Space Heater

[chumbucket]

What's the difference in the ceramic heater and plain type heater 1500 watt ??

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Space Heater

Most of the non-ceramic types are coil heaters. They heat up a steel coil, like in a hair dryer, and then fan air over it. Ceramic heaters use coated fins that heat up with a fan to move air. Ceramic heaters are safer because the fins heat more evenly and they don't need to get "glowing red hot" to heat a room.

 

[brother chris]

Re: Space Heater

I had bought a non-ceramic type heater last month. I took it back a couple days later. It did not seem to heat my place up too much.<br />Yesterday, I just bought 2 ceramic heaters....much better...much much better!

 

[Stratocaster]

Re: Space Heater

The difference is efficiency. ceramic elements are very efficient at turning electricity into heat. A 1500W ceramic element will give you about 5200 BTU. A plain-jane 1500W coil about 3500-4000 BTU. BTUs equal heat, the more the better.

 

[Paul Moir]

Re: Space Heater

.

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: Space Heater

Originally posted by Stratocaster:<br /> The difference is efficiency. ceramic elements are very efficient at turning electricity into heat. A 1500W ceramic element will give you about 5200 BTU. A plain-jane 1500W coil about 3500-4000 BTU. BTUs equal heat, the more the better.

I'm curious - what energy form is the other BTU's consumed by, if not given off as heat?<br /><br />light? vibration? <br /><br />I would assume the orange glow i.e. light... although it's not very bright...<br /><br />1000BTU is about a 300Watt loss..that orange glow couldn't be 300 watts ...<br /><br />I always thought electric heaters were pretty much 100% efficient

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: Space Heater

I know the coil heaters require a bigger fan to move air across them.

 

[ZmOz]

Re: Space Heater

Originally posted by Stratocaster:<br /> The difference is efficiency. ceramic elements are very efficient at turning electricity into heat. A 1500W ceramic element will give you about 5200 BTU. A plain-jane 1500W coil about 3500-4000 BTU. BTUs equal heat, the more the better.

This is not true. All resistive heating elements give off the same amount of heat - approximately 3.4 BTU per watt. The only difference between the two types of heaters is safety and how well they distribute the heat throughout the room.