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What is the best type of space heater?

Today, portable heaters come in a multitude of designs and shapes, from electric to infrared and micrathermic, from quartz to baseboards, and from kerosene to propane and natural gas. This can make choosing one of these devices very confusing; however, there are, for all intents and purposes, only two fundamental types: radiant and convection. Ultimately, your circumstances will determine which one you choose.

Convection heaters work by heating the air around the appliance, which in turn will heat it up. Oil- or water-filled radiators, electric baseboard heaters, and almost all heaters that directly burn fossil fuels are classified as convection-type heaters. As a simple explanation, imagine that you are in front of an electrical outlet connected to your home’s central heating system and feel the warm air flow over you; This is known as convection heating.

On the other hand, radiant heaters use light waves to heat a particular object or element, and it is then this element that heats up the surrounding area. It is similar to the way the sun warms you, but you can still feel the cooler air around you; once the sun goes down, the temperature seems to drop. This is radiant heating. Halogen, quartz and infrared heaters fall under the banner of radiant heating.

For a human being to feel “comfortable” with the ambient temperature, three very important elements come into play: humidity, heat and wind (speed). The heat part of the equation goes without saying, however, when humidity levels are low, moisture evaporates through the skin, making it feel cooler; with a blowing breeze it will lose heat at a faster rate.

With radiant type heaters, you will find that they do not create any “wind speed” or air movement as such, and they also do not reduce humidity. However, as these heating elements, and then it is the elements that heat up the room, the overall temperature rises more slowly. So if the area you need to heat is a small area, then a radiant heater would be the best alternative for you, but if a larger room is looking to heat, a convection heater is usually the best option.

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