Heater for home

With the onset of cold weather, many owners of apartments and houses think that they need to buy an additional heater for the house, because the quality of centralized heating often does not meet expectations, and is generally unpredictable. But the modern assortment of such household appliances is so large that it makes anyone lost. In this article we will discuss the types of units, which heater is better and more economical for an apartment, and what you should pay attention to when buying.

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Functionality of apartment heaters

In urban apartments, private homes, in offices and in summer cottages, electric heaters are widely used. They smooth out the shortcomings of the central heating or the lack of autonomous gas. And the simplicity and effectiveness of these devices are additional weighty arguments in favor of their purchase.

Any household heating unit transfers heat in one of the following ways:

• By using natural or forced air circulation (convectors and fans).
• By radiation or combined circulation.

Important! Thanks to the introduction of filters that effectively clean the air and humidifiers into the design of devices, the functionality of the heaters has significantly expanded. An example of a multifunctional unit is a heat fan, which is able to quickly heat the room, dry the walls after repair, and also dry wet clothes.

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Myths about heat generating appliances

If you are interested in acquaintances about a particular type of heater, you can hear a lot of phrases that may not correspond to reality. Even sellers of a specialized store can submit biased information to sell a “stale” model. Consider some of the most common myths about such household appliances.

This model does not dry air

This statement is fundamentally wrong, whatever the model of the device. With increasing air temperature, its humidity decreases. This is a natural physical process. Therefore, all heaters, without exception, dry the air. And this means that you need to worry about the microclimate in the house. You can, of course, go the cheapest way - hang wet towels around the apartment, put cans of water. But it will be much more practical and more comfortable to use special equipment, the more it will cost inexpensively. Find out:

• Which is better to choose a humidifier with an ionizer?
• Where is the best place to put a humidifier in the room?

The efficiency of this device is higher than that of others

A household heater of any type functions with minimal energy loss and a coefficient of efficiency close to 100%. Every kilowatt used by the unit becomes warm air that fills the room.

This heater does not burn oxygen

It should be understood that oxygen is burned out of air only if there is an open flame of fire. Since electric heaters do not use fire in their work, this statement in no way applies to them.

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Which heater is better in installation method?

Manufacturers offer their customers various ways of installing heating appliances. The buyer only needs to decide how often he will use the device, in which case he will fit better into the interior and will be safer.

Stationary appliances

A unit with this type of installation is the best choice of a heater for an apartment in terms of practicality:

• It has an attractive design and can be installed on the ceiling or wall.

Important! When wall mounting, you should take into account a certain angle of inclination of the device and a certain distance from the wall. This greatly simplifies the maintenance of the surface of the household coolant.

• Flat vertical and horizontal appliances do not reduce living space. They do not spoil the interior, as they are almost invisible.
• You can also select the desired color of the external panel, so that the device fits better into the room.

Mobile devices

Such devices are more suitable for people who rent housing or plan to use a heater in different places. For mobile devices are characterized by:

• light weight;
• compactness;
• aesthetics.

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How to choose a heater for power?

This parameter is considered the most important characteristic of household appliances for heating air. It depends on it how much space the device is able to heat. So, what kind of heater to choose for a house by this criterion:

• For a room with a volume of 25-27 cubic meters, which has good thermal insulation and is not heated, a heater with a power close to 1 kW is needed.
• Calculate which heater is best for a standard type apartment, as follows: 1 kW per 10 cubic meters of a room with standard ceilings of 2.5 meters.
• For residential premises with a footage of 20-25, with central heating, it will be enough for the device to have a power of 1-1.5 kW.

Important! A large number of modern models of home heaters have a built-in thermostat, thanks to which you can maintain an automatically set temperature. As a rule, thermostats do not have a degree scale, but operate on the principle of "more or less."

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Types of home heaters

These devices differ in principle of operation. Which heaters are better for home? What models are considered economical heaters? To answer these questions, you should understand the types of household thermal equipment.

Oil radiator

Such a device with a power of 1-2.5 kW is considered the most popular type of heaters. It is intended for use in cottages and apartments.

Principle of operation

The design of the device consists of an electric spiral, which is located inside a sealed enclosure filled with mineral oil. When heated, the spiral transfers heat to the oil, and that, in turn, heats the metal case, after which the heat enters the room air.

Before choosing an oil heater for an apartment, you should familiarize yourself with the advantages and disadvantages of such a device.

Advantages:

• Ease of maintenance. Caring for an oil type heater comes down to removing dust with a rag from its body.
• The devices consume only 2 kW per hour, therefore they are considered a fairly economical option for a domestic heater.
• The low cost of the device makes it possible to purchase it for people with average earnings.
• It retains heat well. Thanks to the automatic temperature control system, the optimal environment for you is constantly stored in the room.
• There are models with a fan for sale. Such devices warm air faster and retain heat for a very long time.

Important! The more sections on the heater you purchase, the more efficient the device will be in heating the air.

• The presence of wheels in the apparatus facilitate its movement around the apartment. Thus, with one device, you can heat several rooms in turn.
• The presence of a timer in some devices makes its use more convenient and practical. By setting the timer to turn on for a certain time, you can organize its work so as to return home from a walk to an already warm room. In this way, a considerable degree of saving in electricity consumption is also realized.

Disadvantages:

• The radiator is inconvenient when used in small rooms, since the dimensions of the device are significant.
• Oil heaters are unsafe, as if you touch an excessively hot case, you can get a burn. Therefore, it is recommended to turn on such a device only when there are no small children or animals in the room.

Important! It is forbidden to leave the device turned on without supervision at home for safety reasons.

• Do not dry laundry directly on the radiator. Such actions may cause a fire.
• This appliance must not be used in rooms with high humidity.
• This heater dries the air very much, which is not suitable for people with allergies, and small children. To neutralize this drawback of the device, you can turn on a humidifier in parallel with it. But here again - it is important not to go too far with the humidity in the room.

Important! It is recommended to buy oil radiators of the “two in one” type, which perform the functions of both a heater and a humidifier. But such models are considered impractical.

Electric convector

In terms of performance, such a heater is similar to an oil cooler. The convector can be used to heat any room as the main heating system.

Principle of operation

The room is heated by the passage of cold air through the heating element due to natural circulation.

Important! Based on the principle of operation of such a device, the lower the heater is placed, the more efficient its operation will be.

Advantages:

• They do not need special connection to the electric network and do not require grounding.
• They are not afraid of moisture, like oil radiators, so they can be used even in the bathroom.
• The device can be left turned on for a whole day without fear of a fire.
• Timer models are a great option in terms of efficiency and economy.
• The case does not overheat during the operation of the device, therefore it is safer than the previous type of heater.
• Convenient to place. It can be hung on the wall or left on the floor. Wheels facilitate the movement of the device. The compact size allows you to place the device even in the smallest room.
• The air in the room is heated very quickly.

Important! Deficiencies in the electric convector, if any, are very minor. If you are interested in such devices, click on the link where the characteristics, pros and cons of the most popular models of convector heaters.

Fan heater

The fan heater for the house is the simplest and most affordable device. He will be able to quickly warm up a small room.

Principle of operation

From a red-hot spiral, the air is heated in a fan heater and is supplied by it to the heating zone. To improve the uniformity of heating, the fan in the housing rotates.

Advantages:

• Small dimensions allow you to place the device for heating on the table, floor and even attach to the wall.
• Built-in thermostats allow you to adjust the set temperature and not turn off the device for a long time.
• Low cost of the device.
• A reliable protection system ensures that the device turns off after a fall (not on all models).
• The heater body heats up to low temperatures, so it is unlikely to get a burn.

Disadvantages:

• While the machine is operating at high speeds, it makes an audible noise that annoys many.
• Significantly dries the air in the room, so it is appropriate to include a humidifier with it.
• The fan during its operation raises dust from the floor and surfaces that are not far from the appliance. Therefore, an unpleasant odor may be felt after dust has entered the fan. And breathing dusty air is not very pleasant.

Important! In fact, fan heaters are a simple and effective temporary solution for space heating. In order not to worry about the reliability of the device, its safety, not to overpay when buying, use the already formed rated best fan heaters.

Infrared heater

The most economical heaters for an apartment and the perfect ones in terms of efficiency and practicality are infrared devices. Such devices are designed more for temporary heating, when there is no need to completely heat the room. By creating zones with local heating with such a device, you can significantly save electrical energy.

Important! This type of heater is often chosen for heating outdoor areas, bathrooms and showers, terraces and balconies, cafes and restaurants.

Principle of operation

They work on the principle of the "sun", heating not the air, but the surrounding objects (furniture, walls, floor). Inside the device there is a quartz flask and a tungsten filament, outside - a metal casing and a reflector. After switching on, the thread becomes hot and begins to give off heat - infrared waves.

Advantages:

• The device is not afraid of drafts and high humidity.
• It makes absolutely no noise during its operation.
• Electricity consumption is very small.
• Easy to install.
• High heating rate. Such heaters are more effective than other types of similar equipment.
• It is absolutely safe.
• With the help of this technique, it is possible to bask even in open spaces.

Disadvantages:

• The heating element is quite fragile.
• For regular use in stationary residential premises is not a very good option.
• Narrow heating zone.

Important! When buying an infrared heater for the home, it is very important to correctly determine the type of device. An incorrect choice of a relatively heated area such as emitted waves can cause harm to human health. Our special specialist will help you deal with all the technical nuances, the purpose of different devices and suitable models.review of the best infrared heaters.

Inverter air conditioner

Air conditioners of a modern type perfectly cope with their main task - cooling the air in the room. But they are also capable, if necessary, and heat it.

Advantages:

• Heating systems, the operation of which is based on the use of an inverter air conditioner (heat pump), are characterized by environmental friendliness, since they do not produce harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
• They are safe because explosive gases are not used during operation.
• In one installation you get two: for cooling and heating the air.
• Economical.

Disadvantages:

• As a rule, such devices cannot be turned on in case of excessive frost on the street.
• High price. Inverter air conditioners cost much more than conventional electric heaters of another type.

Important! Due to the fact that the system does not turn off completely, but switches only to “sleep” mode when the set temperature parameters are reached, significant energy savings occur, and even the life of such devices increases compared to earlier analogues of such equipment. Much regarding efficiency, safety, functionality and convenience here depends on the brand that released the equipment.If you consider such an acquisition as an alternative to a simple heater, do not be lazy and browse rating of the best manufacturers of air conditioners.

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How to choose a heater for an apartment?

The choice of a heater should be based not only on power, its appearance and manufacturer's promises on the packaging of the device regarding its operation. Be sure to consider some other important characteristics.

Serial number

The combination of numbers, which is applied to the device and its individual parts, indicates that the manufacturer monitors the quality of its own products.

Contact Reliability

Since the heater must withstand heavy loads in the form of high voltage, the connection of the contacts is especially important.

Important! Fires that occur from heaters are most often associated with poor-quality connections that provoke contact closure.

Internal wires

Particular attention should be paid to the quality of the wires. They must be made of anti-flammable material and be reliable, even in the event of an emergency.

Important! Quality wires in unforeseen situations for more than two minutes will not succumb to the flame and light up.

Quality fork

The plug of the device must be of high quality and have grounding. Thus, the device will be protected from power surges. This, in turn, will prevent the occurrence of a fire hazard due to heating by the device, even in the case of old wiring in the house.

Quality certificates

Of course, the originality of the connecting contacts, like the heating element, is not always possible to check. In this case, you can trust the quality certificate.

CE marking

Such marking indicates that the device meets the basic requirements of the European Union and is not harmful - neither to the environment, nor to the health of consumers.

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Heater selection by manufacturer

Consider briefly the most popular and reliable manufacturers of modern heaters:

• "Incoline" - specializes in the production of high-quality automated electric heating appliances.
• “Fenix” - the company produces low-temperature infrared heaters with a special heating element, which consists of a glass fiber strip with the application of homogeneous granite.
• "Noirot" - produces household convection systems for heating a new generation. Classically designed appliances are Premium class heaters.
• “Ballu” - produces heating products of the budget segment, which has good quality and functionality. Devices surprise with a variety of operating modes.
• “Frico” - the company produces industrial and semi-industrial heaters, such as heat guns and curtains, convectors, infrared heaters and automation systems. All products are of high quality.
• Tropic is a company known for its fan heaters, thermal curtains and guns. Products are characterized by an excellent price-quality ratio.

Important! Electric heaters of such companies as “VEAB”, “OMAS”, “ELARA” also proved themselves well.

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Which heater to choose for the home? Helpful hints:

• If there is an increased level of dust in the room, then the best option would be an infrared heater. In this case, it’s generally right to understand, why is there a lot of dust in the apartment.
• To heat the children's room, models that can be attached to the ceiling or wall are more suitable.
• For rooms with high humidity, only moisture-proof devices are suitable.
• Correctly calculate the power of the heater specifically for your room. You should not buy a device designed to heat a larger area than your room.
• Do not buy too cheap models.There is a high risk of substandard materials that can lead to emergencies.

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Stock footage

Having learned from this article what types of home heaters are, you can easily determine the option you need. The fan heater will be able to heat the air faster, the most beautiful in design - convectors, the most affordable price for radiator oil heaters. Well, if there is no need to heat the entire room, then the best option would be a device with infrared radiation. Using the information obtained from the article, the choice of a heater will not become a big problem, but will turn into a pleasant purchase of a truly useful and necessary item for your home.