In Search of Warmth : Plunging temperatures have made space heaters a hot item for area’s chilled shoppers.

Get ‘em while it’s cold.

So goes the battle cry of shoppers in search of warmth to combat Ventura County’s recent chilling weather.

As temperatures dipped into the 30s and 40s, these freezing folk, generally more prepared for earthquakes than cold spells, found themselves lacking necessities such as floor heaters for their homes and offices.

Because heater supplies at some local stores have dwindled dramatically recently, our first advice is to call ahead before you shop. We stopped at a local Rite-Aid pharmacy and found one heater--not one model, but one lonely heater--on the shelf. And that was more of a supply than we found in other Rite-Aid pharmacies in the area.

If you’re in the market for a heater, there are important bells and whistles to consider. The wattage, size of the grille, the warranty and safety devices all are worth some thought. Once you know what you want, here’s what we found at some local shops.

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A stop at the Ventura Target store was almost a lesson in home-heating systems. The store offered a supply that included adjustable tilt models, oscillating models, surround-heating models, quartz models, ceramic models and models with thermal curve designs.

The Holmes line of heaters was the most prominent, beginning with the simple, compact Desktop Heater with 1,000- and 1,500-watt capability and a one-year warranty, for $19.99. The Adjustable Tilt Heater, with 1,000- and 1,500-watt power, automatic turnoff capability for overheating and a one-year warranty, was also priced at $19.99.

A Holmes Slim Profile Heater, a sleek model with 1,000/1,500-watt power and a three-year warranty, was priced at $24.99; a Holmes ceramic model with 1,000/1,500-watt power and a three-year warranty was going for $29.99, and a 500/1,000/1,500-watt Holmes Thermal Curve was priced at $34.99. The latter has a swivel base and also comes with a three-year warranty.

On the high end of the Holmes scale was a Tower Quartz Heater with an automatic shut-off that’s activated if the heater tips over; it has a five-year warranty. The 750/1,500-watt model was priced at $49.99, $10 off the regular price.

Other heater models, which we didn’t find at our other stops, included a 1,500-watt Honeywell Power Oscillator Heater Fan with tip-over shut-off ability, a child-proof power selector and a five-year warranty. The price was $39.99. A couple of models from the Duracraft line included a heater with full-circle surround heat and a tip-over safety switch for $39.99 and a 1,500-watt ceramic oscillating version, with the same safety features, for $29.99.

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Home Depot in Newbury Park on Dec. 9 placed an order for 100 each of its floor heater models. They were expected to be on store shelves within a couple of days, so chances are the supply is good.

The selection includes heaters from both the Holmes and Pelonis companies.

Holmes offers a HeatSafe 1,100-watt model for $39. It features an automatic shut-off if the heater tips or overheats, and a five-year warranty. Holmes also has a HeatSafe 1,500-watt ceramic oscillating fan with twin heaters for surround heating. It is priced at $39.80.

A non-oscillating ceramic heater, also 1,500 watts, is going for $24.92. From Pelonis, there is a 1,250/1,500-watt rectangular Radiant Heater with a safety alarm to warn of tipping or overheating. It comes with a one-year warranty and is priced at $29.97. A different Pelonis model, with fan-forced heat, is $14.97.

At the Home Depot in Oxnard, one employee said the floor heaters were going like hot cakes. The store generally has a similar selection and prices as its Newbury Park sibling. But when we visited earlier this week, only three varieties were in stock.

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Across the Ventura Freeway from Home Depot, the Sears store at The Esplanade mall offers a reasonable selection of floor heaters. Here too, the usual abundance of sizes and models of heaters has shrunk significantly due to the recent temperature drop.

Selections early in the week included a couple of models from the HeatStream line. If cost is a factor, choosing between the two is fairly simple.

At one end of the price range ($149.99), the 1,500-watt HeatStream SafeSense Heater comes with infrared detectors that shut off the unit in instances of tipping or overheating. Of particular interest to parents and pet owners, this model includes an audio alarm and a motion sensor that shuts down the heater if something is within a few feet of if for more than three seconds. The SafeSense Heater has a five-year warranty.

At the more affordable end of the scale, the HeatStream Instant Heater 2000, an all-metal unit, features 1,250/1,500 watts, emergency automatic shut-off and five-year warranty. It’s $39.99.

Lower-priced heaters had sold out during a visit earlier in the week.

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At the Rite-Aid pharmacy at Main and Olive streets in Ventura, we found one heater when we visited earlier this week. We called around to several area Rite-Aids and they were already sold out or not planning to stock. The one available heater was a Holmes tabletop Power Heater, 1,000 and 1,500 watts, with a one-year warranty. It was selling for $19.99.