Finding the right kind of heater

Press, 16 July 1986, Page 31

Finding the right kind of heater

With the many types of heaters available, it is not at all surprising that many consumers find it difficult to find the right heater to suit their needs.

Heaters basically fall into two main groups — radiant heaters and convector heaters.

The radiant group is best described as those that can be visually seen to glow red. They include the traditional “plug-in” bar heater and “infrared” wall-mounted strip heaters (all radiant heaters are “infra-red”).

The elements in radiant heaters come in a variety of forms including the Quartz type. The heat rays radiated by the

heater are directly absorbed by objects and atmospheric particles. These warmed objects and particles give off convection heat which In turn warms the air.

Convection heaters provide warmth to the room by warming the cold air as it passes over a heating element. Some work on the natural up-draft of warmed expanded air. Others are fan-assisted.

There are, of course, combinations of radiantconvector electric heating and a wide selection of heaters in both categories. Any type of electric heater warms a room, providing that heater has sufficient wattage. Wat-

tage is the heater’s ability, to convert electricity into heat.

Electricity is measured in watts, and 1000 watts (or IkW) consumed for one hour equals one electrical “unit” — the basis on which your usage of electricity is measured and charged. So a onekilowatt heater uses one unit of electricity an hour. Your most recent power bill indicates how much your electrical supply authority charges for one unit of power. There is no sense in buying heaters with too much wattage. Uncontrolled, over-sized heaters can make a room uncomfortable and are uneconomical in terms of

purchase, and running costs. It is just as senseless to buy under-sized heaters. During winter they will be unable to attain comfortable room temperatures and turning up the thermostat makes no difference if the heater does not have sufficient wattage to warm the room.