hi there! ppl in this group know their appliances so i was hoping for
some enlightenment on this question i have. if you google "fan heater
& cough" you will find lots of references saying fan heaters dry up
the air more than oil heaters and can aggrevate coughs.

But I am trying to reason out the science behind it.if a fan heater
dries out the air more, where does the water go? doesnt it stay in the
room? is there any truth in this?


thx


electric oil heater (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_heater)


fan heater (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_heater)

beerismygas wrote:
hi there! ppl in this group know their appliances so i was hoping for
some enlightenment on this question i have. if you google "fan heater
& cough" you will find lots of references saying fan heaters dry up
the air more than oil heaters and can aggrevate coughs.

But I am trying to reason out the science behind it.if a fan heater
dries out the air more, where does the water go? doesnt it stay in the
room? is there any truth in this?

Any heater that burns oil/gas/hydrocarbon produces water as a result
so the oil heater will actually humidify the air (which can be a
problem, producing condensation) whereas the electric heater won't.

--
Chris Green

wrote in message
...
beerismygas wrote:
hi there! ppl in this group know their appliances so i was hoping for
some enlightenment on this question i have. if you google "fan heater
& cough" you will find lots of references saying fan heaters dry up
the air more than oil heaters and can aggrevate coughs.

But I am trying to reason out the science behind it.if a fan heater
dries out the air more, where does the water go? doesnt it stay in the
room? is there any truth in this?

Any heater that burns oil/gas/hydrocarbon produces water as a result
so the oil heater will actually humidify the air (which can be a
problem, producing condensation) whereas the electric heater won't.


It depends on what you mean by an oil heater. I usually think of an 'oil
heater' as being one of those oil filled radiators in which case the
humidity shouldn't change cf a fan heater; but yes, an oil burning stove (if
venting into the room) would increase the room's humidity. Whether the OP
was thinking of the same is another matter.

beerismygas wrote:
hi there! ppl in this group know their appliances so i was hoping for
some enlightenment on this question i have. if you google "fan heater
& cough" you will find lots of references saying fan heaters dry up
the air more than oil heaters and can aggrevate coughs.

But I am trying to reason out the science behind it.if a fan heater
dries out the air more, where does the water go? doesnt it stay in the
room? is there any truth in this?


thx


electric oil heater (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_heater)


fan heater (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_heater)


They do seem to feel worse, but as you say its hard to see any
diference in drying. I suspect it may be because they kick up dust,
much more so than unfanned heaters.


NT

yes i meant the electric powered oil filled column heater type. lets
assume we are comparing them with electric fan heaters of equal
wattage, say 2kw.

beerismygas wrote:
hi there! ppl in this group know their appliances so i was hoping for
some enlightenment on this question i have. if you google "fan heater
& cough" you will find lots of references saying fan heaters dry up
the air more than oil heaters and can aggrevate coughs.

But I am trying to reason out the science behind it.if a fan heater
dries out the air more, where does the water go? doesnt it stay in the
room? is there any truth in this?


Andrew Gabriel posted this link earlier

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...eaLevel-SI.jpg

Showing that as the temperature rises with the same amount of water in
the air the RH will drop - so it feels drier.

An oil (or gas) *burning* heater (not an oil filled radiator) makes
water in the room, helping to cancel out the drop in RH by increasing
the amount of water.

This will of course increase the condensation.

Andy

wrote :
Any heater that burns oil/gas/hydrocarbon produces water as a result
so the oil heater will actually humidify the air (which can be a
problem, producing condensation) whereas the electric heater won't.

I think the question was probably comparing electric fan heaters with
electric oil filled radiators, rather than oil burners.

--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk

On 15 Feb, 20:30, Andy Champ wrote:
beerismygas wrote:
hi there! ppl in this group know their appliances so i was hoping for
some enlightenment on this question i have. *if you google "fan heater
& cough" you will find lots of references saying fan heaters dry up
the air more than oil heaters and can *aggrevate coughs.

But I am trying to reason out the science behind it.if a fan heater
dries out the air more, where does the water go? doesnt it stay in the
room? is there any truth in this?

Andrew Gabriel posted this link earlier

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...tricChart-SeaL...

Showing that as the temperature rises with the same amount of water in
the air the RH will drop - so it feels drier.

An oil (or gas) *burning* heater (not an oil filled radiator) makes
water in the room, helping to cancel out the drop in RH by increasing
the amount of water.

This will of course increase the condensation.

Andy

But surely any products of combustion will be vented out through the
flue, water vapour as well as CO2 and carbon monoxide.
Maybe it feels more comfortable because the air in the room is changed
because it is drawn in by a real fire.

Rednadnerb wrote:


But surely any products of combustion will be vented out through the
flue, water vapour as well as CO2 and carbon monoxide.

Ah, a youngster who doesn't remember central heating being an Aladdin
heater in the hall (on the very coldest nights).

Paraffin-fuelled wick-type burners, shoving products of combustion and a
gentle miasma of Esso Blue into the room were slightly safer than the
infamous drip-feed paraffin burners. Then there were bottled gas
"cabinet heaters", beloved of a certain class of takeaway and those
whose financial management skills could manage the occasional tenner for
a gas bottle, but not the shock of an electricity bill.


--
Kevin Poole
****Use current date to reply (e.g. )****

On 16 Feb, 08:54, Kevin Poole wrote:
Rednadnerb wrote:

But surely any products of combustion will be vented out through the
flue, water vapour as well as CO2 and carbon monoxide.

Ah, a youngster who doesn't remember central heating being an Aladdin
heater in the hall (on the very coldest nights).

Paraffin-fuelled wick-type burners, shoving products of combustion and a
gentle miasma of Esso Blue into the room were slightly safer than the
infamous drip-feed paraffin burners. * Then there were bottled gas
"cabinet heaters", beloved of a certain class of takeaway and those
whose financial management skills could manage the occasional tenner for
a gas bottle, but not the shock of an electricity bill.

--
Kevin Poole
****Use current date to reply (e.g. )****

Not so. My memory loss was temporary and I pulled my post before I
could be shot down but you were too quick on the draw.

But you've only winged me, I'll be back.

Brendan.

Andy Champ wrote:

Andrew Gabriel posted this link earlier

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...hart-SeaLevel-
SI.jpg

Showing that as the temperature rises with the same amount of water in the
air the RH will drop - so it feels drier.

An oil (or gas) *burning* heater (not an oil filled radiator) makes water
in the room, helping to cancel out the drop in RH by increasing the amount
of water.

This will of course increase the condensation.

The OP did not mention frequency of use. A thought...

Another effect I have seen myself involves dust. Fan heaters when first
turned on after a period of non-use seem to blow out some dust. They
also suck in dust from the room "super heat" it and then blast it out
straight at you, or whatever the heater is aimed at. Anybody who has
taken one apart will have discovered the dust.

Other types of heater are convection based and dont seem to collect less
dust or muck. I also suspect they are at lot less active when it comes
to blasting muck out.