Wall Heaters - What type of wall heater is best?

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Wall Heaters: What is the best type?

When it comes to wall heaters there are typically 3 types that are more commonly found. (baseboard heaters, fan forced wall heaters, and convection heaters) Here is what you need to know to make the right choice for the most comfortable wall heater, the safest wall heater and the most economical wall heater.

Most Comfortable Heat?

1. Baseboard Heaters -  Ever notice how the wall turns colors or even yellow if you have baseboard heat? That's primarily because the heat rises straight up the wall on a baseboard heater and then circulates at and around that wall. Unfortunately it never really heats the rest of the room evenly as the heat primarily stays against the wall that the heater is on. That's why you can be in a room with a baseboard heater and if you sit across the room you can feel cold.
2. Fan Forced Heaters -  They do actually force the heat to go across the room which is a good thing however do to the design of most of these heaters the heat circulates around the floor level of the room. Yes heat will rise but most of the heat stays circulating at the floor level and the top 2/3 of the room is less comfortable and not as warm which is where you want more of the heat.
3. Convect Air Heaters -  These heaters are typically surfaced mounted on your wall and come in varying sizes depending on the wattage of heat you need. Because they set off the wall and are designed taller than a typical baseboard heater they will take cool air in through the bottom of the heater and then pass it over the X shaped heating element and force it out at the top of the heater where it stays off of the wall and moves up to the ceiling and then over to the adjacent wall and then starts a circulating pattern in the room. This will keep the heat circulating throughout the room and concentrated throughout the whole room to provide a more comfortable heat.

 The Safest Wall Heater?

1. Baseboard Heaters - are a fairly safe heater although it's easy for dust to get in these heaters and for kids to stick their fingers in the openings of these heaters and often times reach the heating element. Other negatives would be the size of them as they take up a lot of wall space plus they tend to not last as long due to the heating elements often times not being packed densly enough in the silica type material that surrounds them. Overall I would rate them as a safe heater but a lot of negatives to overcome.
2. Fan Forced Heaters - Some brands of fan forced heaters have had multiple recalls and are by design in my opinion not the safest heater. Again, you get a lot of dust in these heaters and they must be cleaned on a regular basis or they can become very dangerous with dust build up on a heating element. This dust can also cause the heating element to burn up prematurely causing a more frequent replacement cycle as well. Of the three types of heaters these are my least favorite when it comes to safety. Did I mention how noisy these heaters are?
3. ConvectAir Convection Heaters - This heater does not have access for a kid’s finger to ever get near the heating element. It will get warm to the touch but not warm enough to burn you. It can also get some dust inside the unit however the design is such that it is very minimal as compared to the other units. It is completely silent and the heating element is one of the most quality elements made which means it will last a very long time. The negatives on this heater would be they cost more than the other two and they do have a little bit of a different look as compared to the other heaters. These heaters though are extremely safe and very high quality.

Most Economical Wall Heater?

The key to keeping your costs down to heat your home with wall heaters lies in a couple of factors.

1. Properly sizing the right heaters for the rooms. To large of a heater for a room can waste heat and too small a heater won't heat the room properly again wasting energy.
2. The more important factor is what controls the heater.  The thermostat controlling the heater determines when it should turn on and when it should turn off. A cheap and inaccurate t-stat (which is usually the case on nearly every heater I see) can cost you upwards of 30% more in energy costs. If you set the t-stat to turn the heater off at 70 degrees and it turns the heater off at 75 degrees you are costing yourself money the entire 5 degrees for being inaccurate. Most of the standard t-stats that I see controlling heaters are very inaccurate and most of the times are just on/off switches. ConvectAir Heaters have a t-stat located directly on each heater that is accurate to within a degree. This alone can save you upwards of 30% on your electrical bill. You can also improve the energy costs on your existing heaters by adding a digital t-stat to control them. As always consult your local electrician for wiring and installation if you are unsure on how to remove and wire in a new digital t-stat.