A huge assortment of different models of household electric heaters, as well as aggressive and often biased advertising by manufacturers, puts buyers in a difficult position. They quite often buy not those devices that are more efficient and economical, but those that are more advertised. We recommend not to rush into making a choice, but to familiarize yourself with the parameters of the devices, which will allow you to choose the right model and not be disappointed in such a purchase.
Which heater is better for an apartment and more economical?
Types of heaters for apartments
All devices are divided into several large groups, and each of them has its own characteristics.
Table. Types of heaters
| Heater type | Description of technical and operational characteristics |
Oil | In appearance it resembles a water heating radiator and can be installed anywhere in the room. The heating element is hermetically sealed, which increases safety of use. The surface of the device is heated by technical oil; by increasing the area of the housing, the efficiency of heating the room increases. To control temperature and time, special electrical fittings are installed. The disadvantages include relatively low efficiency due to prolonged heating of the room. |
Convector | The heating element is closed with a metal casing; cold air is supplied through the bottom hole, and heated air comes out through the top hole. Heating of the room occurs due to natural convection, hence the name. As for efficiency, it is lower than that of oil - the closed housing reduces the intensity of heat flows. It ranks last in all operational indicators. |
Infrared | The heating elements have a very high temperature and emit a large amount of infrared rays. They do not heat the air, only solids. If you move a few meters away from it, the feeling of comfort will disappear. In terms of physical parameters, infrared heaters occupy the last place, the advantage is only in the attractive name. It is recommended to use it for a short time to heat a person at his workplace or in a recreation area. It takes a very long time to heat the entire volume of the room. |
Fan heater | Least advertised by manufacturers due to low cost. It ranks first in terms of efficiency and economy. The spiral heats up quickly, the fan circulates a large amount of air, moving it throughout the entire volume of the room. To effectively heat the available area, it is necessary to choose a device of appropriate power. |
Prices for popular models of electric heaters
Electric heaters
The table shows the objective characteristics of all types of heaters; as you can see, they are fundamentally different from the information from advertising brochures.
Additional functions
Even if you have finally decided on the type of devices and their power, when buying a heater you should still pay attention to the following characteristics and functions.
It is highly desirable that the heater be equipped with protection against overheating and accidental tipping . This will make operation safer, although precautions are never superfluous.
The thermostat will allow you to automatically maintain the set temperature in the room, eliminating the need for owners to constantly turn the device on/off and saving them money.
The timer will add ease of use. Depending on the implementation, it will turn off the heater after a certain time or control it to turn on at a designated hour.
The display will show the current settings, and the remote control will allow you to control the device without leaving the sofa.
If you plan to install a heater in the bathroom or next to the kitchen sink, be sure to choose a model with protection from dust and moisture - jokes with electricity end badly.
A child lock will protect little explorers from the temptation to adjust the temperature in the room.
During the cold season, air humidity in houses and apartments decreases, and this happens regardless of the type of heater. If it falls below the 50% recommended by hygienists, you should consider purchasing a separate humidifier.
What factors determine the amount of heat generated?
We must always remember that no one in the world has succeeded or will be able to change the fundamental physical law of Joule-Lenz. And it says that the amount of heat obtained using electric current is determined by the formula Q = I2RT. Where I is the current strength, R is the conductor resistance, T is time. This, by the way, suggests that all electric heating devices have an efficiency coefficient of almost 100% - not only special elements heat up, but also ordinary cables, wiring, etc. They have a much lower temperature, but these are technical features.
With the same amount of heat, each device requires different times to heat the room
Conclusion - from a physical point of view, there are no more efficient or less effective devices. What exactly is heated - nichrome or ceramics, metal or oil, air or surrounding objects, cables made of copper or aluminum - does not matter, the amount of heat does not change. The difference between different heaters is only in the method and efficiency of heat transfer from the heaters to the room.
Cheap and most economical fan heaters
These devices, which supply warm air, are best suited for emergency heating of rooms. To choose a suitable device, you need to compare the size of its blades with the area of the room. The larger they are, the more impressive and efficient the device. It's difficult to find a more economical option. Not only is this the cheapest unit, it also consumes no more than 1.5 kW of power to heat a room of 25 m². If the device overheats, it turns off automatically. The devices themselves are lightweight and, if necessary, can be moved from room to room.
Fan heaters also have several disadvantages. Heaters are too noisy, raising clouds of dust, and cannot run for too long, quickly overheating.
Practical advice for choosing
There are several operational parameters to which it is recommended to pay additional attention when choosing a heater. It would be wrong to say that among the many types of heaters, there is one universal one that simultaneously satisfies all user requirements. According to some characteristics, some devices occupy a leading position, while others occupy a leading position. During the comparison, we will briefly describe each type, and you should compare them with your terms of use and personal needs.
Deciding on the choice of heater is not easy
Price
The fan heater is the cheapest, and its price is affordable for absolutely all users. From this point of view, it is profitable to buy such a device, especially since it works reliably, and modern types have a lot of special electrical fittings.
Interesting fact. Electric fireplaces also fall into the category of heating devices; these are the most expensive devices. But not everyone knows that they only pay money for a metal box with drawings, and inside it there is an ordinary fan heater. Hot air exits through openings hidden by decorative grilles. A fireplace costs about 15 times more than a fan heater.
An electric fireplace operates on the principle of a conventional fan heater.
Prices for electric fireplaces
Electric fireplaces
Safety
A rather complex category, there are no clear definition criteria. Subject to the operating rules, all devices meet modern safety requirements, but they also have their own classification.
- The most dangerous. Until recently, fan heaters were considered such devices. They have a plastic body, the spirals do not have special protection. When falling, the supply of cold air stopped, which caused the device to overheat and ignite. Modern models do not have such shortcomings; if they fall, a special button turns off the power. Today, infrared heaters can be classified as the most dangerous. They have the highest heating temperature of the coil, and children can reach it with their hands. When falling, such spirals heat objects to the auto-ignition temperature.
Infrared heaters are the most fire hazardous
- The most secure. Oil radiators deservedly take first place, but only under one condition - the service life does not exceed the warranty. The fact is that over time, the oil level gradually decreases, its shortage can reach critical values, and this becomes the cause of a short circuit with all the negative consequences.
Oil heaters are the safest
You need to know that up to 85% of fires in winter occur due to malfunction of heating devices or gross violations of the rules of their operation. It is quite safe to use the convector; it is impossible to accidentally touch the plates; the temperature of the heater body does not cause thermal burns. One more thing. If you stay in the area of an infrared heater for a long period of time, headaches appear. The reason is simple - head overheating. According to this criterion, it cannot be classified as safe.
Inertia
Manufacturers characterize this property exclusively on the positive side - inert heaters retain heat for a long time after being turned off. The oil device is always in first place. This is an ordinary manipulation of the minds of buyers. Why? The mass of the oil heater is no more than five kilograms, and the heating temperature does not exceed 60°C. Its heat is not enough to heat the room for a long time - the radiator will completely cool down a few minutes after turning off the power.
The oil heater retains heat longer after being turned off, but this is not enough to heat the room
But a large-capacity device will not solve the problem either: it will be able to heat the room for quite a long time after turning it off, but it will take the same amount of time to warm up after turning it on. That is, you will have to turn it on in the morning so that you can feel the result in the evening. Heat does not come from anywhere and does not disappear anywhere, it is only transferred from one body to another, this is the first law of thermodynamics. You should always remember this and not react to manufacturers’ tricks.
Economical
As mentioned above, in heaters almost 100% of electrical energy is converted into thermal energy; there is no difference in the efficiency of its use between all types of devices. The efficiency can be compared taking into account what exactly you want to heat. If you need to increase the temperature in the room, then a fan heater is considered the most effective. Strong air currents cool the heated coils as quickly as possible and evenly mix the warm air throughout the room. But there is also a drawback - the fan creates quite a lot of noise, which can irritate people in the room.
A fan heater can heat a room faster than other types of heaters
The worst thing about this parameter is for infrared devices. They heat only solid objects, including people, and these, due to natural convection, release heat into the air. It moves slowly, the temperature first rises near the ceiling, and only then begins to fall into the comfort zone, located at a distance of approximately 1.5 m from the floor. But there is one caveat. It is advantageous to use infrared heaters if you only need to heat people located in a limited area; they will immediately feel the warmth; there is no need to waste electrical energy to heat the room. Another advantage of such a heater is that it can be used outdoors; unproductive heat loss is minimal. This is the only heater that has this function.
Infrared devices do not consume energy to heat the entire room
Prices for infrared heater
Infrared heater
Heater power calculation
Design
Without a doubt, the most beautiful electric fireplace, but its high cost can reduce the joy of contemplating the device. And further. Heaters are rarely used all year round; during the warm season they are removed from the premises. Conclusion - design is not the main characteristic.
Wall heater in the form of a picture fits perfectly into the interior
Availability of additional functions
All modern heaters have a full set of overheating protection systems; they can turn on/off independently when the set temperatures are reached. In addition, there is a special electrical fitting that turns off the power in case of emergency situations: overheating of the coils, lack of air convection, short circuits. Safety precautions strictly prohibit closing the cold air supply and heated air outlet openings. But if for any reason you violate this prohibition, then nothing bad will happen; the automation will turn off the power to the device due to overheating of the elements. Of course, only if it is working properly, and no one can guarantee this. Accordingly, there is no need to experiment and strictly comply with the manufacturers’ requirements.
All modern heaters are equipped with overheating sensors
Dry or moisturize?
An electronic heater would be most appropriate in an apartment with high air humidity. Perhaps you need to dry out the walls after renovation or you live in a swampy area with a damp climate. Then you can use the device without worry or worry.
But if you have normal humidity in your apartment, you need to take care that it does not decrease. Otherwise, you will be plagued by dizziness, headaches and weakness. You can humidify the air using simple “grandmother’s” methods: place jars of water in the corners, filling them periodically. Or spray the liquid from a spray bottle.
In order not to fool yourself, it is better to purchase a heater with a built-in humidifier. It is especially relevant for a children's room, where it is strictly forbidden to dry out the air.
