halogen heater query

Captain_Disaster

myself321 wrote: »

hi there

are halogen heaters economic i am looking at one that has 3 bars with 350w per bar ?

What you really want to know is ....

Am I going to feel warmer for a lower price than a using a standard convection heater ?

The answer isn't a straightforward yes or no ..... convection heaters (because heat rises) heat the higher parts of a room first, then the heat "creeps down", you do get thermal currents but in general the higher parts of the room are warmer. So if you live in an old property with high ceilings a radiant heater could be a good idea. However if you move around in that property then you will often be out of the heat. (think about the difference in between standing in sunshine and shadow .... this is radiant heat.)

Radiant heaters give off a bright glow, some people find this annoying, so you may just have to take pot luck and try one.

hth

LynseyinLondon

I've been reading this forum with avid interest today as my gas central heating boiler is currently broken down, being 20 years old, and will soon be replaced with an all-new condensing combi for heat and water. (I knew when I moved house it would be on the cards pretty soon!)
So meantime I decided on an oil filled rad having previously owned one, but on popping down to Argos I found a halogen one on half price offer.

I have therefore returned home with the original choice of oil-filled electric rad and a halogen heater - and already I realise they have very different applications - as previous people have commented, the halogen is great for warming an individual sitting/standing in one spot - the oil filled one better for several hours' "background" heat. My advice, since both heat the environment at same cost (a fact I only learned today - the prospective purchase being what brought me to this forum earlier for info, good ol' internet) is: go for the more robust thermo-controlled oil-filled convector if you feel it is affordable at £60-£130, but for an extra £17 (Nov '10) why not just add in a halogen one too! In terms of a quick warm glow I'm impressed with the halogen, and for the price I will just keep it as an emergency or booster heater - small, very lightweight....But be aware, nothing really beats GCH on long-term cost and performance if you are in a position to have it, especially now condensing boilers are the norm.
As someone said, GCH radiators can be individually controlled too, you do not need to heat every room.

Mr_Glover_Lover

I always thought halogen heaters were cost efficient, however i've recently got an energy monitor form EON and it has provided some interesting results...

I have just decided to put some heating on, without it my output was 480w. I turned on one 1200w halogen heater on 2 of the 3 bars and my output went up to 1.3kw! I turned it off and turned on my central heating and it was only 620w.

No brainer!

Cardew

Mr_Glover_Lover wrote: »

I always thought halogen heaters were cost efficient, however i've recently got an energy monitor form EON and it has provided some interesting results...

I have just decided to put some heating on, without it my output was 480w. I turned on one 1200w halogen heater on 2 of the 3 bars and my output went up to 1.3kw! I turned it off and turned on my central heating and it was only 620w.

No brainer!

Not understood.

If you switch on 2 bars it is an extra 800w so as expected your monitor read 1.3kW(1.28kW to be exact)

Switch it heater off and it would drop down by 800w. That extra 140w would probably be accounted for by the pump.

Berger

I keep hearing on here that gch is cheaper than my little halogen heater heating me here as I work from home.

So should I have my gch on all day, heating the house? Is my boiler heating the house all day really cheaper than having 1 or 2 bars on my halogen heater in one room?!?

(I can't turn off all my radiators, some are quite old and don't really turn off).

Electric blanket sounds like an idea, though not very practical as I move around with my laptop & paperwork

Berger

Mr_Glover_Lover wrote: »

I always thought halogen heaters were cost efficient, however i've recently got an energy monitor form EON and it has provided some interesting results...

I have just decided to put some heating on, without it my output was 480w. I turned on one 1200w halogen heater on 2 of the 3 bars and my output went up to 1.3kw! I turned it off and turned on my central heating and it was only 620w.

No brainer!

Yes, that's your electricity. Your gas consumption is not factored in there.

GregKaye

If halogen or other forms of directed bar heater are to be used then it is obviously important to consider what happens to all that expensive heat. Best to be heated – you. Worst to be heated – outside walls, ceilings and, in some cases, the floor. Somewhere in between – it may not be so bad to gently supply heat to the freestanding furniture that you are using. Localised heat only works if it is kept local and this is is the main thing that may set halogen and bar heaters apart from other forms of heating.
In comparison, inappropriately positioned radiators may generate problems in that they mainly operate by convection. This problem may be neutralised in the case that radiators are placed directly beneath the windows of the heated area. Freestanding (convectively operating) "radiators" placed in other locations, on the other hand, will greatly sponsor the heating of your roof. Convection currents generated when halogen heaters heat just one region of a large air space may also become an issue.

richardc1983

Cheapest option is to have your gas central heating on if you have it and turn off all the radiators in the rooms you are not using just ensure you have 1 radiator turned on.

This is the cheapest form.

Halogen heaters deliver a nice heat as it is radiant heat and can be more comfortable than a fan or convector heater which heats the air which in turn heats you.

KKKKP

Ive had my Halogen Heater for 5 years. With Halogen heater i dont turn on the lights on as often, enough light comes out of the halogen heaters and it looks cosy even with 1 bar. thumps up for me,as gives out heat aswell as not having to switch my lights on

Gingertom_2

The only room we heat is the lounge/diner and the best move I ever made was buying a cheap but actually unused pair of 90 x 90 curtains at a boot fair. Fixed a track to the ceiling so now in the evening we cut the room area in half.