Buying guide to heaters

Types of Heaters

Electric Heaters: Highly popular, electric heaters are 100% efficient in converting electricity into heat. Since the only fuel used is electricity, there are no odors or unhealthy toxic gases released. Unlike gas heaters there are no chances of explosions as well.

Electric heaters are divided into two types – convection and radiation.

Convection heaters use special coils to heat up cold air and are ideal for heating up an entire room. Besides heating, it also circulates warm air all across the room naturally or with the help of a fan. Hot air from the heater being lighter rises up and cool air that is heavy comes down. This cold air is again drawn back into the heater and is warmed. This cycle goes on continuously. Most models come with a built-in thermostat that turns off the heater once the desired levels of warmth are reached. The coils in these heaters get red hot and can cause fire if knocked down accidentally. As a safety measure, convection heaters include an auto shut-off switch in case the heater is accidentally knocked over or covered. This is particularly useful if there are pets and children in the house. Inexpensive, a convection heater uses a hot water coil, an electric heating element or a steam coil for heating. Being electrical, these heaters do not require any vents. These heaters come with different heat settings ranging from 750W to 2400W depending upon the model. Convection heaters are ideal for use during daytime in areas like the kitchen, sitting room, dining room and living room.

Convection heaters are further classified into five – natural, fan-forced, and ceramic, storage, column and baseboard heaters.

• Natural convection heaters work silently but take a while to heat up the room. They use natural air currents that are circulated to keep the room warm.
• Fan forced convection heaters are noisy thanks to the fan that is used to circulate warm air. Forced convection heaters are perfect for heating up a large area with great speed. With a “just air” setting, these heaters can double up as fans during summers. Fan heaters come in upright and flat models.
• Ceramic heaters are convection electric heaters but are highly efficient and relatively cheaper than other electric heaters. These use ceramic plates and aluminum baffles. The ceramic plates heat up when the electrical current passes through it. The heat produced is transferred to the aluminum baffles. This heat is then circulated throughout the room via a fan. Ceramic heaters heat up quickly and are ideal for small rooms like the kitchen, study and bedrooms. Advanced models of ceramic heaters feature a safety tip switch, adjustable thermostats, oscillating bases, digital control panels for variable power settings, 24 hour times, anti-freeze options, pilot lights, anti-dust filters and much more.
• Storage heaters are electric heaters that store thermal energy in heat banks such as clay bricks, any ceramic material, concrete walls etc. during evening or night during off peak hours. Such accumulated heat is released during daytime. This is considered an energy efficient method of heating. Armed with an input and an output control the heat stored and released can be controlled by the user. Storage heaters are kept on at night and provide warmth in lieu of other heaters that are often shut off at night. These heaters are easy to install and their basic cost is quite low and are low maintenance devices.
• Column heaters are electric heaters that have oil sealed inside columns that heat up when electric current passes through it. The heat generated is transferred to the casing and the air that is circulating around these columns. Column heaters are recommended for bedrooms or any place that needs to be kept continuously warm for a longer period.
• Baseboard heaters are generally placed under the window or near a source of cold air and heat the cold drafts entering the room above them which is then circulated in the entire room. Baseboard heaters are installed along the base of a wall and its heating elements are concealed in metal pipes.

Radiant heaters or Infrared heaters produce heat from invisible infrared rays. The infrared light is absorbed by the skin and clothes and thus a person feels warm. Few models of infrared heaters direct the light into the room or a certain area to heat a particular object. Infrared heaters contain an infrared bulb for the heat source, a metallic heat exchanger like copper to conduct heat and a fan that blows heat into the exchanger to generate heat. There are a wide variety of infrared heaters available based on the fuel they use and on the material used in its construction. Infrared heaters are environment friendly and safe as well. Some models have exposed heating elements and those should be avoided from a safety view. Look for models that have a tip sensor that shuts off the heater in case it is knocked over or tilted. These are available in wall mounted and free-standing models.

Some types of Infrared heaters include ceramic infrared heaters, flat faced panels, gas-fired heaters tubular heaters with a metal sheath, quartz lamp and quartz tube infrared heaters. Most of these heaters come with a protective sheath over heating elements and are made from materials including stainless steel, iron, aluminum, copper, brass, etc.

Combustion heaters are non-electric heaters that use other fuels for generating heat. These unvented combustion heaters include kerosene heaters, propane heaters, wood-based heaters and natural gas heaters. These are ideally used outside the homes in the lawn or garden areas and come in attractive designs and styles.

Kerosene or paraffin heaters are used as supplementary heaters. As they don’t use electricity, these liquid fuel heaters are great for emergency use during power failures. With double heating capacities, these heaters are ideal for heating large areas. Kerosene heaters have a wick that soaks up the fuel before heating. Being highly portable, these kerosene heaters can be taken anywhere. However these are unvented units and deplete the clean air in the enclosed rooms by releasing flue gases such as nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, and other combustion pollutants.  These heaters require you to use approved fuels in approved containers for safety. Liquid fuel heaters can also be used as garage heaters to heat up those large areas. Advanced units feature special low noise fans, safety sensors with auto shut down, adjustable thermostats and digital temperature control.

Propane heaters are of two types - circulation and infrared or radiant. In the first type, heat is circulated either by convection or by using a fan similar to electric convection and fan forced heaters. The radiant type heats the object which in turn transfers the heat to the surrounding air. The low capacity propane heaters are unvented and are fine for larger spaces like the living room but are not recommended for the bedroom or other confined spaces as they can accumulate high levels of flue gases.

Natural gas heaters also known as LPG heaters are efficient and useful for heating up large areas. However these heaters need to be connected to a gas line to draw gas for heating. From free standing with a base to wall mounted, natural gas heaters are available in a wide range.

Direct vent gas furnaces are gas heaters that conceal the gas flame inside the heater unit and the combustion air from outside is drawn into the unit through the direct wall vent which is a 3” hole in the wall. The combustion gases are also vented directly via this route back outside.

Wood burning heaters are great patio heaters and are cheaper than natural gas and electric heaters. All you need is a wood stove and a chimney system for releasing the smoke. These kinds of heater are considered to be more effective than a large fireplace.

Points to consider before buying a heater:

1. Check out all the current safety features that have been made mandatory by the authorities and buy only those models that provide all these safety measures.
2. Opt for heaters with thermostat as these save on power and do not overheat the room.
3. Choose the right size of heater by taking the room size into consideration. A bigger heater will overheat while a smaller unit will prove inefficient. Most heaters come with a chart that rates heaters according to the room size. Follow this chart before you make a purchase.
4. Before buying a heater check out its noise level. For example; Fan forced heaters can be noisy, so buy only if you are comfortable with the noise levels.
5. Do check whether the heater you are buying is the vented or unvented type and look for the Underwriter’s Laboratory seals on the heaters. Opt for a heater that has a well insulated solid base that does not tip easily. Look for a safety tip switch. Opt for heaters whose fuel is readily available.