Convector or oil heater?

With the onset of autumn, for many families, the question of having an additional source of heat in the house or, simply, a heater becomes especially relevant. And as a possible heating device, two options are usually considered: a convector or an oil heater. What is the difference between a convector and an oil cooler and what is better to buy — look for answers to these questions in our article.

Oil electric heaters

The device and principle of operation of the oil heater

Oil electric heaters are known to everyone and everyone; they most of all resemble ordinary heating batteries placed on wheels. In essence, these are hollow metal structures filled with mineral oil, into which the heating element is immersed. After power is applied, the heating element heats up and heats the oil, which gives off heat to the environment. As you can see, the principle of operation of electric oil heaters is simple and unpretentious, and the presence of additional devices, such as: a thermostat, a fan, sensors that provide protection against tipping over, make their use safe and convenient. But along with tangible advantages, oil-filled electric heaters also have a number of serious disadvantages. Firstly, they heat up slowly, which means that it will not work to make the room warm enough quickly. Secondly, they burn oxygen, making the air in the room very dry, which makes it undesirable to use them in children’s rooms and in the apartments of people suffering from chronic diseases of the respiratory system. Thirdly, it’s easy enough to get burned on an oil cooler, because it gets very hot.

Electric convectors

Unlike oil radiators, electric convectors have a much more attractive appearance and are panels mounted on the wall. The heating of the room with an electric convector occurs due to convection: the heating element enclosed in the convector body warms the air that rises, being replaced by cold air from the bottom of the room. The temperature of the incoming air is controlled by a sensor that automatically switches the convector off and on as needed.

Advantages of convectors:

1. High heating speed, therefore — energy savings. Energy savings when using a convector is about 25% compared to oil radiators. This is due to the fact that in a convector the heating element heats the air directly, while in oil coolers it heats the oil first, then the housing, which already gives off heat to the environment.
2. Safety in use. Judge for yourself what is safer — a convector securely fixed to the wall, or a radiator standing in the middle of the room? In addition, as mentioned above, when using a radiator, you can get serious burns, which is impossible with a convector, because its body does not heat up above a temperature of 60 ° C.
3. Environmental Safety. When using a convector, oxygen is not burned, because. its heating element is made of special material, and the heating temperature is controlled by sensors.
4. Long service life. An electric convector is about 10-15 years old, while the smallest microcrack, which opens the way for oil evaporation, can become the reason for the failure of an oil heater.

Disadvantages of convectors:

1. Convectors are not capable of high-quality heating of rooms with high ceilings, since warm air in them will accumulate under the ceiling.
2. Dust moves along with the heated air.
3. For proper heating, it is necessary to equip the room with artificial ventilation systems.