What is more efficient electric blow heater or oil filled radiator?

macman

rygon wrote: »

but the noise itself is energy, just like any light given off, or kinetic due to movement, and all of this energy is not going to produce heat so therefore it cannot be 100% efficient (nothing is). Powering a motor for the fan can use up a lot of energy

I think it depends on how long you are willing to wait until it starts warming up. From what ive read, oil rad is more efficient but will take longer to warm up and cool down

http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081129045214AAnwxd2

No it is not. An oil filled rad of the same rating outputs the same amount of heat over the same period as any other electric heater. The only difference is the 'delay'. A fan heater gives virtually instant heat, but at switch-off retain very little.

rygon

I retract my statement ..im being stupid, yeh you are right it is 100% efficient

ic

The fan heater delivers instant heat to a particular area, so will feel warmer faster (i.e. no preheating a room), whereas the oil filled is intended to heat the whole room through circulation but it takes time to do that. As above, the same amount of heat is generated regardless of the method.

budgetdiyer

I'd say a oil heater is more efficient since when switched off the oil still takes some time to cool, and is therefore still providing heat into the room.

HappyMJ

budgetdiyer wrote: »

I'd say a oil heater is more efficient since when switched off the oil still takes some time to cool, and is therefore still providing heat into the room.

and is all wasted energy if you have left the room to go out or to go to bed.

SternMusik

budgetdiyer wrote: »

I'd say a oil heater is more efficient since when switched off the oil still takes some time to cool, and is therefore still providing heat into the room.

But it also takes longer to heat up the oil initially, while a fan heater provides instant heat. They are both 100% efficient, since they both convert electricity into heat. You get out what you put in, no matter if it's oil filled or not.

I personally prefer oil filled radiators by far because they behave more like a standard central heating radiator would, and I like the background heat they provide.

macman

budgetdiyer wrote: »

I'd say a oil heater is more efficient since when switched off the oil still takes some time to cool, and is therefore still providing heat into the room.

But it is slower to heat up...1kWh in = 1kWh out.

27col

budgetdiyer wrote: »

I'd say a oil heater is more efficient since when switched off the oil still takes some time to cool, and is therefore still providing heat into the room.

We have already said that they are all 100% efficient. The oil filled rad might still give out a bit of residual heat after it is switched off. But, by the same token, it takes a bit of time to heat up when it is first switched on. Whereas the fan heater starts heating immediately it is switched on.