In the heater market, you’ll find a plethora of heater types for different needs. Furthermore, you’ll come
upon heaters advertised as “portable heaters” and others as “space heaters”. But are there any distinctions between the two?
To dispel any confusion, space heaters are portable heaters, properly speaking. However, the term has been used to designate portable heaters tailored for small areas.
On another note, space heaters mostly function via electricity, though, occasionally, you’ll find models
fuelled by combustibles such as gas, wood pellets, or oil. Moreover, they’re rigged with an array of heating technologies, each with several advantages and disadvantages.
Let’s review some of the most popular types of heaters for further illustration:
Types
In our first categorization, we find convection, radiant, and fan-forced heaters. The convection variety is the
most common of the three, though the others are not exceedingly hard to find. Let’s now briefly check out
how they work:
Convection vs. Radiant vs. Fan-Forced Heaters
Convection heaters draw cool air in and create a current of warm air that then circulates across the room,
making them a very attractive choice for people who want more sustained heat during cold winter days.
These are also extraordinarily silent, so they’re ideal for sleeping spaces! What’s even more, these
convection heaters have virtually no moving parts, ensuring thus that maintenance windows are severely
spaced out.
Radiant heaters emit infrared heat capable of filling up a small room almost instantly (a fantastic option for
those who’d want to feel immediate warmth upon arrival). They are more energy-efficient than convection
heaters but not as effective in maintaining a consistent temperature long-term.
Finally, fan-forced heaters evenly propel hot air outwards and are equipped to warm up larger rooms. As a
trade-off, they’re far noisier and less energy-saving than convection heaters.
Ceramic vs. Infrared vs. Quartz Heaters
Another categorization distinguishes between ceramic, quartz, and infrared heaters. Let’s elaborate a bit on
these:
Ceramic heaters contain inner ceramic pieces heated through electricity. While they are not very
efficacious for heating an entire space, they are very low-risk in comparison to the other offerings.
Infrared (IR) heaters don’t use hot air but rely on IR light instead. They are essentially radiant heaters that
warm up their immediate surroundings practically at once without considerable loss of heat energy, making
them highly accessible for budget-concerned customers.
Quartz heaters are similar to IR heaters, though the heating element is enclosed within a quartz tube,
maintaining a more focused heat while they’re on.
Both infrared and quartz heaters are prone to getting very hot. For this reason, it’s crucial to perform regular
maintenance on them to avoid fire hazards.
Styles
Space heaters are also manufactured in assorted forms. You can come across baseboard, compact, tower, and
wall heaters.
Baseboard heaters work better in spaces near doors or windows and blend optimally with floorboards.
Compact heaters, as the name suggests, are suitable for small rooms or offices.
Tower heaters are more imposing than compact heaters and can irradiate heat across shared spaces.
Finally, wall heaters are helpful for dens and bedrooms.
Capacity
Normally, each square foot requires roughly 10 Watts of heating power. With that said, it stands to reason
that the higher the capacity of the heater, the wider the radius they cover but, consequently, the larger the
space they are likely to occupy as well.
These critical details could significantly affect a customer’s decision-making process, especially when
choosing between the above heater types.
Safety Guidelines
Since no heater is totally hazard-free or fireproof, customers should be made aware of the most basic safety
guidelines when purchasing a heater.
In that sense, they should be encouraged to buy only UL/ULC or CSA-certified models. In addition, they
ought to stick with heaters that are appropriate for their dwelling or living space and that can be
thermostatically controlled to prevent overheating issues and waste of energy.
