Best standby electric heater?

pvt

teddysmum wrote: »

Another advantage of an oil filled radiator is that it gives off heat after being switched off.

Advantage?

Or did you really mean 'huge disadantage'?

Is that as well as the 'advantage' that when you first switch it on it doesn't give out any heat until it has warmed up?

Who would want a heater that gives off heat as soon as you switch it on, and stops giving off heat as soon as you switch it off? Far too much control.

pvt

Leblanc,

For emergency use a couple of these if you want convection, or these if you want forced convection (fan) will be as good as anything, and are both cheap as chips.

teddysmum

pvt wrote: »

Advantage?

Or did you really mean 'huge disadantage'?

Is that as well as the 'advantage' that when you first switch it on it doesn't give out any heat until it has warmed up?

Who would want a heater that gives off heat as soon as you switch it on, and stops giving off heat as soon as you switch it off? Far too much control.

Obviously you disagree, but what a childish way of saying so.


I assume that you disapprove of normal central heating radiators for the same reasons.

macman

pvt was I think making the point that oil filled rads are no more efficient than any other form of electric heating, and the residual heat produced after the power is switched off is not some sort of 'free' bonus. It's simply a slower release rate at the same cost.

pvt

teddysmum wrote: »

Obviously you disagree, but what a childish way of saying so.

I assume that you disapprove of normal central heating radiators for the same reasons.

I didn't say I disapproved of anything at all.

Oil and water filled radiators are a great solution if you require a nice mix of radiation and convection, which most people want in order to make a room feel warm and cosy - but they have the unfortunate disadvantage of very high thermal inertia.

My sarcasm was directed at seeing that unfortunate disadvantage promoted as a benefit.

teddysmum

macman wrote: »

pvt was I think making the point that oil filled rads are no more efficient than any other form of electric heating, and the residual heat produced after the power is switched off is not some sort of 'free' bonus. It's simply a slower release rate at the same cost.

Which is why I see it as a benefit. There is no sudden loss of heat on switching off.


I don't consider these radiators as any cheaper to run, but,in my original post stated that they don't have the dangers of fan blades or exposed elements, where pets (or even children0 are concerned.


My objection, above was to pvt's need for sarcasm (something he has admitted). Of course people on here will have differing opinions, but these can be expressed in a polite, adult manner.

lstar337

I would always choose oil filled because I think elements exposed to the air are a bad idea. You have two parts of the fire triangle just waiting for the third.

I'm not saying convector or fan heaters are inherently unsafe, but I personally wouldn't leave them on while I was sleeping, whereas I would with an oil filled unit.

I have a 2kW oil filled unit that I bought from screwfix with a family members staff discount. It has a thermostat and timer and I use it for emergencies, and when I go on holiday out of season so I don't have to pay so much for the LPG provided by the site! (£11 for 3m3 which is the smallest amount you can buy)

System

i just use a cheap argos 2kw convector heater they quick and quiet just for extra heat when its cold. (i have e7) i have never been keen on oil radiators just think they take a while to get hot.

Richie-from-the-Boro

teddysmum wrote: »

Another advantage of an oil filled radiator is that it gives off heat after being switched off.

It gives off heat for 10 minutes after its switched off for the same reason it gives out no heat for 10 minutes when its switched on. Heat propagates in only three ways: convection, conduction and radiation.

An explanation: if you look up SAP 2012 v992 / panel convector or radiant [code691] water or oil filled [code694] portable [code693], you will see they all score RD with a [R-Factor] responsiveness of 1.0 neither the European Commission [DG Ener Lot20] or our own government [SAP] recognise their claims. Essentially what is happening, and its not physics its engineering is the oil / fluid filled distributes heat to itself in a uniform way, but there is no 'heating gain :

Fluid /oil - gives a slower to start and slower prolonged finish proportion radiant heat at switch off

Non-Fluid / oil - would give a faster to start convecting and a faster to finish convected heat at switch off

High alloy content / chamotte clay / Marmite etc - gives a slower to start and slower prolonged finish proportion radiant heat at switch off

So there is no efficiency gain, these type of radiant heaters take longer to heat up and longer to cool down.