oil filled vs oil free v convector heaters

xyz123

hi

we need a secondary heating in the house with a little one in her first year on this planet!

i am looking at three of the above heaters. other than the time taken to heat up (and cool down) and weight what are other differences between above.

Someone mentioned that convector heaters give our "dry" heat vs "wet" heat from other two types. is it true?

ta

ed110220

I can't see how any type of electrical heating could be described as "wet heat" unless it was specially designed to evaporate water. I think someone has got confused with the burning of fuels such as gas, coal or wood that produces water vapour and therefore could be called "wet heat".

xyz123

ta.

then why do people get oil free radiators? convectors are cheap compared to oil filled or oil free

HappyMJ

xyz123 wrote: »

ta.

then why do people get oil free radiators? convectors are cheap compared to oil filled or oil free

Oil free is in my opinion just a marketing term. It's basically a convector heater with some radiating fins. It looks like an oil filled radiator but gives out heat more like a convector heater.

SternMusik

With all electric heaters the heat output you get simply depends on the kwh rating. Thus a 2kwh heater will produce the same amount of heat in an hour, oil filled or not.

Convector heaters give immediate heat but it is difficult to achieve an even level of heating. Oil filled radiators take a bit longer to heat up and will still give off heat after switching off, a bit like a normal radiator. The result is a more even heat.

I have a convector heater in my office, for a boost on a cold day. But generally I prefer oil filled radiators, they give off more pleasant heat.

Not sure what "wet" heat refers to, but a convector heater with a fan will dry the room out quite quickly in my experience.

lstar337

I could be talking complete BS, but I feel safer with the element surrounded by oil and sealed up. While I doubt a convector would ever cause a fire, I don't really like the fact that the element is exposed to air.

I just think of the fire triangle.

Ben84

lstar337 wrote: »

I could be talking complete BS, but I feel safer with the element surrounded by oil and sealed up. While I doubt a convector would ever cause a fire, I don't really like the fact that the element is exposed to air.

I just think of the fire triangle.

Electric heaters of all types can cause fires if you cover them with something that insulates them and allows heat to build up over time.

Oil filled radiators however tend to have lower surface temperatures than other electric heaters thanks to the oil spreading the heat before it's released through the casing - which makes them safer, particularly when compared to electric fires with glowing bars. But they still in my experience get much hotter than radiators on a water system. I would never use them to dry clothes or put them against curtains/furniture.

The other advantage with their lacking any exposed glowing parts, like those in bar fire or heaters with wire coils, is the lack of burnt dust smell.

Ectophile

ed110220 wrote: »

I can't see how any type of electrical heating could be described as "wet heat" unless it was specially designed to evaporate water. I think someone has got confused with the burning of fuels such as gas, coal or wood that produces water vapour and therefore could be called "wet heat".

I've got a Dimplex oil-filled radiator that comes with a little plastic container that clips into one end of the radiator. If you fill the container with water, it helps to humidify the room.