Heating element
The type of heating element provided in the device.
- Tubular heater, an element in the form of a tube, inside which there is a heating coil and a filler made of sand, ceramics, oil or other heat-conducting material/liquid. Heating elements do not heat up as quickly as spirals, and are somewhat more expensive; on the other hand, they are more fireproof. Moreover, the relatively low operating temperature prevents (at least partially) the combustion of dust and the appearance of unpleasant odours.
-Spiral — in this case, an open electric spiral is meant. Provides fast heating due to the high operating temperature. However, of all types of heating elements, it is the most fire-hazardous, and dust on the coil causes an unpleasant odor.
- Ceramic. The heating element constructed using ceramic plates. In this case, we are talking about a classic heater, which provides heating mainly due to convection; models with IR heating are placed in a separate category (see below). The main advantage of ceramic heaters over tubular heater and spiral heater is a relatively low operating temperature, which not only prevents the combustion of dust but also reduces the risk of burns (and the likelihood of fires is reduced to almost zero). In addition, ceramic elements are reliable and durable. Their main drawback is their high price.
— Ceramic with IR heating. Ceramic heaters (see above), are capable of providing heating not only due to direct contac...t with air but also due to infrared radiation. They are mainly used in convectors, but can also be installed in infrared heaters. Recall that IR radiation does not heat the air, but directly the objects to which it is directed, while the heat from heating is felt instantly, but only as long as the heater is turned on. Convection, in turn, allows you to warm up the entire volume of air in the room, but this can take quite a long time. The combined heater combines the advantages of these methods of operation and mutually compensates for their shortcomings: with its help, you can quickly heat individual parts of the room and, at the same time, warm the air inside. This can be useful, for example, if you need to heat a cold room and at the same time quickly warm yourself. The main disadvantage of elements of this type can be called a high cost. It is also worth considering that a specialized heater will be more appropriate than a universal one — for example, it is more reasonable to use classic IR heaters outdoors since the heat from the convector in such conditions will “fly away into the atmosphere”. A heating element consisting of a heating element and an IR heater also works on a similar principle. See above for more details on the operation of the heating element.
— Heat exchanger. A heating element found exclusively in gas heaters (see "Power supply"). It has the form of a long curved tube: through it, the products of combustion of gas move from the burner to the chimney, cooling down along the way and giving up their heat to heat the room. For more efficient heat transfer, the surface of the tube can be supplemented with fins, plates and other elements that increase the area of contact with air.
- Stitch heater. At the heart of the stitch heater is a set of thin and long metal protrusions, similar to needles. One of their key advantages is the almost instantaneous heating to operating temperature. On the other hand, this temperature is higher than that of heating elements, which leads to rapid drying of the air and increases the likelihood of unpleasant odours (dust or other contamination that gets on the needles is likely to be burned). Stitch heaters are found exclusively in convectors (see "Type").
Controls
- Rotary knob. Models with such mechanical control are inexpensive, but the possibilities of the control itself are rather limited and usually include only basic functions.
— Push-buttons. This type of control has more heating modes and additionally, there may be a display for showing information.
- Touch controls. It is similar to push-button models but has a more aesthetic appearance. It is found mainly in top models.
Max. power
The maximum power of the heater. The meaning of this parameter depends on the device type and power supply (see above). So, for most types of heaters, we are talking about the highest power output. However, for fan heaters, this parameter also includes the power of the fan motor, and the heating capabilities are somewhat more modest than the claimed maximum power (although not by much). For electric models, the maximum power also corresponds to the maximum power consumption, which determines the connection requirements: for example, for devices of 3.5 kW and more, ordinary sockets are no longer suitable, and some require not 230 V but 400 V.
However, the key point determined by the power of the heater, is the intensity of heating and the ability to effectively heat a particular room. To select the appropriate model, there are special formulas. So, if we are talking about a city apartment or a small office space with a ceiling height of about 2.5 m, then we can assume that a heating power of at least 100 W is required per 1 m² of area. For other situations, more complex methods are used, taking into account the volume of the room, the degree of thermal insulation, climate and solar heating, etc.; they can be found in special sources. Also note that for IR heaters (see "Type"), their own calculation methods are used — this is due to the specific format of work.
Heating area
A very conditional parameter that slightly characterizes the purpose based on the size of the room. And depending on the height of the ceilings, layout and equipment, actual values may vary significantly. However, this item represents the maximum recommended area of the room that the device can effectively heat. This parameter directly depends on the maximum power (see above). It is worth noting that the actual efficiency of the heater in most cases depends not on the area, but on the volume of the room. In light of this, the heating area can only be specified for a certain ceiling height. In most cases, manufacturers mean 2.5 m - this is the standard ceiling height in city apartments. If the ceilings are much higher, the heating area must be recalculated using special formulas. In general, it is worth considering that 1 kW is comfortable for 10 m², however, manufacturers may slightly overestimate the heating area data.
Features
— Thermostat. A device for maintaining a constant room temperature. In the presence of a thermostat, the heater can automatically turn off when the set temperature is reached and turn on when it drops by 1-2 °C.
— Temperature control. The ability to adjust the temperature of the air leaving the heater (in fan heaters and convectors), or the temperature of the heater body (in oil heaters).
— Emergency heating. This function does not protect the heater itself, but the room in which it is installed. When the frost protection is on, the heater automatically maintains the room temperature at 5 °C, turning on and off at the right time. This allows you to protect the walls of the room (for example, a country house) from freezing without the extra cost of electricity or gas.
— Sleep timer. A device for automatically turning off the heater after a predetermined time. The presence of a timer eliminates the need for the user to monitor the time and turn off the heater manually: knowing the approximate time required for heating, is enough to set the timer and the device will turn itself off at the right time.
— Weekly timer. The weekly timer allows you to organize the operation of the heater. Thanks to the weekly timer, you can set up automatic switching on and off of the heater, as well as temperature control depending on the time or day of the week. With the help of the weekly timer, you can set the heating in such a way that when the hea...ter goes to work, it will provide minimal heat, so long as the water in the pipes does not freeze, and shortly before the user arrives, it will begin to provide full heating. The programmer allows you to automate the heating process, while making it economical, rational and efficient.
— Turbo fan. The presence of an additional fan in the design of an oil heater or convector (see "Type"). Such a fan provides forced air circulation, which accelerates the heating of the room and increases the efficiency of the device. Note that fan heaters have this function by definition, so its presence is not indicated for them.
— Fan mode. The ability to operate a fan heater or other device with a fan (see above) in normal ventilation mode, when the heater is turned off and air passes through the device without heating. This mode can be useful, for example, in warm weather, when it is not necessary to warm the air. Of course, the efficiency of such devices is noticeably lower than that of full-sized specialized fans, but in many cases, it is quite enough.
— Oscillation. The system of automatic rotation of the heater body during operation. This allows you to increase the heating zone and provide more uniform heating of the room. Most often, fan heaters and infrared heaters are equipped with this function.
— Chimney effect. It is used in oil radiators to improve air circulation and faster heating of the room. Special slots are made on the body of the device, creating a draft and enhancing natural convection.
— Humidifier. An increase in indoor temperature leads to a decrease in relative humidity. This adversely affects the well-being of people. To prevent this, some models of heaters are equipped with air humidification devices, consisting of a water tank and an evaporator.
— Ionization. Ions are electrically charged molecules. It is believed that the presence of negatively charged ions in the air has a beneficial effect on the health and general well-being of a person. Ionizers are used to saturate the air with such ions.
— Remote control. The presence of a remote control supplied with the heater. The convenience of this function is obvious: the remote control allows you to control the heater from a distance. This is especially useful, for example, on a cold morning, when getting out from under the covers into a cold room would be extremely uncomfortable. Also note that in models with advanced functions (such as a timer), these functions often can only be controlled from the remote control.
— Control via smartphone. The ability to use the user's smartphone as a remote control. By installing the manufacturer's proprietary application, you can change the operating mode, and adjust the temperature and other device parameters directly from your phone.
— Wi-Fi module connection. The ability to expand the capabilities of the heater when connecting a Wi-Fi module (not included). With its help, control from a smartphone becomes available.
— Display. The presence of a display in the design of the heater. Usually, this is the simplest black-and-white screen with a few characters, but even this is enough in this case — almost all key information about the operation of the device can be displayed on this screen: temperature, timer settings, notifications about problems, etc. Thanks to this, control becomes more convenient and visual.
Heating modes
The ability to adjust the power of the heater. Do not confuse this parameter with temperature control since several power modes primarily affect the heating rate, energy consumption and device wear.
Safety system
— Overheat protection. The system of automatic shutdown of the heater when the critical temperature of the heating element is reached (which can happen, for example, if the fan heater motor fails). Ensures the fire safety of the device.
— Waterproof. The presence of a body protected from water splashes (most often sealed). Such heaters can be used in rooms with high humidity — for example, bathrooms — without the risk of short circuits or electric shock. However, even in such models, it is imperative to clarify the specific degree of water protection and restrictions on use before use; these data can be found in the instructions or other official documents of the manufacturer.
— Child lock. The control lock function prevents playful children or animals from changing the settings. Relevant for advanced devices with extensive management capabilities.
— Tip-over protection. A system that turns off the heater when it tips over to avoid fire or damage to the floor. This feature is especially relevant if there are small children in the house.
— Motion sensor. The presence of an appropriate sensor allows the device to focus on the presence of people and, by this, warm up the room. So, the absence of any movement in the "field of view" of the heater puts it into sleep mode. And the detection of movement (be it a dog or a person) reactivates it.
— Open window sensor. A special sensor allows the device to automatically recogni...ze when a window is opened for ventilation. In the process of airing the premises, the heater either turns off completely or switches to the most economical operation mode. This function allows you to save energy because, in the process of ventilation, the room heat will still evaporate into the street. Usually, the heating stop time is up to 30 minutes — in some models, the exact ventilation time can be adjusted by the user. The very fact of ventilation is most often fixed by the electronics. To do this, automation can use either traditional magnetic contact sensors or draft sensors (cold air inflow).
Installation
Installation methods, nominally provided for by the design of the heater. Many models allow several mounting options — for example, floor or wall, at the request of the user.
— Floor. Installation directly on the floor using feet, wheels or similar supports. Such installation is as simple and fast as possible — no work is needed, it is enough to find a free area of the floor and install a heater on it. Accordingly, moving from place to place is also not a problem — especially if the design has the wheels mentioned (and almost all heavy devices like oil heaters are equipped with them). And you can place the heater almost anywhere in the room — with certain restrictions, but the freedom of movement for such devices is still much greater than for wall or ceiling ones. At the same time, a floor heater takes up the most space, and there is also a risk of bumping into such a device and tipping it over.
— Wall mounted. Mounting on a wall, usually by hanging on hooks, screws or other similar devices. This installation option is found in all types of heaters, but it is most popular in convectors and fan heaters. Wall installation is not as convenient as floor installation — certain work is required to prepare the wall, and it is impossible to install such a device in the middle of the room. On the other hand, wall models do not take up space on the floor, which can be especially useful in cramped conditions.
— Ceiling. Installation by hanging from t...he ceiling. This option is used mainly among IR heaters — installation at the maximum height allows you to cover a large area; in other types of heaters, ceiling mounting is practically not found. Often, ceiling models also allow wall installation.
— Into socket. Portable heaters with a plug directly in the housing are installed in the socket. The dimensions of such devices are negligible, as well as the heating power. Plug-in models are a good option for heating a workplace in a small office space, at a guard post or in a gatehouse.
Note that accessories for a particular type of installation may not be included in the kit, they will have to be purchased separately: for example, for a wall-mounted convector, you will need to purchase screws or other fasteners, and for a floor convector, legs-stands.
