Home heaters, as a rule, cannot be the only source of heat in an apartment, but they can become a significant addition in the off-season or in case of insufficient heat supply from the central heating system..
There are several types of heaters for apartments and houses. To choose the right device, you need to know the principle of its operation and the main technical characteristics..
Types of apartment heaters:
- fan heaters,
- oil radiators,
- convector-type heaters,
- infrared emitters.
Each of these types is worth considering in more detail..
Fan heater
The general principle of operation of devices of this type: the heater raises the air temperature, then warm air is distributed throughout the room using a fan. Blowing on the heating element, the fan ensures that portions of cold air are supplied to it and the already heated air is removed..
As a heating element, the device can use electric coils, tubular elements and the most environmentally friendly modern ceramic heating elements..
Pros and cons of the heater
Pros:
- fast room heating,
- heat spreads evenly,
- small purchase budget,
- does not take up much space,
- reliable in operation,
- easy to use,
- is lightweight,
- high mobility.
Minuses:
- too noisy,
- can cause fire,
- almost all heating elements (except for ceramic) reduce the oxygen level in the room.
Oil heaters
Principle of operation: using a heating element that does not have contact with air, the heat carrier is heated. Typically mineral oil in home heaters, although antifreeze is also acceptable..
The heated oil circulates inside the metal case, which is arranged according to the principle of a radiator for maximum heat transfer. The air heats up near the walls of the radiator and naturally (convection) spreads through the room.
Pros and cons of the heater
Pros:
- low fire hazard,
- almost silent operation,
- does not reduce the amount of oxygen in the air,
- low price.
Minuses:
- occupy a fairly large area,
- warm-up is slow,
- weigh a lot, due to which they are not very mobile.
Convectors
The principle of operation is simple: an air stream passes through a metal tube, which is a heating element. Coming out of the pipe, it naturally rises upward due to convection currents, displacing cold air from there down to the floor, where it is again captured and sent to the convector.
Pros and cons of heaters
Pros:
- profitability,
- fire safety,
- no noise,
- lack of smell,
- does not reduce the amount of oxygen in the air,
- precisely maintains the set room temperature.
Minuses:
- high acquisition and installation costs.
Infrared emitters
These are devices that generate long wavelengths that lie in the infrared part of the spectrum. Such waves, in contrast to waves with a shorter length, are not visible to the eye, but have the property of heating objects by affecting their structure. Thus, infrared emitters heat up objects around, and heat from heated objects escapes into the air..
Pros and cons of heaters
Pros:
- low power consumption,
- does not dry out the air,
- heats up furnishings quickly,
- a home heater based on this principle can be used on an open veranda or terrace.
Minuses:
- fragility of construction,
- the highest price of all types of apartment heaters.
