For space heating, devices that are different in design and principles of operation are used. When choosing, they pay attention to the price of component parts, installation costs and operating costs. The wall-mounted electric heating convector is affordable and easy to install. A variety of models allows you to choose the device for any conditions.
Convector purpose
You can quickly heat a private house, bathhouse, outbuildings using electric heat convectors. The connection does not require a special permit, project and expensive installation, as is the case with gas heating. The work is carried out independently.
The cable supplying electricity to the house and the internal wiring must be able to withstand the connected power of the electric heaters.
Convectors are mainly used for auxiliary heating - devices are turned on in the off-season or on particularly cold summer nights. When the gas heating is turned off, the heaters will help to wait out the interruptions, being a backup source of heat.
Heating is rarely built exclusively on convectors because of the high operating costs for electricity. In some cases, this option is the only possible or economically feasible, for example, when the cost of connecting to gas networks is high.
For a home, energy-saving convector wall heaters are beneficial when it is urgent to supply heat - the installation of the device takes a matter of minutes.
Advantages and disadvantages
The decision in favor of installing convectors is made on the basis of a comprehensive assessment of their advantages and disadvantages.
Positive qualities include:
- ease of installation and operation - just place the device in the right place and connect it to the mains;
- long service life: up to 10 years or more for different types of devices;
- lack of noise during operation;
- automatic or manual adjustment of the required temperature;
- low cost;
- lack of consumables and additional coolant;
- high efficiency - up to 98%;
- a wide range of equipment in terms of power, construction, design.
Considered serious shortcomings:
- high energy costs (electricity) compared to gas heating;
- ineffectiveness in heating rooms large in area and height;
- combustion of oxygen by some models and the smell of burnt dust when switched on for the first time after a break;
- high requirements for the cross-section and condition of the insulation of electrical wiring.
Having made a decision on heating the room with convectors, you should study their characteristics, design features and choose the most suitable option.
Operating principle
According to the laws of physics, heated air has a lower density than cold air, which causes warm masses to rise. The process is called "convection", and electric wall batteries operating on this principle are called convectors.
The heat source is the heating element or the body of the device.
Air currents, rising to the ceiling, displace the cooled air down. The circulation process is repeated.
For ease of use and saving money on electricity bills, temperature controllers are built into the heaters, which turn off the device when the desired temperature in the room is reached.
Convector design
All types of convectors are arranged in a similar way. The device includes:
- heating element;
- body;
- Temperature regulator;
- power cord.
In some types of heaters, the heating element is not a separate part, but is mounted in a non-separable housing.
Based on the design of each element, manufacturers and sellers classify products according to several characteristics.
Temperature control options
Devices for controlling the temperature in a room by automatically turning on or off the power of convectors are called thermostats. Electric wall-mounted heating radiators are equipped with mechanical or electronic thermostats.
In the first case, the actuator is bimetallic plates in the thermal relay. When the convector body reaches the set temperature, the power supply to the heater is cut off. The advantage of this type of mechanism is its low price. The disadvantages include the fact that the room temperature is not controlled directly, but through the temperature of the convector itself, the degree of air heating is not taken into account.
Electronic thermostats take into account the heating of the room and the appliance. For this, two sensors are built into the device. The microcontroller takes into account both parameters and sets the optimal operating mode of the device.
Heater types
Most devices use needle, monolithic heaters or heating elements (tubular electric heaters). Each model has inherent features that are taken into account when choosing a device when buying.
A needle heater is a dielectric body on which loops (needles, spirals) of nichrome thread are mounted. The wire has a high resistance to electric current, therefore, when voltage is applied, it quickly heats up to a high temperature.
The spiral is in the air, so when heated, oxygen is burned in the room. The element is cooled by a stream of air, part of the energy is spent on the radiation of infrared waves.
It is undesirable to use radiators with needle heaters in damp rooms for reasons of electrical safety and in bedrooms due to oxygen burning out.
Nichrome wire, being in the air, heats up quickly and cools down quickly, so this type of heater is suitable when you need to accurately maintain the temperature in the room.
Heating elements consist of a hollow metal tube, inside which there is a nichrome wire and an electrical insulating material. When voltage is applied, the wire heats up the tube. Using additional ribs, they increase the heat transfer area, and the heating element itself heats up less. Devices with tubular heaters take a long time to reach the optimal operating mode, so it is better to use them in rooms where a wall-mounted electric heater with a thermostat operates in a continuous mode.
The design of a monolithic heater may differ, but the principle is the same - the spiral is mounted in a volumetric non-separable body, from which the air is heated.
Mounting method
Choosing models that differ in the method of installation, they achieve the fulfillment of the conditions of high-quality heating, compliance with safety measures and the design of the premises.
Wall-mounted models are attached to vertical surfaces of blank walls or under window sills. Sometimes these convectors come with removable legs for installation on the floor.
In rooms with panoramic glazing, children's rooms, built-in energy-saving electric convectors with a thermostat are mounted in the doorways. Installation is carried out in the recesses of the walls, niches, floors. Protective screens will prevent burns of children, protect the body of the device from mechanical damage.
Floor heaters are mobile, with castors installed as legs. By moving the device along the walls or placing it in the middle of the room, they create comfortable conditions in a small area. Often in floor models, a combined principle of operation is used. The heating element heats up a special oil, which is filled with a hollow ribbed body. Such radiators-convectors are called oil.
Skirting convectors - new devices on the heater market are suitable for any premises. They are made in the form of separate devices or built into a special skirting board around the perimeter of the entire room. The height of the heating elements ranges from 60 to 250 mm, the width is 90–100 mm.
To mask a monolithic heater, special decorative panels are used.
Convection infrared heaters combine the advantages of both types of heating:
- Highly heated heating elements emit infrared waves into the space, heating objects and people.
- The air, due to the phenomenon of convection, heats the room.
As a heating element, manufacturers use ceramic or quartz tubes, inside which there is a nichrome spiral.
Additional features and service functions
Additional functions that modern models often have to simplify the adjustment, save energy and maintain a comfortable mode in the room.
Choosing economical wall-mounted electric convectors for summer cottages, they prefer devices with an anti-freeze function. The thermostat of such a device allows you to maintain a room temperature of 5-7 degrees. Upon the arrival of the owners, the house quickly warms up to a comfortable temperature.
The ionizer is useful in winter when heating devices dry the air. The built-in ionizer gives the O2 molecules a negative charge, which contributes to better oxygenation of the blood.
Convectors with an electronic thermostat can be programmed at will, setting the switch-on time, the required power and the required temperature in the room.
Remote control allows you to control the heaters from anywhere in the room. Convectors connected to the “smart home” system turn on, turn off or program via the Internet. This is convenient when you need to warm up the room before the arrival of the tenant.
It is not recommended to leave electrical appliances switched on unattended. For safety, the circuit into which the convectors are connected must be equipped with differential circuit breakers. Instruments will instantly disconnect power in the event of a short circuit or ground fault.
What power to choose
It is difficult to carry out an accurate heat engineering calculation on your own without knowledge in the field of thermodynamics.
To simplify the calculations, two methods are used:
- By area. It works with a ceiling height of no more than 3 m. For heating a room of 10 m2 with one window, a 1 kW convector is purchased. If the room is corner, apply a factor of 1.1. If high-quality thermal insulation of the walls is made and there are double-glazed windows, the coefficient is 0.8.
- By volume. The volume of the room is multiplied by 0.04 for one window. Add 10% to the result for the second, third and each next window.
On average, it is believed that for the organization of additional heating, one should focus on an indicator of 25 W / m3. The main heating will require a convector power of 40-50 W / m3.
Installation rules
To mount wall-mounted electric batteries, use the brackets that are included in the kit or are purchased separately. The fasteners must be able to support the weight of the convector.
During installation, strictly adhere to the manufacturer's instructions. If there are no instructions, they are guided by the distances:
- from the floor - 200 mm;
- to the walls - 20 mm;
- to pieces of furniture closely located on the sides - 200 mm;
- up to the window sill 500 mm;
- from the outlet at least 300 mm.
- floor oil convectors are placed no closer than 250 mm from walls and pieces of furniture.
Complex household appliances, such as TVs, cannot be mounted above the convectors. The rising streams of hot air carry dust that gets inside electrical appliances, additional heating is harmful to electronic circuits.
Compliance with the rules promotes good air circulation, interior items will not suffer from overheating and will not lose their attractive appearance.
Manufacturers rating
When buying a convector, you should give preference to trusted manufacturers with a good reputation. The overwhelming majority of the proposed models operate at an efficiency of about 95–98%.
In the Russian market, the main players are brands:
- Noirot;
- Electrolux;
- Ballu;
- Neoclima;
- Timberk.
The models of the listed manufacturers are reliable, their performance is confirmed by the warranty.
When choosing a specific model, they pay attention to power, design, additional functions.
The organization of the main and additional heating in private houses and other premises using wall-mounted electric convectors is carried out quickly and at minimal cost. Having correctly calculated the power, observing the installation rules, they get comfortable conditions for many years.
I had a bad experience with convectors. There will be raw materials and mold at home. There is no energy saving.