Heater is most commonly used in homes and offices to generate heat. Room heaters are available in wide varieties, in various makes and models. It can be vented or not vented, free standing or built in etc. In order to find the right heater for our requirements we must know the difference between the types and the purpose it serves. Knowing them will ease our trouble of trying to choose the right heater.

 Types of Heaters:

1. Electric Heaters: For the heating purpose, electric heaters are the best though there are also other heaters such as the infrared heaters, oil filled heaters, etc that are recommended. However, electric heaters scores better than the rest of the heaters as they are 100% efficient in converting heat from electricity. Whereas coal or oil generated converts only 30% of the energy to electricity. Apart from this, the major advantage of using an electric heater is that it doesn’t cause any health hazard and there is less chance of the heater exploding or causing fire. Electric heaters are of two types:

  • Convection heater: For heating the entire room, a convection room heater would be the best choice. It not only heats the room but also circulates warm air throughout the room. A convection heater when operates is quieter than fan heaters because of the natural ventilation. For the heating purpose a convection heater may have an electrical heating element, hot water coil, or steam coil. Convection heater can further be classified into:
    • Natural convection heaters: This type of convection heater operates quietly though it takes a little longer to heat the entire area. Because of their reliability, stability, efficiency and quietness, it is one of the most sought after heater of all time. In order to circulate warm air in the room, it uses the air currents. This heater is oil filled heater and resembles and out-dated radiator.
    • Forced convection heaters: The working principles of both types of convection heaters are same. The only difference is that a forced convection heater makes use of fan to circulate warm air. And this speeds up the warming process though it could be quite noisy. This heater is lighter than the natural convection heater and can also be used as fan during summers.
       
  • Radiant heater: The oldest form of providing heat is the radiant energy. In contrast to the convection heaters, a radiant heater heats an object instead of warming the air. This heating system heats the floor instead of the ceiling, making the floor the primary source of heat. This heater is best for heating smaller areas. However, they might not be desirable in the bedroom because of the noise and the light it produces. One major disadvantage of this heater is they are likely to tilt of. Though newer models come with a tip sensor which automatically shuts off the heater but older models might lack this feature. Radiant heaters perform efficiently and effectively in warehouses, garages, storerooms, etc.

2. Non Electric Heaters: For indoor use, most of us prefer electric heater. But for outdoor areas, non electric heaters are the best. And besides it is best to avoid using heaters which uses kerosene, liquid propane or natural gases for indoor heating purpose. One major reason is they reduce the quality of air and secondly they produce carbon monoxide which is harmful for our health. Patio heaters and wood burning heaters are exclusively used for outdoor as they are attractive and inexpensive as well.

  • Kerosene heaters: Kerosene heaters are also known as paraffin heaters and is mainly used for supplemental heat. This type of heater is beneficial for various reasons. The first reason being it doesn’t use electricity and is an emergency source of heat when there is no electricity. They are portable, unvented and has double heating capacity. They are most ideal for heating large areas.
  • Natural Gas heater: This heater is also known as LPG heaters. This heater comes in various models. Depending on your requirement you can select the type from a wide range. Some heaters come with a base, some pf them are wall mounted. This heater is most ideal for heating large areas. They are very efficient and are also available as a patio heater. You need to hook it up to a gas supply line to run the operation.
  • Wood burning space heater: with the increase in the gasoline cost and the electricity bills, a wood stove or a wood burning heater has gained its popularity among the people. They are very efficient and safely warm the entire area without any burden on your electric bill. The only thing you require to install the wood stove is a chimney system. This wood burning heater is more efficient than the normal fireplace. And it is best for warming the patios.

Now that you are aware of the different types of heaters that are available, it might be easier for you to select which one would be serve your needs more efficiently. Read on to know how to choose the right heater as per your requirements, what are the things you should look for while buying a heater and how to calculate the size of a heater. However, of all the heaters that are available, for warming small areas electric heater is the best.