In view of the recent energy price hike I am analyzing my heating.

What are the advantages or disadvantages of oil filed radiators,
electric convector heaters or blow heaters.

A Honeywell blow heater I have has three heat settings and a thermostat
control, I can't see the point of high and low heat settings if there is
a thermostat.

Geoff Lane

On Mon, 02 Feb 2009 17:36:00 +0000, Geoff Lane wrote:

In view of the recent energy price hike I am analyzing my heating.

What are the advantages or disadvantages of oil filed radiators,
electric convector heaters or blow heaters.

A Honeywell blow heater I have has three heat settings and a thermostat
control, I can't see the point of high and low heat settings if there is
a thermostat.

The higher output will be capable of bringing the area up to temperature at
a faster rate, after which the lower output, provided it is at an adequate
level, would then be better, in conjunction with the thermostat, for
maintaining temperature. The range of fluctuation in temperature would then
also be lower (there is, of course, a built-in assumption about the
separation between on/off temperatures over which the thermostat operates).

Geoff Lane wrote:
In view of the recent energy price hike I am analyzing my heating.

What are the advantages or disadvantages of oil filed radiators,
electric convector heaters or blow heaters.

A Honeywell blow heater I have has three heat settings and a thermostat
control, I can't see the point of high and low heat settings if there is
a thermostat.

Geoff Lane

All electric heaters are 100% efficient, none of the heat goes
outdoors. Plug in heaters are also all much more expensive than all
other heating options.

Blow heater: high power, fast heating, small, noisy, fire risk if
covered.
Convector: medium power, medium size, no noise, fire risk if covered,
but less.
Radiator: low power, slow, large, touch safe, no fire risk. Good for
kids.

PS theres only one type of electric heating not 100% efficient, and
thats a heat pump. Those can give you 300% effective efficiency by
using the leccy to pump heat in from outdoors.


NT

wrote in message
...


Blow heater: high power, fast heating, small, noisy, fire risk if
covered.
Convector: medium power, medium size, no noise, fire risk if covered,
but less.
Radiator: low power, slow, large, touch safe, no fire risk. Good for
kids.
(and old people)

On 2 Feb, 21:41, wrote:

All electric heaters are 100% efficient, none of the heat goes
outdoors.

While this is true, it means "efficiency as heaters of stuff" rather
than "efficiency as heaters of people". In terms of comfort / £, there
are indeed differences.

Fan heaters will make you feel warm quickly (at a cost) in a way that
radiants don't, but their running costs over a few hours of comfort
will be higher. Best of all for workshop warmth are the long-
wavelength IR (white ceramic) that make people in front of them
comfortable without needing to raise air temperature in the entire
workshop.

In article ,
"Vass" writes:

wrote in message
...


Blow heater: high power, fast heating, small, noisy, fire risk if
covered.
Convector: medium power, medium size, no noise, fire risk if covered,
but less.
Radiator: low power, slow, large, touch safe, no fire risk. Good for
kids.
(and old people)

Oil filled radiators get plenty hot enough to burn people and
some fabrics (not uncommon to find them with burn marks where
someone thought it would be a good idea to dry some washing on
them;-). I have a very old one (was my grandmother's) which
has an adjustable thermostat for the oil as well as one for the
air temperature, but when I looked at some modern ones, I didn't
see an oil temperature knob.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Andrew Gabriel wrote:

Oil filled radiators get plenty hot enough to burn people and
some fabrics (not uncommon to find them with burn marks where
someone thought it would be a good idea to dry some washing on
them;-). I have a very old one (was my grandmother's) which
has an adjustable thermostat for the oil as well as one for the
air temperature, but when I looked at some modern ones, I didn't
see an oil temperature knob.

Knowing that in nature one doesn't get something for nothing, what is
the reason for the oil. I know it retains heat well but would obviously
take energy to heat in the first place.

Geoff Lane

In article ,
Geoff Lane writes:
Andrew Gabriel wrote:

Oil filled radiators get plenty hot enough to burn people and
some fabrics (not uncommon to find them with burn marks where
someone thought it would be a good idea to dry some washing on
them;-). I have a very old one (was my grandmother's) which
has an adjustable thermostat for the oil as well as one for the
air temperature, but when I looked at some modern ones, I didn't
see an oil temperature knob.

Knowing that in nature one doesn't get something for nothing, what is
the reason for the oil. I know it retains heat well but would obviously
take energy to heat in the first place.

Transfers the heat from the element(s) at the bottom to the
whole surface area of the radiator, where it can transfer
to the room.

I don't think much of oil filled radiators for the reason
you give - lag in the on and off cycles due to the heat
capacity of the oil. I have chosen either electric convector
heaters or electric fan heaters when I need an electric
heater, depending on the circumstances. Some people might
prefer one in a radiator format -- my desk chair is quite
close to one of my central heating radiators, and the radiant
heat from it can be quite nice (although most of the output
is in the form of convected heat). They tend to be much lower
power ratings than fan or convertor heaters though.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

wrote:

Plug in heaters are also all much more expensive than all
other heating options.

I know that used to be the case and appreciate all energy has gone up
but electric is more adjustable, when it's off it is off so is it more
expensive.

Geoff Lane