When it comes to keeping warm in the winter, Japan offer a variety of heaters. Read on to find out which one works best for you and how to use it efficiently.
Table of Contents
Wall-mounted HVAC Unit
Wall-mounted heating and cooling units are most common in Japan, with central heating and cooling not common for residential buildings. More than likely, your wall unit has this dual functionality. Not every unit is the same, but in general, here are a few key points for using your HVAC unit to stay warm this winter.
Cleaning your filters
Not only does having a dirty filter require your heating unit to use more energy, if too much dust collects, there’s a (slight) risk of fire. And, more annoyingly, turning on any heating unit that has dust around the heating coils will result in a terrible burning smell. For most wall mounted units, the filters can be removed by carefully lifting up the front panel and sliding the filters out. Even a quick monthly vacuuming of both sides of the filter can make a huge difference. More specific directions can be found in your heater’s manual or on diagrams displayed on the inside of the unit.
Turning on the unit
If you’ve used the air conditioning functionality of your HVAC unit, using the heating function should be relatively similar. Look on your remote for a button that says 暖房 (だんぼう danbou). This will turn on the heater. To turn it off, look for the off button, 停止 (ていしい teishi).
Setting the temperature
Now that your heater is on, you can set the temperature, usually denoted with 温度 (おんど ondo), by using the up and down arrows on the remote. The Japanese government recommends people set their heaters to no higher than 20 degrees (Celsius). A word of caution, leaving a heater like this on overnight can dry out the air significantly and cause a sore throat. It’s recommended to turn heaters off before going to sleep or set a timer for it to turn off shortly after going to bed.
Setting a timer
To set a timer that turns the heater off (recommended to use at night so the heater doesn’t dry out the air too much), look for a button that says 切タイマー (きりたいまあ kiritaimaa). Pushing this will often show a duration in 15 minute blocks from the current time to when you would like the heater to turn off. Some may allow you to input a time to set the timer directly. To set a timer for when to turn your heater on (it’s recommended you schedule it to turn on 15-30 minutes before the time you’re expecting to be home), look for the 入タイマー (いりたいまあ iritaimaa) button. Just as above, this is usually given in 15 minute blocks. To cancel any timer, look for a button that says 取消 (とりけし torikeshi).
Electric Oil Heater
Electric oil heaters (オイルヒーター oiruhiitaa) offer many of the same options as a wall-mounted heating and cooling unit, but have the advantage of not drying out the air and are less expensive to use. They warm at a slower rate, but are less prone to tipping over and causing accidents like space heaters.
The functionality is more or less the same, but here’s a quick rundown of how many operate.
Cleaning the coils
Just like with the filter on a wall-mounted HVAC unit, burning dust is not a good smell. While still cool, run a damp cloth over the coils and allow them to dry. This will help remove dust that may have collected on the unit. It’s recommended to store something like this in a bag to help prevent dust from collecting between seasons.
Turning on the unit
Look on the device for a button that says 入 (いり iri) to turn on the unit. To turn it off, look for the off button, 停止 (ていしい teishi).
Setting the temperature
The temperature buttons may be an unlabeled set of up and down arrows, or may be denoted with 温度 (おんど ondo). Since electric oil heaters tend to heat a room more slowly and use less electricity than wall-mounted heaters, going 1 or 2 degrees over the recommended 20 °C is usually ok.
Setting a timer
To set a timer, look for the same buttons that you would on a wall-mounted heater:
- 切タイマー (きりたいまあ kiritaimaa) timer for when to turn the device off
- 入タイマー (いりたいまあ iritaimaa) timer for when to turn the device on
- 取消 (とりけし torikeshi) cancel a timer
Space Heater
Space heaters, or ストーブ (すとおぶ sutoobu), typically have an exposed coil that heats up and is protected by a metal screen. These radiate heat in the area directly in front of them, up to a relatively short distance, but can get very warm. When you’re cold, it’s great to be able to sit directly in front of a space heater and get warm. But because of how hot they can get, space heaters can pose a fire hazard if clothing is laid on top of them or if they tip over. Many have a built-in automatic off switch, so they switch off if they aren’t level on the floor. Space heaters generally have much simpler controls to use, with an off, low, and high mode. Potentially more so than any of the other heaters listed here, it is important that you do your best to clean the coils, especially when first using the space heater after having kept it in storage for a while. Like an oil heater, it’s recommended to store a space heater in a bag so it won’t collect dust when not in use.
With the exception of space heaters, you’ll see the best results (and a cheaper electricity bill) by setting your heater to a lower temperature but leaving it on for longer. Turning a heater up to 23, then turning it off, then turning it back on again once the room cools will cost more than if you had just set the heater to 20 degrees for the entire period. Additionally, the room would be warmer if kept at a constant 20 degrees.
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Photo by Jung Hyeyoung from Pixabay
