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The main requirements for a country heater are efficiency, mobility and speed. The unit should consume a minimum of energy, be easily transported to any room and quickly heat the room. An important condition is the safe operation of an electrical product, in order to avoid a fire. Our today’s review is devoted to energy-saving heaters for summer cottages, as well as the criteria for their selection.
What to look for when choosing a garden heater
Choosing a country heater is necessary not only at a low cost. Often such cheap models are dangerous to use and consume a lot of energy. It is important to adhere to several important rules when choosing a unit:
- installation of the heater in the country should be easy and quick;
- it is good if the unit is mobile so that it can be easily moved from room to room;
- maximum level of fire safety;
- a heater for a summer residence should be economical, but effective;
- the versatility of the unit is welcome, allowing you to adjust the heating modes;
- the lowest cost of the product without sacrificing quality.
Guided by these basic requirements, we will try to determine which model is better to choose for a summer residence.
The video tells about the rules for choosing a heater for a summer residence:
Overview of heaters powered by electricity
If any heater can be used to heat a garage or outbuilding, even one that runs on gasoline or diesel fuel, then a unit that operates only on electricity is appropriate in the house. Let’s look at what electric heaters can heat a country house and a separate room.
Convectors
Electric convectors can be called the most common heaters. They are used not only in the country, but also in any other premises. Models can be mobile on wheels and wall-mounted. Mobile type convectors are very convenient to use because of their mobility. If the cottage is non-residential and you only need to temporarily heat one of the rooms, you can buy only one convector. If necessary, it is easy to roll it into any room and simply plug it into a power outlet.
Convectors are arranged quite simply. Inside the metal case there is a spiral and protection against overheating. Such models are considered the cheapest. They constantly keep the temperature of the case within 80оC. More expensive convectors are equipped with a control unit and a thermostat. This allows you to adjust the heating temperature and control the operation of the heater. Despite the initial costs when buying a product for a summer residence, such convectors are economical in operation.
Depending on the model, the cost of the convector ranges from 3 to 7 thousand rubles. If you need to heat all rooms, then it is better to give preference to wall convectors. The total cost of heating installation is easy to calculate by the number of rooms.
For example, in a bathroom, water splashes can get inside an electrical appliance, which threatens to short circuit. Here it is better to use electric heated towel rails.
infrared panels
The second place in popularity for country heating can be given to IR panels. There can be no question of mobility here, since the heaters are permanently mounted on the walls or ceilings of each room. The IR panels are fixed to the ceiling with special brackets included in the kit. For wall mounting, you will have to buy special fasteners separately. The panels are controlled by a temperature sensor.
In terms of energy consumption, infrared panels are considered economical. However, there are certain disadvantages. The most important of them is the negative impact of infrared rays on humans. Installation of panels is safe only on high ceilings. Practically, like all heaters, infrared panels dry the air. As for the cost, 1 quality product will cost about 3,5 thousand rubles.
The video shows the installation of an IR heater:
Oil radiators
Third place can be given to oil coolers. In terms of energy consumption, they are considered the most unprofitable for giving. Inside the metal case there is a powerful heating element filled with oil. In order for the heater to start generating heat, the heating element must warm up all the oil, which, in turn, will give off heat to the metal case. However, in terms of mobility, this heating option wins. Radiators are equipped with wheels. They are easy to roll from room to room and simply connect to an outlet.
You don’t have to worry about security. The heater is protected against overheating. Some models are disabled when rollover. They control the operation of the radiator only manually, which is not always convenient. Normally, only the required temperature can be set by the oil heater control unit. On more powerful models, there are buttons for turning on 1 or 2 heating elements. Another oil heater wins in cost. The price of 1 product varies from 2 to 3 thousand rubles.
Fan heaters
Among electric heaters, in terms of mobility and speed of heating the room, the fan heater can be given the first place. Arriving at a cold dacha, it is enough to bring the heater into the room, connect it to the outlet and in a few minutes the air will warm up to 21оC. Moreover, the compactness and light weight of the fan heater allow it to be carried in the trunk of a car.
This is where all the advantages of such a heater end. In terms of energy savings, they are unprofitable. The fire safety class does not allow them to be left to work unattended. A working spiral burns oxygen, which is why dry air enters the room. The operation of the fan heater is controlled only manually. The user can only change the temperature and fan speed to supply a certain amount of air.
At the price the consumer is provided with a huge selection of models. You can buy a product worth from 600 to 8 thousand rubles. Most often, the price is due to the power of the fan heater.
Electric fireplace
This modern heater will decorate the interior of the cottage. Purchasing an electric fireplace has several advantages;
- If you want to have a real fireplace, its construction will be very expensive. Using an electrical counterpart is much cheaper.
- To build a real fireplace, you will have to hire expensive specialists. The electric model can be independently placed on any wall in the room and connected to a power outlet.
- To build a real fireplace, you will need to draw up the appropriate documents, which is not required by an electric fireplace.
From a reasonable point of view, an electric fireplace for a summer residence serves more as a decoration, and it can only heat one room. Although the heater can be rearranged, hardly anyone will do it. The cost of electric fireplaces is quite high, which not everyone can afford.
picture heater
Recently, the so-called warming pictures have become fashionable. These kind of wall heaters look like a plastic sheet with a simple image. The thickness of the film itself is approximately 1 mm. The size of the picture can be very different depending on their power. Inside the film is a special heating element. The whole system is so flexible that some pictures can be rolled up.
The power of picture heaters varies from 200 to 500 watts. Manufacturers claim that compared to oil or infrared heaters, paintings are 1,5–2 kW more economical with the same heating area.
A more accurate picture-heater device is as follows:
- The front side is represented by the first film layer. It has a drawing on it. In addition to decorative functions, the first layer does not carry anything else.
- Next comes the carbon heater, hidden behind two protective layers. Two layers of film protect the carbon fiber from destruction.
The picture works from a network of 220 volts by simply plugging into an outlet. After receiving electricity, the carbon heater begins to emit infrared rays, which are a source of heat.
However, paintings for a summer residence will not work as the main heating. It is appropriate to hang such a heater in the bedroom for auxiliary heating of the room. No temperature adjustments and automation are provided here. They plugged it into the outlet – the picture heats up, removed the plug from the outlet – the heating stopped.
This video talks about the operation of a wall heater:
So what is better to choose for a summer residence
It’s time to sum up our review of heaters for summer cottages. With all the advantages and disadvantages, IR heaters will be the best choice. Stationarily fixed panels on the ceiling in all rooms will quickly dry the room from dampness, and warm the air for a comfortable summer vacation. In terms of energy consumption, this is the most economical heater for summer cottages and a very profitable option.
The first place in terms of safety and functionality can be given to electric convectors. They dry the air the least, which is very important for human health. In terms of electricity consumption, convectors are inferior to IR heaters, but for the sake of the comfort of a summer vacation, you can close your eyes to such a drawback.
As for the rest of the heaters we have considered, their purpose can be called specific, and as an option for full-fledged country heating, they are not suitable.