Same 1500 Watts product guide
Dr Infrared Heater DR-968 1500W Infrared Cabinet Heater
A main living room or home office with its own circuit and three feet clear front and back
A wheeled cabinet heater that pairs an infrared quartz tube with a PTC element and blows the heat out with a quiet fan. HIGH is 1500 watts, LOW is 1000, and ECO picks between them to hold a set point between 50 and 85 degrees. It has overheat, blocked-intake and tip-over cut-offs, needs three feet clear front and rear, and must plug straight into a grounded wall outlet.
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Published specifications
- Manual: model DR-968, 120V 60Hz, 1500 W, 12.5 A maximum continuous draw, about 5,200 BTU
- Manual: HIGH 1500 W, LOW 1000 W, ECO alternates between them; timer 1-12 hours
- Maker page: electronic thermostat 50-85 F; UL certified; grounded three-prong plug
- Manual: 3 ft (0.9 m) clear from the front and rear; not for bathrooms or outdoors
- Manual: overheat cut-off, inlet-air overheat cut-off and a self-resetting tip-over switch
- Manual: rear electrostatic filter, vacuum monthly; sizes published as 15.5-16 in high, 19-23.5 lb
Fit and limits
Strengths
- Three separate cut-offs are documented: overheat, blocked inlet air, and a tip-over switch that resets itself
- HIGH and LOW are published in watts and the thermostat is set in degrees, not on a numbered dial
- Filter is a vacuum-clean electrostatic panel with no cartridge to buy, and night mode cuts the sampling noise
Caveats
- It samples the room every five minutes by running the fan, so it is never silent in standby
- The warranty sheet asks you to mail back a registration form, and its own headline says 1-3 years
- No extension cord, power strip or surge protector, and it should not share a circuit with another large appliance
A cabinet heater with two elements and a real temperature display
The DR-968 is a wooden-look cabinet heater with wheels. Its manual calls the heating arrangement an Advanced Dual Heating System: one infrared quartz tube plus a PTC element, driven by a blower. The manual's specification page gives 120 volts at 60 hertz, 1500 watts, a maximum continuous draw of 12.5 amps and an output of about 5,200 BTU. Amazon's table and Dr. Heater's own page repeat 1500 watts, 12.5 amps and 5,200 BTU.
The box holds the heater, a remote with two AAA batteries and the manual. The cord is six feet long according to the listing, and the plug is a grounded three-prong type. The manual insists on a properly grounded outlet and says using the heater without one could be an electric shock hazard.
The LED panel shows the room temperature when the unit is plugged in, and the set temperature while it is running. A hidden combination, holding MODE and pressing a button, swaps the display to room temperature for thirty seconds. Dr. Heater's page gives the electronic thermostat range as 50 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, which matches Amazon's table.
ECO, HIGH and LOW, and what the numbers mean
The manual names four states on the MODE button: ECO, HIGH, LOW and STANDBY. HIGH runs at 1500 watts and LOW at 1000 watts. ECO is described as a computerised mode that picks between high and low power to reach your set temperature, then holds it. Amazon's table says three speeds, which is these three heating modes rather than three fan speeds.
The manual's questions-and-answers section is unusually candid about how the cycling feels in use, and it is worth reading before buying. In standby the heater samples the room every five minutes by running the heating element for forty seconds and the fan for sixty, so the blower audibly comes on even when the room is warm enough. The factory default set point is 68 degrees. If the room is warmer than your setting, the heater will only do its sensing cycle and never produce heat, so the manual tells you to set the target at least two degrees above the current room temperature.
Night mode stretches the sampling interval from five minutes to thirty for quieter nights; you enter it by holding MODE and pressing a button, and the display shows 'ni'. The timer runs from one to twelve hours, defaults to three, and is set from the remote. After you power off, the blower keeps running for about ninety seconds to cool the heat chambers.
Three feet clear, no bathrooms, and one heater per circuit
The manual's caution is printed before the safety list: keep electrical cords, drapery and other furnishings at least three feet (0.9 m) from the front and rear of the heater. The numbered instruction that follows asks for combustible materials such as furniture, pillows, bedding, papers, clothes and curtains at least three feet from the front and away from the sides and rear.
It must stand on a flat, dry surface, never on soft surfaces like a bed where the openings could be blocked. It is not intended for use in bathrooms, laundry areas or similar locations, and the manual's own answer to whether it can be used in a bathroom is that this is not recommended because of the moisture. It is not for outdoor, commercial or agricultural use, and the maker says using it in a high-dust construction environment will void the warranty.
The circuit advice is specific. Dr. Heater says the heater must plug into a grounded 120-volt 15-amp or higher receptacle, that two of these heaters should not share a circuit, and that it should not share a breaker with another large appliance such as a freezer, refrigerator, microwave, washer or dryer. The manual also recommends not moving the heater while it is operating; wait until the fan has stopped.
No extension cord, no power strip, no surge protector
This one is unambiguous, and the manual says it twice. Always plug the heater directly into a wall outlet or receptacle, and never use it with an extension cord or a relocatable power tap, which covers outlet strips. The questions-and-answers section repeats the rule and adds surge protectors to the list by name.
The manual also warns that attachments, accessories or extension cords not recommended or sold by Dr. Infrared Heater Products may cause hazards and void the warranty. It asks you to check the outlet and faceplate frequently during use, and to stop using the heater if the plug, outlet or faceplate becomes hot or the plug distorts.
A warm plug and cord is described as normal. Hot is not. If that happens, the instruction is to have a qualified electrician check and replace the outlet before using the heater again.
Three cut-offs, and a filter you vacuum every month
The manual describes three protections rather than the usual two. There is an overheat cut-off that shuts the unit down if it overheats for any reason; an inlet air overheat protection that cuts off if the rear intake becomes obstructed; and a tip-over switch that cuts the heater off when it is tipped in any direction. The tip-over switch resets itself: stand the heater upright on a flat, smooth, stable surface and it is ready again.
The electrostatic filter sits at the rear. Dr. Heater says to clean it once a month, or sooner when dust is visible, by unplugging the heater, pushing the filter up from below, pulling it down and out, and vacuuming it. The listing calls it a lifetime filter, and nothing in the manual contradicts that; there is no consumable cartridge. Reduced airflow is the symptom the manual ties back to a blocked rear intake or dirty filter.
Other upkeep is light: unplug before cleaning, lift dust with a soft cloth or vacuum, and wipe the outside occasionally with a damp cloth and mild detergent, dried thoroughly before use. Do not let water get inside. The fan motor is lubricated for life. The manual says a trace of smoke or odour on the very first run is normal and should not recur.
Warranty paperwork, and the figures that do not line up
Amazon's table says three years. The Dr. Heater USA warranty sheet supplied with the listing says heaters are warranted free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use for three years after the date of purchase, but its headline says '1-3 Year Warranty' and it adds a condition most buyers will miss: after receiving the heater you must register the unit by completing the warranty form and mailing it back. The manual points to registration on Dr. Heater's website instead. Do whichever the paperwork in your box asks for, and keep proof.
The warranty does not cover damage from accident, misuse, abuse or negligence, and it is valid only if the product is used with the equipment specified on the product box. There is also a separate thirty-day satisfaction guarantee and a replacement offer for units that arrive damaged. Dr. Heater's sheet notes that manufacturers' warranties may not apply depending on where and from whom the product was bought, so check the seller of the offer you pick.
Three published sizes disagree. The manual's specification page gives 15.5 inches high, 11.0 wide and 13.0 deep at 23.5 pounds. Dr. Heater's product page gives 16 inches high, 11 wide, 13 deep and 20 pounds. Amazon's table gives 13 deep by 11 wide by 16 high and 19 pounds, and a bullet says 19 pounds. Plan for the larger figure. Dr. Heater's page also says 'standard 110V 3-prong outlet' while the manual's rating is 120 volts, and the 39 decibel and 60-per-cent-more-heat claims come with no stated test conditions. The 576 square feet in Amazon's table is a marketing figure; the manual itself calls this a zone heater meant as a supplemental heating source and says coverage depends on room size, insulation, doors, windows and outside temperature.
Check the current listing
Confirm the model, included parts and availability before ordering.
Primary sources
- Dr. Infrared Heater product page for model DR-968
- Dr. Infrared Heater DR-968 Owner's Manual supplied with the listing
Primary sources checked .
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