Choosing the best electric convector

Basic criteria

The choice of electric convector is based on the following parameters:

• power;
• installation method;
• type of heating element;
• design features;
• type of temperature controller;
• protective functions;
• additional features.

You can immediately view the video instruction on the right choice:

So, let's consider the features of choosing each of the parameters.

Power

Like any other type of electric heater, products vary in power. The higher this parameter( measured in kW), the faster the product can warm up the room. To date, it is recommended to use equipment from 0.3 to 3 kW for home conditions.

To properly select an electric convector for power, it is necessary to calculate this parameter individually. As a rule, 1 kW is used for 10 square meters of unheated room. If in the house( or apartment) there is heating( gas or water), then for heating 10 sq.m.will be enough 0.5 kW.

We recommend selecting a heater with a power reserve( 10-20%), in addition, there is an adjustment function for this value. In this case, you can set a certain intensity of work, saving energy costs.

How to install

There are 3 basic ways to install heaters:

• wall( hanging on the brackets that come with the kit);
• floor( feet on castors);
• underfloor( the body hides inside the floor, only the decorative grid is visible);
• universal( the design includes removable legs and bracket mounts).

The advantage of the first option is that the wires will not get underfoot, and the body itself will occupy free space. All you need is to hang the case on the wall and connect it to the network. Such an electric convector is best chosen for an apartment, where, as you know, there is so little space.

The floor version makes the unit mobile, which allows rolling it from room to room. The disadvantage is that part of the free space of the room in this case will be occupied.
The indoor unit is the original solution for stationary heating, if there is a desire to hide all the heaters in appearance, we recommend choosing this option. It is extremely rare, but it does not lose its competitors efficiently.

The universal version proved itself the best. This is due to the fact that if you need to change the location of the device, you can do it without any problems.

If you decide to make a permanent heating system, we recommend you to choose the wall and floor electric convectors. For holiday homes and apartments with central heating is better to choose a floor option.

Type of heating element

The design can be represented by one of three basic types of heating elements:

1. Needle
2. Tubular
3. Monolithic

The first option is the cheapest and easiest. Use it is not recommended, becauseThe design of the heater( plate with a nickel filament) is very fragile. Such products very quickly fail, so they do not justify their cost.

Tubular heaters are more reliable and also have not too high cost compared to needle. Their only drawback is the noise at the beginning of the work, becausewhen the tube is heated a little crackle.

The latter option is the most effective and durable, but as you understand, it has the highest cost.

If you decide to make in-house heating in the house or you can just allocate a sufficient amount of money, we recommend choosing an electric convector with a monolithic heater. If there is no such possibility, or you decided to connect electric heating in a wooden house in the country - give preference to tubular products.

Design features

Among the main design features are:

• form( rectangular, round, square);
• height( varies within 50 cm);
• body thickness.

As for the form, it does not affect the efficiency of heating. The only factor that determines the appearance of the product is the interior of the rooms. The height affects the speed of supply of warm air into the room. The average value is 50 cm, it is considered the most effective for heating. The thickness directly affects the heat transfer of the electric convector. The thicker the body, the higher the heat transfer, and hence the more efficient operation of the device.

All parameters in this case it is quite easy to choose by their material capabilities and taste preferences. Classics are rectangular electric convectors of white color, on which the buyers most often stop their choice.

Type of temperature controller

Temperature controllers are needed in order to control the operation of the convection heater. With the help of these devices, you can set a certain temperature in the room( for example, 21 oC), which will stay for the duration of the operation. If the room becomes warmer - the regulator will turn off the heater, if it is colder, it will turn it on.

To date, there are two types of temperature controllers: mechanical and electronic.

Mechanical is cheaper and has the simplest design - step switch. Their shortcoming is short service life and a temperature error within 1-3oC.The advantage of such devices is that they do not fail during power surges.

Electronic thermostats are more functional. With their help you can set not only a certain temperature regime in the house, but also the time / day of turning the heating on and off. Such functions allow saving energy, because when there is no one in the house, it makes no sense to spend money on heating( for example, when you decide to leave for a summer residence or on leave).It should also be noted that the error is only 0.1oC, which is an undoubted advantage of the devices. Disadvantages - high cost and failure due to voltage drops.

For a summer residence we recommend to choose an electric convector with a mechanical thermoregulator, so as not to spend money on those functions that will be used extremely rarely. In addition, in the country villages problems with voltage surges are quite normal phenomena. For apartments and houses, it makes sense to purchase an electronic version, the advantages of which speak for themselves.

Protection functions

Convector, like any other device operating from the mains, in itself is unsafe. The main two causes of increased danger are spontaneous combustion of the apparatus and failure due to water ingress.

To protect yourself from the first problem, we advise you to choose an electric convector with protection against overheating. This function turns off the power when the heater temperature reaches its maximum set value. Protection from water( in fact, as well as from dust) can be determined by a special IP index - the higher it is, the better the housing is protected. The minimum value should be IP 24, so that the application is possible in the bathroom or other room with high humidity( for example, on the loggia).

We also recommend that you pay attention to the degree of protection from electric shock. This parameter must be at least "2", which means there is no need for additional grounding of the case.

Additional features of the

Well, the last thing I would like to talk about is auxiliary functions that make the convection heater more efficient and convenient to use.

The first function concerns floor units and directly affects the safety of their use. Very often the cause of the fire is the overturning of the convector on the floor with its further work. In order to avoid the ignition of something, we advise you to choose an electric convector with an automatic switch-off sensor in case of overturning. In this case, when the heater takes a horizontal position, the power to it immediately turns off.

Function "Restart" refers to electronic temperature controllers. This feature allows you to memorize the parameters of the device - the on time, the temperature, etc. In most models, all settings are lost when an unauthorized trip occurs, and in this case all your settings will be saved.

Function "Antifreeze" allows you to warm up the room in which the electric heater is located, if the mark falls below + 5oC.Most often devices with this function are used in the garage, on the balcony and in the suburban areas, where the owners appear very rarely.

"Ionizer" , the so-called last innovation in modern models. This function makes heating beneficial for health, becauseAt the same time as heating the air, some diseases are prevented. By the way, ionization occurs even if the device is turned off.

Summing up

So, you have become acquainted with all the criteria for choosing electric convectors. Now I would like to sum up and determine the most appropriate options.

For a private house , without central heating, it is best to choose a system of wall-type heaters. For each room, calculate the required number of units( based on power) and proceed to installation.

If a private house has already connected the boiler and radiators, but still there is not enough heat, then buy one or more floor types.

For the , universal convectors with tubular heating elements can be purchased.

For the , it is best to use floor-standing devices.central water heating is present in each residential building of this type.

That's all the information on how to choose the right electric convector for home, villa and apartment. We hope that the material was useful and interesting for you!
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• What is better: fan heater or electric convector
• Proper grounding in a private house
• What is the degree of protection IP