For heating small rooms, the most popular are household oil heaters. The reasons for their use: high level of reliability, ease of use, uniform heat output and lack of air dehumidification effect (due to the absence of an open heating surface).
Models of well-known manufacturers provide uniform heating to a temperature of no higher than 95 degrees, which will protect against burns if accidentally touched. There are nuances that make a significant contribution to the safety of the oil cooler. The models are conventionally divided into two groups: those that depend on the design and the materials used, or those that depend on the quality of the assembly. The use of radiators that do not meet the safety requirements may result in fire and danger to life.
Every year in the Russian Federation there are 1,400 cases of fires with an average number of fatalities of 15–20. The figure increases by 30% with the arrival of the cold season. In 2019, 202,530 fire cases were recorded (caused by electrical appliances), approximately 52% of of this number of accidents were caused by heating devices, including unsafe oil radiators. A common cause of fire is poor assembly of sections that allow oil to leak and ignite, poor electrical wiring causing a short circuit. Let's figure out how you can prevent the sad consequences when using an oil cooler.
How the heater works
If we consider the device of the oil cooler schematically, the technique is a hermetically connected circuit in which mineral oil is poured and the heating element functions. Principle of operation: first, the heating element heats up the oil, which in turn heats the surface of the sections that heat the room. Regulating automation is provided (most often a conventional thermostat), the oil does not overheat and maintains a constant temperature.
Power consumption
The purpose of the device is to heat the room. It is necessary to make a choice, starting from the area. For a rough calculation, the ratio is taken: approximately 1.5 kW for every 15 square meters of room area.
There is no need to purchase several devices for placing in 30 squares, it is enough to choose a modification with an increased number of sections. Popular manufacturers provide devices with 5-11 sections in the model range. This is enough to select a suitable model for rooms up to 27 square meters.
Device safety and reliability
It is necessary to take into account a number of other elements that will allow the electrical appliance to serve for a long time, to ensure acceptable safety.
Heating element
The design of any equipment for heating is based on a heating element (it is also called a heating element). The main nuance that affects the durability and fire hazard of the device is the heating element material. Manufacturers prefer copper and stainless steel as the safest. The service life of such a heating element is 10 years or more.
Heater body
Pay attention to the construction of the case. Devices where the walls of the heat exchanger are made of steel with a good thickness, and the connection of the sections is carried out by the "double welding" method, are considered safe and durable. It will be an additional plus if, in addition to the paint, a layer of anti-corrosion coating is applied to the radiator. On the body itself there should be no traces of welding, cracks, dents.
For effective protection against short circuits and reflow, the power supply wire must be correctly selected. The element should be of good cross-section, with several layers of insulation. The latter should be a thick layer of polymer plastic or rubber. The plug itself should not have cavities as they reduce strength.
Leading manufacturers always use environmentally friendly materials (come with the ECO label) based on plastics in their products. This is important because polymers without such markings can release carcinogens when heated. pay attention to Electrolux Wave series - only environmentally friendly plastic is used there.
The service life will be affected by the quality and type of oil inside. If the filler is of poor quality, corrosion of the inner surface will inevitably occur, which will result in oil leaks and fire. If you hear characteristic "clicks" during operation, this means the presence of water inside. This is a sign of a poor-quality electrical appliance, the cost of which is trying to be reduced by saving on the amount of oil inside. In such heaters, corrosion of the internal surfaces is inevitable.
Safe heater filling
Electronic systems support the stable operation of the radiator. Let's talk in more detail about which systems are used by manufacturers for this.
Overheating protection system
The main factor ensuring safe operation is the heating temperature. The case should not heat up over 95 degrees. This is a safe value that does not threaten burns and fire. To control the specified value, thermostats are installed. In order to maintain an acceptable level of fire hazard, 2-3 thermostats are often installed.
The mode switch must be of a safe, fail-safe design. Power switching should not be reflected by sudden jumps in the common house network. Such solutions are used in the Ballu Classic series.
Roll-over protection system
This sensor will simply turn off the device if it detects that it has deviated from the vertical position by more than 45 degrees. In cheap models, it is not used, but it is a good measure to prevent a possible fire. If the heater is knocked over, the oil will flow into the upper part, and the heating element will simply overheat. Pay attention to the design of the legs - they must provide a stable position. A perfect example of combining these requirements is oil cooler Zanussi Loft.
Manufacturer brand
All of the above requirements for safety and reliability, as a rule, are found only in well-known manufacturers that have been producing heaters for a long time. The reason is that such manufacturers do not save on materials and technologies.
The production provides for strict release control, which ends with the mandatory certification of the device. This ensures the safety and reliability of the oil cooler. Certified devices have special markings (fire certification). Having researched the market, such markings were found only on devices from Electrolux, Zanussi, Ballu - these devices will have a safety guarantee and will work without problems for a long time.
Which oil heater can be considered safe and reliable:
- With copper or stainless steel heater.
- The body is one-piece, with no obvious welds, cracks or dents.
- All plastic parts are ECO certified.
- The mineral oil has a quality certificate inside.
- There is a rollover sensor, there are several thermostats.
- A well-known brand of the manufacturer, the presence of full-fledged fire safety certificates.
Before buying, we recommend that you collect these items into a single checklist in order to choose the right heating device that will delight the whole family with warmth and reliability.
