In 2019, I specified a Dimplex gas heater for a workshop because the fuel cost per BTU looked unbeatable. What I didn't calculate was the installation cost, the venting, the permits, and the two weeks of downtime waiting for a gas fitter. By the time it was running, the total cost was nearly double the quote. That's when I stopped comparing unit prices and started comparing total cost of ownership (TCO).
I'm a facilities coordinator who's been handling heating and airflow orders for six years. I've personally made (and documented) three significant mistakes, totaling roughly $12,000 in wasted budget. Now I maintain our team's equipment checklist so the next person doesn't repeat them.
Dimplex makes everything from bathroom heaters to dehumidifiers to commercial cooling fans, so the brand was never the problem. The problem was picking a product category before understanding what the total cost would be. This article compares two setups I've used:
- Setup A: Fixed Dimplex gas heater + attic fan for whole-space heating and ventilation
- Setup B: Portable Dimplex fan heater downflow 2kW + Lasko fan for spot heating and airflow
The goal is to help you decide which combination makes sense for your building, your season, and your budget. Not because one brand is better—because the right choice depends on how you count the costs.
Why I Stopped Comparing Unit Prices
In my first year, I made the classic beginner mistake: comparing the price per watt instead of the cost per installed and running system. The Dimplex gas heater won on paper. Then the quotes for gas line installation, venting, and the electrician's visit arrived. The savings were gone before the first heating season ended.
Per FTC guidelines (ftc.gov), energy claims have to be substantiated. That's a good rule for buyers too—check the documentation, not the package label. I've learned that 'energy-efficient' can mean many things, depending on who prints it.
Three things matter when I compare heating systems now, in this order:
- Installation cost (including permits, labor, and downtime)
- Monthly energy cost (actual, not marketing-estimated)
- Maintenance cost over the expected life
The $500 quote turned into $800 after shipping, setup, and revision fees. The $650 all-inclusive quote was actually cheaper. I now run a TCO line before I call any supplier.
Dimension 1: Installation and Total Cost of Ownership
Setup A: Dimplex gas heater + attic fan
The gas heater itself was competitively priced. The attic fan was cheap. But the overall installation was not.
- Gas line connection: $300
- Venting and flue: $450
- Electrical work and thermostat wiring: $220
- Permit and inspection: $120
- Downtime waiting for trades: 1–2 weeks
Total add-on cost: roughly $1,100. That's the hidden part of the iceberg. And that's before the first utility bill.
Setup B: Dimplex fan heater downflow 2kW + Lasko fan
Plug-in installation. No gas fitter, no permit, no waiting. The downflow heater mounts to the ceiling or wall, and the Lasko fan sits wherever you need airflow. Setup time: about 20 minutes.
Which setup is cheaper depends on how you count. For a permanent workshop used every day for five years, the gas heater's lower fuel cost eventually pays back the installation. For a temporary site or a two-season rental, the portable option wins by a mile. In my case, the breakeven was around 2.8 years.
The numbers said go with gas. My gut said stick with portable heaters. I went with the numbers. Later, when we moved to a smaller site, I realized the spreadsheet hadn't accounted for flexibility. That's when I learned that TCO includes the cost of changing your mind.
Dimension 2: Heat Distribution and Airflow
The Dimplex fan heater downflow 2kW pushes heat downward from a high mount. It's excellent for spot-heating a workstation or a loading bay door area. The Dimplex gas heater warms the entire space faster, but it needs air circulation to distribute that heat evenly.
This is where the airflow comparison comes in.
An attic fan is a whole-building ventilation device. It removes hot air from the upper zone, which helps in summer and can reduce cooling load. In winter, it works with a heat source to prevent stratification—warm air pooling near the ceiling while the floor stays cold.
A Lasko fan is the opposite: portable, cheap, and incredibly flexible. It's not trying to ventilate a building. It's trying to move air in a specific spot. In my current setup, I use a Lasko fan to push warm air from the Dimplex fan heater across the room. It works better than relying on the heater's built-in fan alone.
One isn't automatically better than the other. But if you're comparing them for a temporary workspace, the Lasko fan gives you more options for less money. Not ideal for every building, but workable for most.
Dimension 3: Smart Controls and Programmability
Dimplex sells a lot of heaters with built-in programmable thermostats, and that changes the TCO picture. A Dimplex fan heater downflow 2kW with a thermostat can cycle based on room temperature, not just run until you remember to switch it off. The same applies to many Dimplex panel and convector heaters.
Setup A typically uses a wall thermostat. That's fine, but it's an extra part to buy and wire. Some attic fans have their own thermostat or humidistat; others don't. If you want the fan to come on only above 30°C, you need that control.
In terms of TCO, smart controls save money by reducing run time. They also add upfront cost and complexity. I've seen buyers skip the programmable thermostat to save $40, then burn $200 in extra electricity in one season. Penny wise, pound foolish.
Dimension 4: Maintenance and the Air Filter Direction Problem
Here's the mistake that embarrasses me most. We installed two units with return filters, and nobody marked the airflow direction. The filters were in backwards for three weeks. The result: restricted airflow, higher running costs, and a service call that could have been avoided.
The answer to "which way does air filter go" is simple: the edge with the arrow points toward the air handler or fan, not away from it. On the Dimplex fan heater, the filter sits before the heating element, so the arrow points in the direction of airflow into the unit. On the Lasko fan, there's no filter at all—the back panel removes for cleaning. Simpler, but it also means more frequent dusting of the blades.
Maintenance costs are part of TCO, and they're easy to underestimate:
- Gas heater annual service: $90–$150
- Filters and belts: $30–$60 per year
- Service call for a filter mistake: $180 (learned that one personally)
- Fan motor replacement on a portable unit: $40 if you DIY
Looking back, I should have put airflow arrows on every filter with a paint marker. At the time, it seemed too obvious to need marking. It wasn't.
What I'd Choose Now (With the Wisdom of Hindsight)
If the building is permanent and you plan to stay for more than three heating seasons, the Dimplex gas heater + attic fan setup wins on TCO. The installation cost gets amortized, and the lower fuel cost makes a real difference over five-plus years.
If you're renting, moving between sites, or running a small workshop that doesn't need full-time heat, buy the Dimplex fan heater downflow 2kW and a Lasko fan. It's not a dramatic decision—it's simple math. But it's the kind of math I skipped in 2019.
If I could redo that first purchase, I'd build a five-year cost table before calling the gas fitter. I'd include the cost of waiting, the cost of moving, and the cost of being wrong. Given what I knew then—nothing about the gas fitter's schedule or our upcoming site move—my choice was reasonable. But 'reasonable' isn't the same as 'optimal.'
That's the real lesson: total cost of ownership is not just a spreadsheet exercise. It's a way of admitting what you don't know yet. The checklist I maintain now includes space for that uncertainty. It has saved us more than the $12,000 I burned in the first two years.