Which electric heating convector is better: how to buy a good one so as not to regret later?

Varieties

Convectors have many varieties that differ:

• by type of heat carrier (electric, gas, water);
• by type of work (convection, infrared or mixed type);
• by installation method (floor, wall, ceiling, plinth);
• according to the material of manufacture (steel, ceramic, glass, quartz);
• according to additional options (with natural convection or forced with a fan, with an ionizer or humidifier, with a dust filter and others).

When choosing a convector for a summer residence or for a home, it is worth remembering about the different power of the devices. Preference for one or another type should be given based on the volume of heated air in the room. Manufacturers usually indicate the maximum number of square meters for which the device is designed.

If, for example, the room is poorly insulated, there are drafts, the windows face north, or there are other conditions that contribute to lowering the temperature and heat loss, you should choose a convector with a higher power. So, for a room of 15-20 square meters, a heat appliance with a capacity of at least 2 kW is purchased. A 1 kW device can heat a very small room up to 12 square meters. If the convector has additional options (air humidification, electronic thermoregulation), then these losses during the operation of the device should also be taken into account. Accordingly, it will fit the area less than the declared one by about 30-40%.

infrared

These are the latest innovative models. Their efficiency is increased due to the additional effect of infrared radiation. Combined type devices have 2 heating elements and can work even if one of them fails.

They have an increased efficiency and warm up the room faster than other types due to the release of heat by IR waves to objects in the environment. Such appliances often have decorative panels and are the latest generation of heating systems.

Electrical

Electric convectors work by heating the internal element (TEN) with electric current. The use of such a device is absolutely safe. The heating element is protected by insulation and the convector shell, therefore, at any set temperature, its surface does not heat up above 50-60 degrees.

They are equipped with automatic thermostats. It is worth remembering that an electric convector consumes a sufficient amount of energy. Therefore, you need to choose the option with maximum energy saving.It is suitable for a small room or intermittent work (during the breaks between heating seasons).

Gas

The gas convector is not very popular, although it was originally designed as a more economical alternative to the electric one. It runs on liquefied gas from a cylinder. It is convenient to use it in private households with the possibility of connecting to the highway. At the same time, its installation should be carefully considered, since it may be difficult to further dismantle and transfer the device.

In addition, a gas convector requires a flue gas removal and recovery system. Installing such a convector will require special skills. And the savings become relative, since significant heat losses will occur through ventilation to remove gases in the outer wall.

Water

Convectors with water as a heating medium are characterized by maximum efficiency, ease of use and safety.

Water intake for heating in them comes from a central heating system. They are compact and can be hidden under the floor (the so-called "plinth models"). Their only drawback is the small area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe heated room. It should not exceed 10-12 square meters.

What is a convector

Heating devices can work on two principles - to radiate heat, heating surrounding objects, and to create convection, providing air circulation in heated rooms. Convection allows you to quickly create a comfortable environment in your home by gently taking in cold air and generating warm air instead. Not only conventional radiators for water systems are built on this principle, but also electric convectors.

Electric heating convector - This is a small heater that resembles in its appearance the most common heating battery. It works from the electrical network and does not require a coolant supply. Thus, some energy savings are achieved, heat losses are reduced. In order for the convector to work, you need to connect it to the mains - for this, the most ordinary socket is suitable.

The process of convection is that the air heated by the radiator rises, and cold air comes in its place.

The electric convector works offline. He does not need to lay pipes throughout the house, in an electric boiler, in an expansion tank and other appliances necessary for water heating. The convector is designed to heat the air and ensure its continuous circulation through the heated rooms. The result is high-quality and almost uniform heating of all rooms in a house or apartment.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of electric heating convectors? Why are they better than other heaters? To begin with, we will consider the positive qualities of this equipment:

• effective heating of the room provides comfort at any point in it - natural convection allows you to deliver warm air to any place in the room, displacing cold air from there;
• completely autonomous operation - you do not need to create a whole heating system, just hang the required number of convectors in the rooms;
• almost uniform temperature at all points after full warm-up - this is ensured by natural convection and reduced heating intensity of heating elements in modern convectors, resulting in a more uniform distribution of heat;
• compactness - this is characteristic of many modern heating devices. Thanks to this, electric convectors look good in any room;
• the possibility of using it as the main or auxiliary heating equipment - if your heating is often turned off, you can purchase an additional source of heat in the form of an electric convector;
• no significant effect on air humidity and oxygen content - electric heating convectors do not burn oxygen and do not dry the air, maintaining a healthy and healthy microclimate in the house;
• instant start and complete noiselessness in operation - convectors heat up very quickly, and natural air circulation provides immediate heating of residential premises;
• Extreme ease of installation - just place a wall-mounted model on the wall or install a floor convector. After that, you can start the convector and enjoy the heat.

In addition, electric heating convectors are maintenance-free, do not require permits for installation, are safe for others and are characterized by high efficiency.

If it is possible to connect your house to gas communications, then a heating system with fuel in the form of gas will be much more economical than heating with electric convectors.

There are also disadvantages, which are listed below:

• together with warm air, radiators carry dust, distributing it to all heated rooms;
• despite the high efficiency, heating costs will be high. Electric heating is the most expensive heat source;
• too high heating costs for large households - if you have a large house, it is more profitable to create a water heating system.

There are not very many cons, so electric heating convectors can be considered almost ideal heating equipment.

Electric convector heaters will be an excellent solution for small one-room and two-room households, as well as for small country houses. They are also useful as accessories for apartments.

The main differences from other heating devices

The convector is fundamentally different from radiator or oil heater. It helps to maintain exactly the average comfortable temperature in the room. It does not act pointwise, but on the entire volume of air, therefore it can be less economical.

Choosing one or another type of device, it is impossible to say whether it is worse or better. Each of the devices has its own advantages for working in certain conditions. Based on the specific data of the room and the requirements for heating, the desired type of heater is selected.

Convector type heater suitable for summer cottages, where it will be used seasonally. But for heating large houses it is better to use an electric boiler of the required power. In favor of oil coolers, the choice is usually made because of their cheapness. They are able to quickly heat a small room, but they are more dangerous to use and burn a large amount of oxygen during operation.

How convector heaters are arranged and how they work

Before we talk about all the pros and cons of convector heaters, it is necessary to properly study their device. They consist of the following parts:

• Heating element - it is equipped with large area fins, providing heating of air masses;
• Control system - it can be electronic or mechanical, providing work in certain modes and controlling the temperature;
• Case - protects all the insides.

The design of the equipment is extremely simple, and this is more of a plus than a minus.

Warm air rises, and cold air fills its place - this is the principle of convection.

Let's see how a convector heater works. When it is connected to the network, the heating element starts to work. It heats the air, as a result of which its density decreases - becoming lighter, it rises to the ceiling and displaces cold air masses from there. Cold air descends and is sucked into the convector. Some time after turning on the equipment, a stable air circulation is created in the room, which ensures the creation of a comfortable atmosphere.

The temperature regime is monitored by automatic equipment - it turns off the convector heater when the set temperature is reached, and turns it on as soon as it gets cooler in the rooms. Automation can be electronic or mechanical. Electronics is more accurate, it provides energy savings and gives the equipment many additional functions. As for the "mechanics", it is simpler, but less economical.

An electronically controlled convector heater will cost more than its counterpart with a mechanical thermostat - but the presence of electronics is considered a plus.

Main characteristics

Since a convector is a thing that is bought for long-term use, you need to approach the purchase responsibly.Heaters are evaluated according to different characteristics. You can easily navigate when choosing a device by highlighting its most important parameters for yourself.

Things to consider before buying:

• method of fastening the device;
• power consumption;
• type of thermostat;
• type of heater;
• security.

According to the location, convectors are wall-mounted, floor-mounted and universal. When buying a wall-mounted heater, it is necessary to clarify whether parts for mounting it are supplied with the device. Some models do not have them and must be purchased separately. The advantage of this type of convectors is space saving: they do not take up additional space in the room, which is essential for rooms and apartments with a small area.

Do not forget to look at the power consumption of the convector when buying it

Floor heaters are equipped with legs or wheels. Their advantage is mobility. By moving them, you can achieve the required temperature in all hard-to-reach areas of the room.

The most practical convectors of a universal type. They can either be placed on the floor or hung on the wall. When buying, you should check the availability of wheels or legs in the package: sometimes you have to buy them separately.

It is necessary to take into account the purpose of the convector (the only source of heat or auxiliary). If it is needed in an apartment as an additional heater, then one kilowatt of device power will be enough for a room of 20 square meters. In the absence of main heating, you should choose equipment for the microclimate with a large power value.

The convector will be an additional heater or main?

Convector thermostats can be of two types:

• mechanical;
• electronic.

When choosing a cheap heater that will rarely be used, it is worth considering options for models with mechanical temperature control. They are simple, reliable and have a long service life.

Heat supplies with an electronic thermostat ensure that the temperature is kept within a more precise range. This allows you not to waste extra energy when heating, save energy resources, and, consequently, finances. Their disadvantage is the higher cost of the convector when buying or repairing due to the complex structure. The choice of devices with an electronic thermostat is appropriate if long-term operation is planned during the heating season.

By design, the heating elements of convectors can be:

• open;
• closed;
• sealed.

When closed, the spiral is located in a protected metal casing. Such convector heaters are less prone to breakdowns and do not have a harmful effect on the human body, since do not dry the air in working mode.

The best option would be heaters with a spiral sealed in a hermetic frame without air access. Such convectors are called monolithic. They are the most reliable, have good heat dissipation, can be used at high humidity in the room. Their high cost is fully offset by a long service life, safety, stability in operation and a minimum number of breakdowns.

The device provides several types of protection:

• from injury;
• from electric shock;
• from the use of the device by children;
• from overheating and freezing.

How to choose an economical convector for a summer residence, criteria

When choosing a heating electric convector, first of all, the following are evaluated:

Power of electrical equipment

The power of the convector is selected depending on the intended area of ​​\u200b\u200buse. If the equipment is used as the main heating system, the power of the installation is calculated based on the ratio of 1 kW per 10 m2 of heated area. 15 - 20% should be added to the calculated value for possible heat losses.

In the case of using the device as a backup system, the convector power can be significantly less. The exact value depends on the characteristics of the main heating circuit, the quality of the thermal insulation of the building and the outside temperature. As a rule, the power of such convectors is from 150 to 500 watts.

Type of thermostat

In the design of modern electric convectors are used as mechanicaland electronic thermostats. Devices with mechanical adjustment are simple and reliable, but the functionality of such convectors is minimal.

The use of electronic control units ensures precise compliance with the set temperature regime, the possibility of remote and program control, and also allows you to connect additional functional modules.

The use of electronic heating convectors is advisable as the main heating system. For a backup system, it is more profitable to purchase an inexpensive convector with a bimetallic thermostat.

Heating element type

Electrical convectors may have TEN of both open and closed type.When using an open-type heating element, there is a high probability of burning out oxygen, and in addition, under the influence of natural air humidity, corrosion destruction of the wire spiral is possible.

In closed-type heating elements, the filament is placed in a sealed tube with special aluminum fins designed to increase the efficiency of heat transfer. The use of such heating elements completely eliminates the combustion of oxygen and corrosion. Despite the higher cost, it is closed heating elements that are most widely used.

Additional functions

As a rule, additional functions are available for convectors with an electronic control system; they are extremely rare in "mechanical" convectors. The most requested additional features include:

• Antifreeze mode. When this function is enabled, the unit automatically maintains the temperature in the room at +5 C, preventing the building from completely freezing in the absence of the owners;
• Work in the programmed mode. The option allows you to automatically change the temperature mode in order to save energy. For example, in the absence of owners, the convector can operate in the minimum heating mode, and at a certain time, an hour or two before their return, the device switches to the optimal temperature mode.
• The remote control makes controlling the device comfortable.
• Turning the convector on and off by timer allows you to significantly reduce energy consumption.

Device Security

To ensure safe operation, the convector must have a number of basic protective functions:

• Reliable protection against moisture ingress;
• Turning off the heating element in case of tipping over will help to avoid a fire;
• Turn off the heating element in case of overheating of the device;
• Frost protection, which consists in maintaining the temperature within +5 - 7 C in offline mode in the absence of owners.

In addition, if the convector is installed in a children's room, the presence of sharp edges and corners that can injure the child is unacceptable.

Rating of electric convectors

The most popular heating devices that consume electrical energy. This is not surprising, since there are quite a few advantages of this type of heaters:

• ensuring the same temperature in all points of the room;
• noiselessness;
• work without accumulation of dust and unpleasant smell;
• during operation, humidity does not decrease, since oxygen is not burned;
• high heating rate;
• energy saving;
• small dimensions;
• ease of use and reliability.

There is no single answer to the question of which electric convector is better. The products of such well-known brands as Noirot, Neoclima, Electrolux, Ballu, Timberk have been tested by many users and time. Therefore, the models of these companies often take first place in the rankings of the best electric convectors. Every day, new manufacturers of microclimate household appliances appear on the market. The cost of the products they offer is slightly less due to the uncertainty, but it is difficult to judge their quality and level of reliability.

Microclimate devices for the home

For a dwelling with an autonomous heating system, in which people are constantly present, convectors select low power, since they serve mainly as additional sources of heat.

Top 5 best electric heating convectors for the home.

Country house heating

Wondering which convector choose to give, it should be noted that there is no central heating there and heating is needed only for a few days in the winter or cold autumn-spring period. Therefore, when rating convectors for summer cottages, the main criterion is the selection of high-power equipment, preferably with an anti-freeze function. One kilowatt of device power will be enough only for 10 square meters of heated space.

Five of the best electric convectors for summer cottages

Despite the numerous advantages of electric convectors, their disadvantages are dependence on an uninterrupted supply of electricity and the impossibility of heat storage. Therefore, the ideal option is to use them in combination with other heating methods.

Advantages and disadvantages of electric convectors

One of the most significant advantages of electric convectors is that they are ready to work immediately upon purchase. That is, you will not need to work on a heating system project for a long time, lay pipes, purchase additional equipment in the form of heating boilers or circulation pumps. It is enough just to put the convector anywhere in the room, plug the plug into the power socket - and after a few minutes you will feel waves of warm air coming from the device. The speed of heating the room can also be called a great advantage - after all, in other heating systems, it may take a significant amount of time to heat the coolant itself.

You can place electric heating converters anywhere - the main thing is that there is access to an outlet. Some models can be both installed on the floor and hung on the wall - which is especially convenient if there are small children in the house.

Another important advantage of electric convectors is their quite affordable cost. Even if you decide to use exclusively electric heating convectors, their purchase will cost you much less than the design and installation of, say, a water heating system. In addition, electronic convectors do not require maintenance (cleaning of scale, removal of fuel combustion residues) - and this also saves money.

First of all, electric heating convectors, the technical characteristics of which are acceptable, do not dry out the air, do not burn oxygen. In addition, the device itself practically does not heat up - and, accordingly, neither you nor your loved ones will be able to get burned about it.

A significant advantage of a convector over a conventional radiator is the presence of a heating regulator. This will create the most comfortable temperature in the room. Moreover, even with continuous operation of the convector, it will not rise.

Electric convector with thermostat

All modern models of convectors are equipped with an electronic control unit. You can set a certain program for heating the air in the room in accordance with the time of day - and it will always work.

Many users call the obvious advantage of the convector its noiselessness. The only sounds that electric heating can make.convectors - barely audible clicks at the time of heating or cooling. But they are really quiet.

Another problem that makes it difficult to constantly use convectors is the rather high cost of electricity. And its consumption by this device is quite high. But it should be borne in mind that you will regularly have to spend money on the operation of any other heating system - after all, it needs fuel

Therefore, if we take into account a significant number of advantages of electronic convectors, high electricity bills do not seem to be such a big minus.