What type of heater to choose for a house or apartment

The central heating capacity is not always sufficient to heat an apartment or house.
And there are also houses and premises where it is completely absent. Installing an electric boiler for a one-room apartment or two-room apartment is quite an expensive and troublesome task and requires constant monitoring and maintenance.

An old proven way out of this situation can be an ordinary heater. But what are they? What are their pros and cons, and what rules should you use to choose a heater for a bath, nursery, bedroom, office, etc.

Heater type

Today, the most popular types of heaters are:

• fan heaters

• models operating on the convection principle

• oil

• infrared

Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages. Here's a summary table for comparison:

Although infrared received the most positive marks, there is no need to rush into making a choice. To choose the right model for yourself, use five rules.

Which economical heater is better to buy?

After 3 categories of products were considered - convectors, oil, infrared models, all that remained was to decide which heater was the most economical in terms of electricity and power consumption. Experts do not give specific recommendations for purchases, but offer the following list results:

• The largest heating area is Electrolux ECH/AG2-1500 T;
• The most powerful heater is Timberk TOR 21.1507 BC/BCL;
• The lightest weight is Almac IK5;
• The safest quality model is Nobo Viking C4F10;
• The best combination of heating speed and efficiency is Ballu BEC/EM-1000.

The review is purely advisory in nature, but does not decide which product to choose for purchase. He introduces the leaders of the current year and narrows down the search for good offers on the market.

Room area and device power

First of all, you need to decide what area you need to heat. The device of what power you need depends on this. How to calculate this power?

There is a simple and reliable formula that is suitable for all types of heaters except infrared.

For every square meter of a room with a standard ceiling height, it is advisable to have at least 100W of power.

For an infrared heater, there is an unspoken rule that 100W per 1m2 of area is its maximum power, not its minimum.

To the resulting value you need to add 200W for each window.

It follows from this that, for example, one room with an area of ​​13 m2 will be quite effectively heated by a model of 1.3 kW + 0.2 kW = 1.5 kW.

What if your ceiling height is 3m or more? Then use a slightly different calculation. Multiply the total area of ​​the room by the actual ceiling height and divide this value by an average factor of 30. Next, also add 0.2 kW per window.

Of course, according to calculations, you can choose a less powerful device, especially for apartments where there is already main heating (central or boiler).

But given the constant heat loss and the fact that it will take longer to warm up the room, it’s better to play it safe. Devices with several heating stages are ideal. The more there are, the better.

Moreover, when the set temperature is reached, the built-in thermostat must turn off the device, no matter what level it is at. And when it decreases, turn it on again. Thereby significantly saving energy.

And also, a more powerful heater, when operated in “half” mode, will serve you much longer than its counterparts selected back to back.

And the area of ​​the sections for heat distribution is higher - hence faster warming up.

Options for a country house

Choosing the most economical heater for a home located outside the city should be based on how often you visit there. When living in such a house all year round, the heater is connected to the local central or autonomous heating system. In this case, the principle of choosing a heater is the same as for a city apartment. It is also worth paying attention to inverter heaters, which can quickly warm up even a large house.

If you visit the dacha from time to time and there is no point in connecting to the central heating system, you need a device that will quickly warm up the room and can maintain a comfortable microclimate in it for a long time.

An oil radiator is suitable for use in the off-season, when the heating has not yet been turned on, but it has already become cold.

A convector or infrared heater warms up the room quickly and efficiently, but it is not practical to buy expensive equipment for a house where you rarely visit. If your dacha has some heat sources, such as a stove, you can choose the most budget-friendly option – a heat gun. If the house does not have heating at all, it would be optimal to use a combined heater.

Size and dimensions

It is quite logical to assume that the greater the power of the heater, the larger its overall dimensions will be.

However, note that in many models this only changes the width. But the height and thickness remain unchanged.

This is a very important point when placing heating on the wall and integrating it into other design elements.

At the same time, from leading manufacturers, even with the same power, you can always choose:

• low and very wide, for large windows or stained glass windows

• and vice versa - tall and narrow in small rooms

For example, two models with the same power of 2 kW, but what a difference in the width of the case. Which one do you think will heat better?

How to choose a heater: we help you decide on the criteria

A household heater for an apartment or country house, as a rule, is a fairly simple device. Of course, sometimes you can find high-tech heaters with remote control from a smartphone, but in most cases there is nothing complicated in such devices.

Accordingly, choosing a suitable heater will not be too difficult. The main thing is to decide on the basic parameters. First of all, this is the type of heater and its power, and secondly, additional features and options.

Heater type

There are several differently designed heaters on the modern market, which differ not only in type, but also in their qualities - some of them are better suited for a city apartment, others for a country house, and others for heating technical premises. Let's figure out what types of heaters there are and how they differ.

On store shelves you can find oil radiators, fan heaters, heat guns, convectors, infrared heaters, infrared film, infrared convective heaters and thermal curtains. Let's look at them, starting with the simplest models.

Oil radiators

An oil radiator is familiar to everyone: this is the type of heater that can most often be found in a country house (especially if it was built more than twenty years ago). The oil radiator is a sealed metal housing, inside of which a special mineral oil is filled. The heating element (electric coil) is also located inside the housing. Thus, the spiral heats the oil, the oil heats the body, and the heater body heats the surrounding air.

Oil radiator Sencor soh-2107bk is a typical representative of its class

Visually, an oil radiator is similar to a central heating battery: it often has similar compartments. As a rule, such a heater does not have a fan.

Like a central heating radiator, an oil radiator is best suited for use in areas where constant air heating is required. It takes a long time to warm up and does not immediately begin heating the air. On the other hand, the temperature of the radiator itself is not so high as to burn dust particles that fall on it (and therefore, there will be no foreign smell in the room). Oil heaters operate almost silently, retain heat for a long time after being turned off and are considered environmentally friendly. Among the minuses, it is worth noting their rather large size and low mobility (even despite the presence of special wheeled legs).

It’s easy to imagine that if you take two heaters of equal power, the more compact one will have a higher temperature. Therefore, it is better to choose a larger model (if space allows), which will reduce the likelihood of accidental burns.

Fan heaters

A fan heater is a combination of a heating element (we'll talk about their types later) and a fan that circulates air in the room. Many of these devices can work as a regular fan, but they cannot heat the air with the fan turned off - accordingly, there are no silent fan heaters. However, we would not seriously recommend using such a device in the “without heating” mode as a regular fan: they usually blow rather weakly, and in order to create the effect of a “cooling breeze”, you will have to place it directly opposite you at a distance of no more than a meter.

Fan heater Ballu BFH/S-04 - small and compact

The main task of a fan heater is to quickly heat the air in a cold room. Indeed, the effect of such a heater becomes noticeable in just a few minutes. Well, if you need to heat a construction site or a large room, then a heat gun is suitable for solving this problem - essentially the same heat fan, characterized by increased power and the ability to operate for a long time without pauses. The “payback” for fast and powerful heating will be a high noise level and corresponding electricity consumption: many owners of country houses, especially those built quite a long time ago, are faced with the fact that it is not possible to heat more than two rooms with fan heaters, since they are simply “eat up” all the power supplied to the house.

Also, do not forget that heat guns come in very high power - for example, 5 kW, and even more. Not every outlet and not every wiring can withstand such energy consumption.

Heat guns of the Prorab series clearly hint at use during repairs

Many expensive fan heaters have a built-in motor, which ensures rotation of the device in a horizontal plane and, as a result, improved air circulation and more uniform heating of the room.

Also worth mentioning are the so-called “ceramic” fan heaters - their metal spiral is not blown directly with air, but serves to heat the ceramic heating element, which, in turn, heats the air. Ceramic fan heaters are practically free of the main drawback of a conventional fan heater - the characteristic smell of “burnt dust”, which arises from the combustion of dust particles falling directly on the hot wire.

Convectors

A convection heater works in a similar way. The difference from a fan heater here is the absence of a fan itself: the air in a convector heater passes through the heating element, after which it naturally rises, making room for colder layers of air that rise from the floor. As a result, the size of the heating element of such a heater will be significantly larger (in terms of dimensions it can be compared with a “flat” central heating battery).

Convector heater Optima CH-1600Y/W with temperature control and wall mounting option

Convector heaters are suitable for wall mounting and usually look quite stylish. True, they do not heat the air as quickly as heat fans.

Note that convectors are ideal for combining into a single network, which allows centralized control of the heating of one or several rooms.

Infrared heaters

Infrared heaters are designed in a fundamentally different way: they heat not the air, but the surrounding objects (primarily the floor or walls) using infrared radiation. The air in the room is already heated by them. The heating element of such heaters are quartz tubes or lamps.

Glass infrared heater Peony Thermo Glass from a domestic manufacturer

Infrared heaters operate silently and can be used where heating of surrounding objects rather than air is required - for example, outdoors (for heating gazebos and verandas). They are also often used in bathrooms. They are also ideal for working in rooms where it is necessary to maintain a certain low temperature, and it seems impractical to heat the entire volume of air. But for heating rooms where there are many rooms and/or partitions, they are not very suitable: infrared rays will not be able to go around multiple obstacles.

It should be mentioned that since IR radiation heats the objects it hits, one of these objects is a person in the room. Therefore, the “feeling of warmth” from the IR heater appears almost immediately after it is turned on. However, there are a few things to consider here:

• the sensation has appeared - but the ambient temperature has not yet changed;
• heat only to those parts of the body that are exposed to radiation;
• Depending on the distance to the IR heater, you can either feel the heat or not feel anything at all.

It is worth highlighting such types of infrared heaters as “infrared-convective” and “infrared film”. The first of them combine the advantages of convective and infrared models. Heating is provided both by a heating element located inside the heater and by heat transfer from the front surface of the heater. According to the developers, this “combined” heating method allows you to create a comfortable microclimate in the room without unnecessary energy costs.

UFO wall-mounted film heater disguised as a painting

As for infrared film heaters, they are a thin heating element made of film and foil. Such heaters are often made in the form of rugs or wall paintings (the design of such paintings, however, is questionable). They were also used as “warm floors”. The power of infrared film heaters usually does not exceed 400-500 W.

Thermal curtains

Thermal curtains are a separate category of devices that also act as a heater. Thermal curtains are installed in door (or window) openings and create a flow of warm air that blocks drafts. Thermal curtains are usually used in rooms where doors are often opened (for example, in offices), or where there is a danger of drafts and an additional warm zone needs to be created.

Electric thermal curtain Daire HT 508 with power up to 5 kW

They can also cope with heating small rooms, but a thermal curtain cannot cope with complex heating tasks. It is worth noting that the power of the thermal curtain must be selected in accordance with the size of the door or window on which it will be installed.

Efficiency and performance

For each heater, the manufacturer indicates the comfortable and maximum area of ​​the room for which a particular device is intended. Thanks to these parameters, it is easiest to understand what power device you will need. In most cases, the dependence here will turn out to be strictly linear: if the heater’s power is twice as high, then it will produce approximately twice as much heat per unit time.

The type of heater in this case does not matter: if two heaters spent the same amount of energy, then they heated the room equally (but not necessarily in the same time!).

Control and display

Simple heaters have a mechanical control system, which looks like a set of temperature-regulating knobs and on/off buttons. Such heaters can operate in full or partial load mode and switch off on their own when a certain temperature is reached, but, as a rule, they are not capable of more.

It should also be taken into account that the temperature control will be quite rough, and, as a rule, not in degrees, but in the form of a rotating knob with the values ​​“minimum”, “maximum” and several intermediate nameless gradations. Thus, you will be faced with a rather long procedure for selecting the optimal position of this knob in accordance with your own feelings about the temperature in the room.

Mechanical heater control system

Modern models are increasingly equipped with an electronic control system, including a set of mechanical or touch buttons and a digital display. The capabilities of such heaters are much wider: they can turn on and off according to a schedule, maintain a set temperature (in degrees) in the room, display the temperature and current time on the display, and much more. Such heaters often come with a remote control.

Electronic control system with temperature indication

Finally, the most “advanced” heaters have the ability to be remotely controlled. Such devices have a built-in Wi-Fi or Bluetooth transmitter, so you can control the device from your smartphone using a special application.

Features and functions

Depending on the complexity, the heater may have a different set of capabilities and functions. The simplest heaters (for example, many oil heaters) heat up to a certain temperature, after which they turn off for a while. More advanced devices are able to control the temperature in the room and turn on and off depending on environmental conditions.

Heaters with an electronic control system can be equipped with a delayed start and end time, turn on and off according to a schedule, and often have a set of programs for various use scenarios.

Heaters with remote control via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi allow the user to control their operation remotely. Thanks to this solution, the heater can be turned on or off remotely. For example, it will be useful to turn on the heater before going to the countryside so that you arrive at a house that has already been warmed up.

Noise level

For most heaters, the documentation indicates the maximum noise level. You need to look at this parameter if the heater is installed in the bedroom, in the nursery or in the study - in general, where silence is required. The quietest heaters are infrared. They are followed by oil heaters, convector type heaters, and then fan heaters and heat guns.

It is worth considering that sometimes noise can be made by a temperature relay or a speaker that notifies the user of a change in operating mode (or is triggered when buttons are pressed). Since such sounds can be quite annoying, it is better to make sure in advance that there are no such effects. By the way, it doesn’t hurt to check the brightness of the display so that it doesn’t suddenly turn out that the heater that is supposed to be installed in the bedroom is shining too brightly.

Protection

Almost all heaters have a safety system that turns them off if they overheat. A built-in fuse or overheat sensor located at the air outlet will avoid fire and unnecessary load on the electrical network.

Many heaters also have a system that turns off the unit if it is dropped. Provided that safety precautions are observed (the heater is installed correctly and is not covered with rags or foreign objects), such systems guarantee that the device will not cause a fire.

However, you can still get burned on many heaters. Therefore, if there are children and elderly people in the house, it is better to think about buying the safest possible heater that will be difficult to snag or drop (such as wall heaters).

If the heater is intended to be installed in the bathroom, you should pay attention to models with a waterproof housing. This will allow you not to worry about water getting into the device body and a possible short circuit. Using a heater in the bathroom will not only achieve a comfortable temperature, but also prevent the appearance of fungus on the walls.

Installation type

Different heaters allow different installation methods. Many of them are simply placed on the floor (oil heaters) and have special wheels for moving. Others allow installation on any flat surface, such as a table or window sill (many fan heaters include these). Such heaters do not require special installation efforts. At the most, the user will have to assemble the legs with wheels themselves.

Also, many heaters have several installation options for the user to choose from: wall, floor, ceiling or suspended ceiling. Moreover, the same model can allow several installation options at once (for example, wall or ceiling). In this case, the installation will require a drill or hammer drill and other related tools with which to install the fasteners.

Let's sum it up

Household electric heaters come in four main types:

1. oil radiator
2. fan heater or heat gun
3. convector
4. infrared heater

The main distinctive properties of the heater, critical for the user, are:

• room heating rate
• noisiness
• mobility, i.e. ease of moving the heater from place to place
• negative impact on the air

A table in which we have evaluated each parameter for each type of heater will help you make your final choice.

Control system

In stores you can buy heaters with two types of control:

• mechanical

• electronic

Models with mechanical control are the simplest and cheapest. However, they have a whole bunch of shortcomings that not everyone is aware of.

• firstly limited functionality

• In addition, during long-term use they are more susceptible to wear. This means they will fail earlier than electronic ones.

• The error when setting the set temperature can reach several degrees!

• When turning on and off automatically they click quite loudly

And this happens constantly every 10-20 minutes. So you won’t want to leave such a unit in the bedroom overnight.

The electronic system opens up additional possibilities, including programming operating modes. They are also more accurate.

The temperature in expensive models can be set with an accuracy of a few tenths of a degree!

However, do not forget that electronic ones are often equipped with a backlight, which may not turn off completely.

And this can be quite irritating, especially if you are used to falling asleep in complete darkness.

There is a natural desire to cover such a screen with something. And here the most important thing is not to forget the basic safety rules for heaters:

• do not dry anything on them and do not cover the radiator openings

• Do not place near curtains or furniture

Therefore, check the lighting, as they say, without leaving the cash register.

Efficiency of the main types of home heaters

Everyone knows what efficiency is, this is the difference between the energy expended and the energy produced. When calculating the coefficient, we tried to provide the most detailed answer in tabular form . Since, in addition to the energy component, there are also financial costs for the purchase of the device itself, electricity costs, the calculation is made taking into account these factors.

The table shows the average values ​​obtained from tests of various types of heaters (thanks to one well-known store for providing testing equipment). The cost for 1 kW of energy is 4 rubles. Heating took place for 1 hour in a furnished room of 18 square meters with an initial temperature of 22 degrees C. Heater power 1500 W. Control type – electronic.

The obtained figures are approximate, since many important factors influencing the result are not taken into account, such as: a single brand of the manufacturer, humidity in the room, the model of the heater itself, direction, voltage in the electrical circuit, etc.

But nevertheless, the figures turned out to be the following; the highest efficiency was obtained from convectors, infrared, and micathermic heaters. The fan heater was barely able to heat the room by 4 degrees.

The oil radiator heated the room quite well; after the end of the experiment, the room continued to heat up and remained heated longer than others, so it should not be written off due to high power consumption.

In addition to the electronic type of control, there are also mechanical (outdated) and inverter (the most modern and economical). If we compare the electricity consumption of similar heaters with different control modules, the following figures come out:

mechanical - 0% savings, the electronic unit allows you to save 30% in contrast to the mechanical one, the inverter control unit is the most economical, this method of thermoregulation allows you to save up to 80% of electricity compared to mechanical regulators.

Inverter thermostat
The cost of heaters with inverter units can vary from 8,000 to 30,000 rubles. In the long term, as a rule, such costs pay off. More details in the video:

Heating temperature

For an apartment, especially one in which there are small children, it is not recommended to buy heaters whose housings and elements themselves heat up to high temperatures.

For example, oil batteries without a thermostat (or if it suddenly breaks down) can heat up to 120-150 degrees!

It turns out that 2 kW are hidden in a small case, which can only be fully obtained by heating the heater to such temperatures.

At the same time, in order to comply with safety rules and not overheat the surface above 60-70 degrees, temperature sensors are installed. And they, in turn, turn off the heater, which actually never reached its maximum parameters.

And what can we say about the open hot spiral of the fan heater!

Therefore, in this regard, convectors can be considered the safest. When they are ceramic, the body temperature does not exceed 60 degrees. It’s not for nothing that many of them have signs “For kindergartens.”

Among infrared models, micathermic ones stand out in terms of safety.

The heating element in them emits heat, but does not heat up itself.

But for quartz, carbon and halogen filaments, the filaments heat up from 2000 degrees and above, after which infrared radiation actually begins to be produced.

How to choose for non-residential premises

For a non-residential premises such as a garage or workshop, the priority is to quickly warm up the air, and there is no need to maintain the set temperature for a long time. The best option in this case is a convector.

The budget choice would be a fan heater or a heat gun, which differ only in power. They will instantly warm up the room without spending a lot of resources, since they work for a short period of time.

Fan heaters are quite effective and economical, but they are not recommended for constant use in residential areas due to the noise they produce during operation.

There is no need to buy expensive and complex infrared heaters for such rooms.

On a note! An oil radiator is also a good option: it will quickly heat the room, and due to the long cooling of the oil, heat transfer will continue even after the device is turned off from the network.

Reviews

Once you have decided on the type of heater, all you have to do is choose a specific brand and manufacturer. And then most immediately open online store sites with reviews.

Oddly enough, you can find completely opposite opinions on the same models on different sites. It is no secret that often the stores themselves or the moderators of the Internet portal can write certain paid comments and supposedly expert opinions.

Who to believe? Here the advice can be simple.

Try to focus on the reviews that people leave with real photographs of heaters at home in their apartment.

This way, most of the useless advertising information will be eliminated.

Let's take a closer look at the operating principle and each type of heater separately. To view, click on the corresponding tab with the name.

ConvectorInfraredOil Fan Heater

Which one to choose: principles of device operation

According to the type of operation, electric heaters are divided into several types:

What are the features of these types of economical home heaters? Let's take a closer look.

Convector

The operating principle of the convector is based on a simple law of physics. Cold air naturally enters the device from below. After this, heating occurs inside the housing and, already heated, it exits through the upper grilles (at an angle) into the ceiling.

The case itself does not heat up as much as in radiator models. It is the air that heats up.

The truth is that the room does not warm up immediately. Unless there is an additional fan built inside. If you come home from work to a cold apartment and turn on the convector, then the floor of the house will be cold for a very long time.

Moreover, at a small height from the floor there will also be a layer of cold air. The warmest place in this case is the ceiling. If there is even a small draft, it will be quite difficult to warm up the walls and furniture in the room.

Almost all convectors are wall-mounted, but some are also equipped with legs.

Remember the rule that the lower the convector is installed, the more efficiently it will work out its kilowatts.

The wall-mounted installation option looks very aesthetically pleasing, but moving it from the bedroom to the living room or kitchen will no longer work.

The main heating element of a convector is a spiral. Therefore, such devices also burn oxygen.

But recently, heaters with a tube consisting of a large number of fins have increasingly begun to be used.

Thanks to this, even during prolonged operation, their body does not heat up more than 90 C. And for many models, the temperature is even less than +55-60 degrees.

Such options will be a good solution for families with small children.

When installing heating in a bathroom, make sure that the model has a minimum degree of protection IP24.

What do these numbers mean?

The first digit indicates that the device is protected from the penetration of solid objects larger than 12 mm into it. For example, the fingers of an adult.

The second number (4) indicates that the heater is protected from splashing water from any direction.

How much it will actually cost you to heat your home with convectors as the main source of heat can be found out from this video:

Which ones are suitable for the bathroom?

The bathroom is a special issue, because you won’t be able to buy any electric heater there. Due to the presence of water, it is dangerous to use a conventional electrical appliance in the bathroom, and often there is not even a 220 V outlet in the room.

The only option is a heater designed like a washing machine, that is, providing protection from water and high humidity conditions. There is no way to save money here, but only by choosing a heater designed for use in a humid environment can you be sure that the device is safe to use. There are entire lines of electric baseboard heaters for use in the bathroom. The body and heating element of such a device are made taking into account the risk of water ingress.

And, of course, remember that the device must be placed beyond even the hypothetical reach of water.

To heat the bathroom, it is necessary to use devices specially designed for operation in conditions of high humidity.

On a note! When choosing a heater for the bathroom, be sure to specify when purchasing that this is a special device designed for use in a damp environment. Not every baseboard heater is suitable for such conditions; in addition, there are budget imitations that in fact do not meet the established quality standards.

Infrared heaters

Most people are still wary of infrared models. Their operating principle is somewhat similar to the sun.

The infrared radiation of the lamps does not heat the air in the room, but the objects located in it, which then give off heat to the surrounding space. Heating occurs due to invisible rays in the infrared spectrum.

You need to get used to this. The feeling under the heater itself will be as if you were sitting near a stove. One side is fried and the other is at room temperature.

To protect yourself from the effects of such equipment, follow basic rules of use.

If you stay under such a heater for a very long time, you may feel a headache and fatigue.

However, the same thing happens from prolonged exposure to the sun or when sitting for a long time near an open fire.

In addition, the infrared spectrum in excess quantities can negatively affect the skin. Such a beam is capable of penetrating to a depth of several centimeters under the skin and only then releasing heat from the inside, heading to the outer surface of the skin.

Everything here depends on the power of the source and the duration of stay under it. If you follow the instructions, then you should not be afraid of such radiation. How to protect yourself?

The most important thing is to maintain a minimum distance from the infrared heater. It must be at least 2 meters.

The advantages of infrared technology include:

• instant warmth

• almost complete absence of oxygen loss

• no odor

• noiselessness

And as numerous tests show, such heating is the most fireproof. Even if you place a Christmas tree directly under an infrared heater (right up to its touching the protective screen), setting it on fire will be problematic.

Just don’t try to purposefully repeat such experiments at home. Heater is different from heater, and compliance with safety regulations should come first.

The device is lightweight. It can be equally successfully placed on the walls or ceiling (hung on mounting chains like a fluorescent lamp).

So fix it on special legs.

However, there are also some peculiarities. One of the disadvantages is that the efficiency of the device is limited by the dispersion angle.

Step outside this zone and you will immediately feel a temperature difference of several degrees. From the very beginning, IR heaters were created specifically for heating only work areas in rooms without heating.

To improve the heating efficiency when suspended from the ceiling, you can paint the floors a dark color.

There are also models made from ceramic plates, which also emit infrared thermal radiation, plus they look beautiful.

They have low power and are resistant to moisture. Therefore, they can be safely used in the bathroom.

Similar models of infrared heaters can be installed in children's rooms, on balconies and even outside in gazebos.

Review of manufacturers and prices

To choose a suitable economical electric heater, it is worth comparing products from different companies. Each type of equipment has its own leaders and leading models.

Infrared heaters. You can choose an infrared floor electric heater (mounted on legs or a mobile version) or models mounted on the ceiling (wall). Leading manufacturers of such devices are UFO, Saturn, Beko and Eko. Budget models can be found from the Turkish manufacturer Infratek.

Infrared heaters come in a wide variety of options and shapes.

Electric wall-mounted economical heater Good warmth. An economical electric wall-mounted picture heater can be identified as a separate subtype. This device works on the principle of infrared heaters, but has an original appearance. High-tech units will not fit into every interior, but here you choose a picture for the wall according to your taste, which will add coziness to your home and bring warmth.

Inverter heaters. The undisputed leader among manufacturers of climate control equipment is the Japanese company Daikin. However, its products are also distinguished by high prices. Inverter heaters produced by the Japanese company Mitsubushi are also expensive, but among their range you can also find budget models. The best choice in the mid-price category would be air conditioners from the Chinese brand Haier, Japanese Toshiba and Korean LG.

Electric convectors. Among the most economical electric heaters with high operating efficiency are convectors from the French manufacturer Atlantic. The power of this company's devices ranges from 0.5 to 2.5 kW. To heat a room of 20 m², the best choice would be a model whose electricity consumption is 2 kW/hour. Thus, it will take approximately 4 hours to heat the room.

Electric convectors are very popular among consumers.

Convectors from Electrolux, Ballu, Noirot and Nobo also have good performance.

Micathermic heaters. Among micathermic heaters, pay attention to the products of the Spaniards VES: their products are distinguished by fall protection and the ability to fine-tune modes. Heaters from the Russian company Bimatec also boast electronic control and fine tuning. And for heating an office or a spacious home, you should choose powerful devices from Poliaris. When purchasing an economical electric heater for a home from this company, 1.8 kW/h is enough to warm up a room of 20 m².

Ceramic panels. Among the most economical models of ceramic panels, the following options are distinguished:

• NTK Malysh with a power of 0.25 kW;
• Eco power 0.35 kW;
• Atakama power 0.5 kW;
• Venice “Bio-convector” PKK700 with a power of 0.7 kW;
• Venice “Bio-convector” PKK 1350 with a power of 1,350 kW;

Ceramic panels are small in size and easily fit into any interior, thanks to many design options.

• NTES Evolution 400 with a power of 0.4 kW;
• NTES Evolution 800 with a power of 0.8 kW.

On a note! Pay attention to heaters with the front part of the body in the form of a glass-ceramic panel. Externally, they are indistinguishable from televisions, so they will organically fit into any modern interior.

Economical electric heaters (prices for different types of devices):

Oil heater

The operating principle of an oil heater is somewhat similar to a conventional battery. First, the heating element heats up. Then mineral oil from it. Then the radiator housing and only lastly the surrounding air.

Therefore, the oil radiator warms up the room rather slowly.

It may take about an hour before you feel warm. However, after switching off, it does not cool down quickly either.

So, a comfortable temperature in the room remains for a long time. It is believed that oil heaters do not “burn” oxygen and dust in the air, at least to the same extent as a fan heater. This is not entirely true. Indeed, there is no unpleasant odor from them.

However, if such a battery operates continuously in the bedroom, you will wake up with a heavy head.

There should also be a minimum of noise. If it is noisy, this indicates its “quality”.

Most likely, the mineral oil inside is mixed with water. When overheated above 90 degrees, such a mixture inside already begins to boil and click.

Oil radiators are also resistant to tilting and falling. The element that heats the oil is located at the bottom of the device so that the hot liquid rises up by itself.

If you place the device on its side or tip it over (your child may accidentally do this), an air pocket will form next to the heating element.

A spiral not cooled by oil will quickly overheat and even a small explosion is quite possible.

To make matters worse, the oil spills onto the floor and begins to fuel the fire. Therefore, such a seemingly “safe” device must be treated with extreme caution.

And it is better not to use them for longer than 5-7 years. Even if they still heat properly. Firstly, the oil in them gradually evaporates. Secondly, the internal wiring dries out and the contacts burn out.

Classic electric heaters (fireplaces)

This format of heaters is chosen more because of its appearance than its technical characteristics. An electric fireplace fits into the interior, adding a classic sound and comfort. Meanwhile, such a device copes well with its main task - heating the room. Electric fireplaces, in appearance and type of installation, can be: corner, island, built-in, hanging and mobile.

Structurally, electric fireplaces consist of the following components.

1. Directly heater. The heating elements are located in the upper part of the front panel.
2. Forced ventilation. Its task is to ensure air circulation: to the heater for heating (the device is cooled in parallel to avoid its emergency shutdown from overheating) and back to the room.
3. Temperature sensor and automatic control. Constant measurements of air temperature allow the fireplace to automatically regulate power, creating optimal climatic conditions.

Most fireplaces also have decorative options: lighting, sometimes also sound, simulating a real fire in the hearth.

Fan heater

In fan heaters, air is heated using a hot electric coil and a fan that drives air through it.

The room gets warm quite quickly, but when you turn it off it also gets cold quickly.

Since the coil is very hot, this type of heater dries out the air and burns house dust.

As a result, specific odors appear. Therefore, in recent years, models with a ceramic heating element that are free of these disadvantages have become widespread.

In addition, the fan heater makes quite a noticeable noise during operation. So you won't get much sleep at night with him.

But its obvious advantages are its compact size and low cost.

Top 7 rating according to KP

Electrolux Brilliant ECH/B-2000 E

Electrolux Brilliant ECHB-2000 E. Photo: market.yandex.ru
The Electrolux Brilliant ECH/B-2000 E convector has great power and can easily warm up a room of up to 25 square meters. It has 5 different operating modes, the ability to adjust the temperature up to 0.1 degrees, auto-temperature maintenance and auto-shutdown functions. The elegant appearance of the convector is created by the front panel made of high-quality heat-resistant glass ceramics, hardened at a temperature of 800°C. In terms of convenience, the model is similar to other Electrolux convectors: various types of supports (with and without wheels), as well as the ability to hang on the wall. It is worth noting that the cord is 1.5 m long. It also has an “anti-freeze” function, which will support the operation of the device when the room temperature drops. Can be installed in showers and bathrooms.

Advantages and disadvantages

Long cord, temperature adjustment up to 0.1 g, anti-freeze
Noise

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Xiaomi Ardor Induction Warm Air Machine

Xiaomi Ardor Induction Warm Air Machine.
Photo: market.yandex.ru The heater from Xiaomi is equipped with a powerful ceramic heating element. The latter is characterized by a long service life, fast heating (only three seconds) and high-quality maintenance of a stable temperature. Side ventilation holes promote constant and rapid heat exchange. In addition, the manufacturer was concerned about user safety. The body of the device is made of non-flammable materials, and its mounting involves suspended placement in space, which guarantees the highest fire safety. Also, the smart heater automatically turns on if a person appears within its radius. It will turn off provided that the motion sensor does not trigger within five minutes.

Advantages and disadvantages

Elegant design, safety, compactness, price/quality ratio

A placement method that is not suitable for everyone

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Polaris PMH 1504

Polaris PMH 1504. Photo: market.yandex.ru
Polaris PMH 1504 will be a good solution for those who decide to try out an infrared heater in action. Firstly, it is relatively inexpensive. Secondly, a power consumption of 1,500 W is enough to heat a room of 24 m2! Two operating modes allow you to set the desired power to 1 or 1.5 kW, which will help save energy. Polaris PMH 1504 is equipped with an adjustable thermostat and protection against overheating and tip-over. Polaris PMH 1504 is designed for floor mounting and is protected from overheating and tipping over. Simplicity of design, ease of control, mobility, energy efficiency, and high level of safety allow the heater to be used both in the home and in the office.

Advantages and disadvantages

Saves energy, thermostat, overheating and tip-over protection

Not identified

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Fan heater BORK O706 gg

Fan heater BORK O706 gg.
Photo: market.yandex.ru A new product from the famous company BORK - a smart ceramic heater with a power of 2000 W. The manufacturer promises uniform heating without reducing the level of humidity and oxygen content in the air. The model is equipped with a motion sensor: it automatically detects the presence of people in the room and regulates operation. The device also has a rotation function and is capable of heating a room of 20 square meters. BORK O706 gg is safe and automatically turns off if dropped or overheated. It weighs only 2.5 kg, and the height of the cylindrical heater is 38 cm. The only negative that can be noted is, perhaps, the price. However, nothing surprising. All equipment from this company costs a lot of money.

Advantages and disadvantages

Uniform heating, motion sensor, safety

High price

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Polaris PRE L 0920

Polaris PRE L 0920. Photo: market.yandex.ru
The electric oil radiator Polaris PRE L 0920 is suitable for use in apartments, offices and country houses. The heater consists of 9 metal sections, which are filled with mineral oil with heating elements immersed in it. The device is capable of warming up a room of up to 24 m² in a short period of time. It has clear mechanical controls, a durable and convenient cord holder, which ensures easy movement. There are also two regulators and a light indicator that automatically turns off when overheated. Unfortunately, the overall impression of the quality of work is spoiled by noise. There is a loud clicking sound when turning on and off.

Advantages and disadvantages

Autonomous shutdown at a hint of overheating, mobility, affordable cost, efficiency

Noise

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Convector Electrolux ECH/AG-1500 MF

Convector Electrolux ECHAG-1500 MF.
Photo: market.yandex.ru The Electrolux ECH/AG-1500MFR convector heater has a relatively inexpensive price due to mechanical control. It heats 20 m2 and turns off when overheated. This is a fairly important function, as it ensures safety during use. The convector body is waterproof, so it can be used in the bathroom. The heater has a thermostat, so it will easily maintain the temperature you require. Another important plus is the presence of a dust filter with a multifunctional cleaning system. While the heater is running, it cleans the air of dust.

Advantages and disadvantages

Heats up quickly, has a thermostat, price

At full power it quickly overheats and turns off

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Convector Hyundai H-HV16-10-UI620

Convector Hyundai H-HV16-10-UI620.
Photo: market.yandex.ru If you need a small and inexpensive heater for your apartment, you should consider this model. The device is designed for a small room up to 13 square meters. The power is only 1000 W, which undoubtedly saves the family budget. Thanks to the special design of the air outlet unit, the convector produces not just flat air jets, but a real volumetric wave of directed hot air. The heater has a mechanical thermostat with two power settings. The heater can be placed on the floor or mounted on the wall.

Advantages and disadvantages

Fast heating, reliability, price/quality ratio, safety, compactness

Short cable

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Is autonomy possible in an apartment?

There is only an electric heater for the apartment.

In principle, it is possible to use a gas autonomous heater in an apartment, but in practice no one does this. All modern apartment heaters operate from the electrical network. It's convenient and safe. Yes, but you depend on electricity, but so what? You also depend on water supply, gas, and possibly central heating. Does this bother you too? Then it's time to move to a private house.

If the lights go out and it’s cold, then as a last resort you can warm up with a gas stove. Just be sure to open the window. Then put a refractory brick on the burner, light the flame and the heater is ready, you won’t freeze anymore. And if there is no electricity or gas, then even the most modern apartment heaters will not help. It’s time to take your emergency suitcase and head to the village, since it’s impossible to live in such an apartment.

How to make garage heating with your own hands economically and quickly?

What are the options for heating a garage? The answer is here.

Passive space heating

In addition to the use of heaters, there is a whole range of measures aimed at increasing the efficiency of heating units and, consequently, their efficiency.

But, in addition to universal operations, for example, external insulation of building envelopes, there are technologies that are applicable only to premises for keeping animals or poultry.

After the external, and preferably also internal, insulation of the walls and ceiling of the chicken coop, the floor is insulated. As applied to the chicken coop, the technologies for these works do not differ from performing identical operations in other premises. But in the poultry house, after insulating the floor, an additional insulation procedure is carried out - laying a thick layer of loose litter, the components of which react chemically with each other and release heat.

You can prepare such a mixture yourself, or you can purchase one of the ready-made compositions offered by compost manufacturers.

When preparing it independently, bulk materials of natural origin with a low thermal conductivity coefficient are used as bedding material for the winter period: chopped straw, wood shavings, moss, sunflower husks or mixtures of these components.

Deep insulating litter in the poultry house for the winter

A layer is formed with a thickness of 30-50 cm, and over time, as compaction occurs, the same substrate is added to it in the amount necessary to restore the original volume.

Bird droppings, when mixed with organic matter, initiate decomposition processes and release heat.

Important! Deep litter must be loosened periodically (1-2 times a week) - to prevent the temperature of the layer from rising to dangerous levels, ammonia to erode from it and drying out.

Ready-made fermentation mats: on the left – made in Germany, on the right – domestic.
Thus, deep litter is also a kind of autonomous means of heating the chicken coop in winter, but not the main one in terms of intensity.

Let's sum it up

We have already written about how much energy modern heaters for cottages and apartments consume. Based on the available calculations, we conclude that the most economical is a diesel heater. But the difference between it and a gas unit is minimal. So, let's look at other characteristics:

• heating method;
• environmental friendliness;
• safety.

In terms of all the above-mentioned characteristics, the catalytic gas device wins, which can confidently be called the most energy-saving heater. In addition, we started with the idea that the unit should be autonomous. This factor puts the final point in favor of the already voiced option.