How to Choose a Heater For a House or Apartment
Choosing a heater for your home or apartment is an important step towards a comfortable and cozy space. There are many options on the market, from compact infrared panels to powerful convectors and central heating systems. To make the right decision, you need to consider the area of the room, the level of thermal insulation, and energy costs. If you are interested in a furnace installation in San Diego and are looking for additional sources of heating, this article will help you make the right choice.
Main Parameters of Heaters
At first glance, buying a heater seems like a simple task. However, choosing a good heater is not enough to understand the variety of modern models. It is important to understand what the main parameters of this equipment affect. What should you pay attention to first?
- Dimensions.
Heaters differ not only in power but also in size. The following rule applies here: the higher the heat output, the larger the case. At the same time, manufacturers do not always go the way of simply increasing the case of powerful heaters. For example, some brands make devices wider, leaving the depth and height parameters unchanged.
It is not necessary that all electric heaters with the same power will also have the same dimensions. You always have an alternative. So, if you are choosing a heater for a small room, buy a narrow and high device. If the room is spacious enough, with large windows, then heaters with a small height and a large width are better suited.
- Control type.
You can choose a heater based on its control type. Choose what you find most convenient. Devices come with the following types of control:
- With a mechanical (manual) control system. The heating level is controlled by turning on/off or changing the position of the handle, button or regulator.
- With electric, push-button, touch control. The most advanced models have an electronic parameter input system, and all the important information is visible on a special screen.
- Devices that have the ability to configure and control according to a given program, timer. Such heaters are controlled by a smartphone via the Internet (the “Smart Home” system).
Having chosen an electric heater with a timer, you can use the option of programming it to turn on at times convenient for you, for example, shortly before waking up or returning from work. Life in the house will become much more comfortable, and you will also be able to save electricity.
- Body heating temperature.
It is recommended to choose a heater not only taking into account the above characteristics. It is necessary that the equipment is safe to use. The body of the operating heater should not heat up. This is fraught with burns. It is especially important to choose a reliable device for a home where there are children and animals.
Popular types of household heaters have their own operational features:
- If the thermostat of an oil heater fails, its body can heat up to 120-150 degrees Celsius.
- During operation, the metal spiral of the fan heater heats up to red.
- In quartz, infrared and halogen heaters, the filament temperature reaches 2000 degrees Celsius.
- Only you decide which heater is best to choose for your apartment. Each type has its pros and cons, you must familiarize yourself with them to understand what is right for you. Using the services of the furnace installation company, you can consult on additional heating devices.
Pros And Cons of an Oil Heater
This type of heater has a sealed metal case, inside which mineral oil is placed, heated by a tubular electric heater. One of the main advantages of oil heaters is their fire safety. You can safely leave such a heater working around the clock — it will turn off itself as soon as the air heats up to the desired temperature.
Pros:
- Retains heat for a long time after switching off.
- Eco-friendly.
Cons:
- Strong heating of the case, which gives an additional reason for concern if there are children and animals in the house.
- Slow heating of the room.
Pros And Cons of Convection Heaters
Heating of the room with the help of heaters of this type occurs due to convection: air enters the heater from below and passes inside through the heating element, which can be metal, ceramic or infrared. Already heated air comes out of the upper part of the body. The advantage of such a system is that the body will not heat up above 60 degrees Celsius, so you cannot get burned by accidental contact.
Pros:
- Safe for children and animals due to low heating. Several convectors are easily combined into a single heating network.
Cons:
- Slow heating.
- For the convector to work effectively, it must be located low enough: the closer to the floor, the better.
Pros And Cons of Fan Heaters
Fan heaters are not suitable for constant heating. But they are irreplaceable when you want to warm up quickly or heat a small room.
Pros:
- They heat the room faster than other types of heaters. Manufacturers produce fan heaters of a wide variety of shapes and sizes, so they are easy to match any interior.
Cons:
- Unpleasant smell of burning dust.
What Is Better: Infrared Heaters or Electric Fireplaces?
The essence of infrared heaters is infrared radiation, which is safe for people. They do not heat the air itself; instead, they heat objects standing in the path of the rays (walls, floors, furniture, persons). Some models work not on electricity, but on gas.
Pros:
- You can heat not only the room, but also open areas. Increased efficiency.
Cons:
- Numerous rooms cannot be heated with such a device.
Although electric fireplaces can easily heat a room of 18-20 m², they are most often purchased for decorative purposes. Most models are hybrids of emitters and fan heaters: special reflectors redirect heat from the heating element into the room, and the fan disperses the heated air around the room.
Wrapping It Up
A properly selected heater will not only create a comfortable temperature in the house but will also help reduce heating costs. It is essential to consider not only the power and type of the device but also its energy efficiency. Suppose you are looking for a reliable provider of furnace installation or repair services in San Diego. In that case, we recommend paying attention to Tytum, a company with more than 10 years of experience in this field.
