Home heater

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

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Functionality of heaters for the apartment

Electric heaters are widely used in city apartments, private houses, offices and summer cottages. They mitigate the shortcomings of the operation of central heating or the lack of an autonomous gas heating system. And the simplicity and efficiency of these devices are additional weighty arguments in favor of their purchase.

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

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

Important! Thanks to the introduction of filters in the design of filters that effectively purify the air and humidifiers, the functionality of the heaters has significantly expanded. An example of a multifunctional unit is a thermal fan that can quickly warm the room, dry the walls after repair, and also dry the wet laundry.

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Myths about appliances giving heat

When you are interested in acquaintances about this or that kind 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 the "stale" model. Let's consider some of the most common myths about such household appliances.

This model does not dry the air

This statement is fundamentally wrong, whatever model the device was. When the temperature of the air increases, its humidity drops. This is a natural physical process. Therefore, all heaters, without exception, dry the air.

The efficiency of this device is higher than that of other

. A household heater of any type operates with minimal energy loss and an efficiency close to 100%.Each 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 the air only if there is an open flame of fire. Since electric heaters do not use fire in their work, this statement does not apply to them in any way.

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Which heater is best for the installation method?

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

Stationary devices

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

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

Important! With a wall installation, you should take into account a certain angle of the device and some distance from the wall. This greatly simplifies the care of the surface of the domestic coolant.

• Flat vertical and horizontal instruments do not reduce the living space. They do not spoil the interior, since they are practically 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 a house or plan to use a heater in different places. For mobile devices are characterized by:

• low weight;
• compactness;
• aesthetics.

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How to choose a heater in terms of power?

This parameter is considered the most important characteristic of household appliances for heating air. It depends on it, what area of ​​the room is able to heat the device. So, what kind of heater for the house is chosen by this criterion:

• For a room 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 an apartment of a standard type, it follows: 1 kW per 10 cubic meters of room with standard ceilings of 2.5 meters.
• For residential premises with a metric of 20-25, having central heating, it will be sufficient that the device has 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 it is possible to maintain the automatically set temperature. As a rule, thermostats do not have a degree scale, but work on the principle of "more-less".

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Types of heaters for the house

These devices differ in the principle of operation. Which heaters are better for home? What models are considered economical heaters? To answer these questions, it is necessary to understand the types of household heat equipment.

Oil cooler

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

Principle of operation

The design of the device consists of an electrical spiral that is located inside a sealed enclosure filled with mineral oil. When heated, the helix transfers heat to the oil, and then, in turn, heats the metal casing, 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 an appliance.

Advantages:

• Easy maintenance of the device. Care for the oil-type heater is reduced to removing the dust from a rag from its housing.
• The devices consume only 2 kW per hour, therefore they are considered to be quite an economical option for a domestic heater.
• The low cost of the device makes it possible to purchase it for people with average earnings.
• Excellent heat retention. Thanks to the system of automatic maintenance of temperature, the room is always kept the optimal environment for you.
• On sale there are models with a fan. Such devices quickly warm up the air and keep heat for a very long time.

Important! The more sections on the heater that you get, the more effective the air heating will be the device.

• The presence of wheels in the device make it easier to move 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 that you can return home from a walk to a warm room. In this way, there is also a considerable saving in electricity consumption.

Disadvantages:

• The radiator is inconvenient for use in small rooms, as the dimensions of the device are significant.
• Oil heaters are not safe, because if you touch an excessively hot casing, you can get burned. Therefore, it is recommended to include such a device only when there are no small children or animals in the room.

Important! Leave the machine turned on at home without supervision is prohibited by safety regulations.

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

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

Electric convector

For its performance, this heater is similar to an oil cooler. The convector can be used to heat any room as the main heating system.

Operating principle

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

Important! Proceeding from the principle of operation of such a device, the lower the heater is placed, the more effective will be its operation.

Advantages:

• Do not need a special connection to the electrical network and do not require grounding.
• Not afraid of moisture, like oil coolers, so they can be used even in the bathroom.
• The device can be left on for a whole day without fear of a fire.
• Models with a timer are an excellent option in terms of efficiency and economy.
• The housing does not overheat during operation, therefore it is safer than the previous type of heater.
• Convenient in placement. It can be hung on the wall or left on the floor. Wheels make it easier to move the device. Compact size allows you to place the device even in the smallest room.
• The air in the room is heated very quickly.

Important! Disadvantages in the electric convector, if there is, then quite insignificant.

Fan heater

Fan heater for home is the simplest and most affordable device. He can quickly warm up a small room.

Principle of operation

From the heated spiral air is heated in the fan heater and fed 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 a table, floor and even attach to a wall.
• Built-in thermostats allow you to adjust the set temperature and do not turn off the device for a long time.
• Low cost of the device.
• A reliable protection system ensures that the device is turned off after a fall( not on all models).
• The heater housing heats up to low temperatures, so it is unlikely to get a burn.

Disadvantages:

• During operation of the device at high revs, it produces audible noise, which irritates many.
• The air in the room dries considerably, so it is appropriate to include an air humidifier together with it.
• The fan, during its operation, raises dust from the floor and surfaces that are near the appliance. Therefore, an unpleasant odor can be felt after dust has entered the fan. And to breathe dusty air is not very pleasant.

Infrared heater

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

Important! This kind of heater is often chosen for heating outdoor areas, bathroom and shower rooms, terraces and balconies, cafes and restaurants.

How it works

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

• The device is not afraid of drafts and high humidity.
• Does not emit absolutely no noise during its operation.
• The consumption of electrical energy is insignificant.
• Easy to install.
• High heating rate. Such heaters are more efficient than other types of such equipment.
• Absolutely safe.
• With the help of this technique, it is possible to warm yourself even in open spaces.

Disadvantages:

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

Important! When buying an IR heater for a home it is very important to determine the type of device correctly. Incorrect selection of a relatively heated area, such as radiated waves, can provoke harm to human health.

Inverter air conditioner

The air conditioners of the modern model perfectly cope with their main task - air cooling in the room. But they are also able, if necessary, to warm it up.

Advantages:

• Heating systems, whose operation is based on the use of an inverter air conditioner( heat pump) are characterized by ecological purity, since they do not produce harmful emissions into the atmosphere.
• Safe, since no explosive gases are used during operation.
• In one installation you get two: for cooling and heating the air.
• Economical.

Disadvantages:

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

Important! Due to the fact that the system does not completely shut down, but only goes into the "sleep" mode when the specified temperature parameters are reached, significant energy savings occur, and even the life of such devices increases in comparison with earlier analogues of such equipment.

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How to choose a heater for an apartment?

The choice of the heater should be based not only on the power, its external appearance and the manufacturer's promises on the device packaging regarding its operation. It is necessary to take into account some other important characteristics.

Serial number

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

Reliability of contacts

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

Important! Fires that arise from heating devices are most often associated with a poor quality connection, which provokes contact closure.

Internal wires

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

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

Qualitative plug

The plug of the device should be qualitative and have grounding. Thus, the device will be protected from voltage drops. This, in turn, will prevent the occurrence of a fire hazard due to the heating device, even in the case of an old wiring in the house.

Quality certificates

Of course, the originality of the connecting contacts, as well as the heating element, can not always be checked. In this case, you can trust the quality certificate.

CE Marking

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

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Choosing a heater by manufacturer

Let's consider briefly the most popular and reliable manufacturers of modern heaters:

• "Inkoline" - specializes in the production of quality automated electrical heating appliances.
• "Fenix" - the company produces low-temperature infrared heaters with a special heating element, which consists of a strip of fiberglass with uniform granite.
• «Noirot» - produces household convection systems for heating of a new generation. Devices with a classic design represent Premium class heaters.
• "Ballu" - produces heating products of the budget segment, which has good quality and functionality. Instruments surprise with a variety of operating modes.
• «Frico» - the company produces industrial and semi-industrial heaters in the form of heat guns and curtains, convectors, IR heaters and automation systems. All products are of high quality.
• "Tropic" - the company is known for its fan heaters, heat curtains and guns. The products are characterized by an excellent price-quality ratio.

Important! Also, the electric heaters of such companies as "VEAB", "OMAS", "ELARA" proved to be very good.

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Which heater to choose for home? Useful advices:

• If there is an increased level of dust in the room, the best option is an infrared heater.
• For the heating of the children's room, models that can be attached to the ceiling or wall are more suitable.
• For rooms with high humidity, only waterproof appliances are suitable.
• Correctly calculate the heater power for your room. Do 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 poor-quality materials, which can lead to emergencies.

Having learned from this article, what are the types of heaters for the house, you can easily determine the necessary option for yourself. 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 will be a device with infrared radiation. Using the information obtained from the article, choosing a heater will not become a big problem, but will turn into a pleasant purchase of a really useful and necessary item for your home.