And then we look for options: cheaper, more harmful, not very high quality, but at the same time fast and efficient – that's electric fan heaters! It is these characteristics that determine the popularity of fan heaters – fast and cheap!
How do they work?
The design of any fan heater is quite simple: the housing contains a heating element in the form of a coil that can heat up to high temperatures, and a fan of varying power that disperses the heated air throughout the room. Thus, fan heaters create forced convection where hot air replaces cold air. No complexity or intricacy. Thanks to the high blowing power, fan heaters can easily heat a large room in an hour, and a small one (bathroom, garage) in a few minutes.
What types are there?
All fan heaters can be divided by the type of heating element into coil, tubular (TEN), and ceramic. The coil type is most familiar to us and consists of a nichrome wire wound in a spiral around a non-combustible rod. Coil fan heaters can warm up a room very quickly due to heating the coil to over a thousand degrees. But this is also their drawback, as it increases the risk of ignition of any paper or fabric item.
In tubular (TEN) types, the heating element is a tubular electric heater – a graphite rod or wire is enclosed in a vacuum tube filled with sand. It is used in almost all devices with heating functions. The maximum heating temperature of the rod reaches 500 degrees. Tubular heating devices are safer compared to coil ones also due to the closed type of the heating element. They are more often used for heating industrial premises and are also called heat guns.
The third option is the ceramic fan heater, whose popularity is increasing every day. It consists of ceramic plates with many small honeycombs through which air is forced. It does not heat above two hundred degrees. Therefore, they are safe, harmless, and durable. The best option for domestic use.
How can they be installed?
Models of fan heaters are divided by installation type and can be wall-mounted, floor-standing, and tabletop. Wall-mounted options are devices similar to air conditioners and are mounted on the wall. Such heaters are quite powerful and are used more often in offices or workshops.
The difference from air conditioners is that there is no need to connect to an air conditioning system. Floor-standing and tabletop models are usually small in size and light in weight, allowing them to be carried anywhere. The body is designed so that the heater will not fall over unless it is knocked.
How best to use?
Of the types listed, coil and ceramic models are most applicable, with the former being more so due to their low cost and mobility. They are excellent for short-term heating of a local area. For example, a workspace where there is insufficient heating, or a bathroom before taking a shower.
Portable devices of wall and floor types, small in size and weight, can be taken on trips. Despite such drawbacks as high power consumption and oxygen burning, the popularity of cheap devices does not wane.
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