BODY! How can I say that? Because a BTU is a UNIT OF ENERGY NOT “POWER” Power is a RATE OF ENERGY. Your hair dryer is rated in watts – a RATE of energy. Your furnace can be rated in watts or the more common equivalent – BTU PER HOUR (usually in thousands units I think?). So yes, this thing can generate 5100 BTU but over how long a period of TIME? A cell phone charger that gives off, say, 2 watts of heat can also be expressed as giving off about 6.82 BTUs per hour. So yes it WILL deliver 5100 BTU … in about a month!
The Sun generates about 3.88E23 BTU/second so it generates 5100 BTU in about .000000000000000000013 seconds!
In their ad they reference that it uses no more electricty than a coffee maker. Again, they AVOID the issue of TIME. That on top of ‘we’re giving the heater for free’ so no matter how you might want to complain they can easily just say that you got what you paid for – ZERO!
Mike M., BSME
To Mike M.:
I saw all of the verbage posted by the “heat surge” people as I scrolled through the posts, and said to myself that I would finally post a note regarding their misleading ad statement “produces an amazing 5,119 BTU’s” to see if they are actually truthful at all, or just intent on putting out a lot of “Toro Dung.” As I reached the bottom, I saw your post of today, which (hitting the nail squarely on the head) correctly says exactly what I wanted to say. Fact: a candle, a light bulb, the human body, a dog, anything that makes heat will EVENTUALLY produce 5,119 BTUs. If the heat surge people want to give any sense of credibility, and it is obvious that they monitor this site, I want to see them change their ads to say “produces 5,119 BTUs per hour.” Simple physics: 1.5 KW x 3413 BTU/Hr per KW = 5,119 BTUs per hour. When I learned physics in the 11th grade, this was simple units analysis. Let’s see if the ad ever gets changed. I actually sent them an E-Mail a month or so ago since I couldn’t even get any detailed technical specifications from their web site. This lack of specs is a BIG WARNING FLAG by itself. When I first called about a year ago to get some more information on their scam, the phone rep that I talked to actually had to go off-hook when I asked what the wattage of the unit was, since she didn’t even have a “cheat sheet” in front of her. Here is the response that I received via E-Mail:
Dear xxxx,
Thank you for contacting Heat Surge in regards to our Flameless Fireplaces.
Our fireplaces do not have a thermostat; however, we find that our customers are very satisfied with High and Low settings that are provided. Unfortunately we do not have pictures to send.
Stay warm,
xxxx
Heat Surge
No thermostat? You have got to be s..tting me! I can go to the local farm store and get a 750/1500 Watt rock solid heater for under $32 with a thermostat. See my post above of Apr 5, 2008. The photos of the units on their web pages suck as far as resolution. Their web site didn’t even have pictures of the controls of the unit, i.e., the Hi/Lo switch, and don’t even think about getting a closeup of the edge of the mantle which would show the horizontal grain on both the front and the sides converging on a corner. Clearly a laminate applied over the “real wood” sawdust-board that is the core material. The other statement in their ad cracks me up: Hi-tech silent heat turbine.” Talk about shoveling the BS – read my lips: A FAN! Their statement “a work of engineering genius from the China coast” can be verified by all of the adverse comments noted above about the frequent failure of the mechano/electrical components of their actual “piece of dog feces manufactured in a sweat-shop in China.”
The success of this company can mainly be attributed to many years of our country’s failing education system and the resulting ignorance of the American public, where the teacher’s unions have made it their priority to keep incompetent teachers on the payroll with raises rather than accomplishing their primary function, which is to provide an education for our children. When I went to school, our teachers actively strived to teach us to be inquisitive and attempted to teach us in such a way that we retained what was taught. My kids, who are now away in college, if asked about something that I know was taught(?) to them in high school, would routinely respond, when they couldn’t answer, “they taught us that last year.” So much for retention.
I have already talked many people in my local community out of even considering a purchase of the heat surge, simply by stating the simple facts that both Mike and myself have stated here. Hopefully, more people will read this blog and consider ALL of the facts before spending over $300 more than they need to in order to purchase an inexpensive electric heater.
Thanks for all the comments. My wife and I saw the ad on TV and considered buying one of these heaters. However, after weighing all the facts and comments, we decided to back off of buying it. Thanks again for helping me save $300 or so.
That’s what I thought. SCAM SCAM SCAM. (And “rd” if you hear capital letters yelling at ya, go see an Amish shrink.)
Funny. We just frown on comments over 200 words all in caps. A little combo for emphasis is always fine.
I bought this Heat Surge and recieved it a couple of days ago. It looks so nice and the flames just blow your mind away and ……make you FORGET that this thing doesn’t give ANY heat what so ever!!!! I have it in a small room and it just doesn’t do S#@#. This crap is going back as soon as possible. I’m NOT paying $438.00 to just sit here frezing my #$%% off looking at “flames” !!!
Save your money people it is a COLD deal!!!
This unit would be even more efficient if it ran on 220v. But 110 is expensive any way you look at it. The Amish angle is just that. An angle for marketing… If it’s engineered by the Chinese, where in the photo are the Chinese? I have Cadet soft heat (on 220v) in each room and can regulate each room individually, and it is VERY efficient.
I’ll pass on the space heater, thank you.
I am glad I checked out this site.People tend to believe because someone like Paul Harvey endorses it it must be great.I was skepticle and typed in heat surge consumer comments and found this.Im out of work and trying to save money,so this forum made me decide to go buy a 30 dollar space heater.Also a heads up,if your looking at a home business, avoid SMC like the plague.Read the consumer complaints abut them, tame compared to here.
Wow. A lot of good comments. I was thinking of buying on of these things and your comments have really convinced me I can do better. Can anyone help me out? I live in a concrete slab townhome in chilly ND…..our floor heating no longer works and is difficult to replace. We use an eletric oil filled heating unit downstairs and it does OK….I’d really like something else to keep the downstairs warm without running the electric furnice…my place is all electric by the way. If you got any ideas, I’d appreciate them. My e-mail is rwgrandforks@yahoo.com
I picked one of the Heatsurge units up today for my mom. She works all day and her house is kept at 62 degrees. She usually cranks it up to 70 degrees as soon as she gets home. But, she spends the bulk of her time in one room. So, the Heatsurge was a perfect fit for her. She will leave the thermostat alone and fire up the Heatsurge. I wanted to mention that they have set up shop in N. Canton,OH (44720). When we arrived, they had a large selection of scratch and dent units. I looked the units over and saw very little wrong with them. We selected an oak unit. There was a slight variation in the wood species. They plugged it in and fired it up for us. We walked out of the store with the unit with remote for $230.00. I followed up with my Mom to see how the unit was performing and she loved it. We will be taking a hard look at the electric bills over the next few months to see if there is a savings. JP – Barberton,OH
I love their commercials I always get a good laugh from the guys in the Amish hats banging nails into their particle board mantles. Anyone can see this is obviously a scam…
I worked at a hardware store in New England where customers were always in need of a space heater for one application or another. As an employee, I was supposed to be knowledgable of the items we sell to be able to help the buyer make an informed decision.
When I first started with the company, it didn’t take me long to realize that I had no clue how these heaters performed. So, I asked the boss if I could take a heater home each night and test its performance to make a comparison. He was elated that I would take this initiative. Ultimately, I discussed my finding with my fellow employees so they had the same helpful information.
Vermont winters can be brutal. I live in a very small, cabin (12′ x 20′) that is well insulated. My primary heat is from a Rinnai propane wall hung space heater, obviously the smallest unit they sell. Testing the various models of space heaters one at a time, with the Rinnai off, over a two week period in this controlled area was very revealing.
The results? The Vornado VH2 was by far the best heater I tested. It far exceeded the performance of all the heaters. Hands down! You can see it at vornado.com. It sells for around 80 dollars
As has been stated over and over above, you can only get so much out of 1500 watts at 120 volts. Such was the rating of each of the heaters I tried. It’s the apparent design of the Vornado that causes the heat to feel like it was wrapping itself around me rather than just warming my legs. Finally, it was the only one I actually had to turn off because it became so warm inside the cabin! Yes, the temperature outside was still in the teens.
As a former state certified investigator for consumer affairs, I grow weary of these midleading ads on TV. (Please don’t tell me you bought a NuWave Pro Oven!!) But, as Olav the Viking so aptly said it on Jan 31st, as long as kids today continue to receive substandard education from inept teachers, the crooks on the infomercials will continue to rape the consumer. What a shame.
The Amish Heater? A scam. Heat? It ain’t gonna happen for ya’ Ambience? Unless you want to pay the big bucks for the fancy fake flames, try candles.
If you go to heatsurgetv dot com there is a mantle for $300.00. There is an older website called heat surge that has only two options available with the lowest being 350. So, if your gonna order then at least go to the correct website.
I have heard more and more about the Fireplaces.. the charm is in the name I think you can get an electric fireplace anywhere now.. even home depot, Loews, etc.. check this one out…
http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100633067&N=10000003+502615+90401&marketID=90401&locStoreNum=8125
Less than mail order and you have someone to visit..enjoy..