Choosing the most economical and efficient country heaters

Choosing a way to heat a country house is a problem for most owners of suburban real estate. Installation of a boiler, pipes and batteries is a costly and not always justified event, especially when the site is visited occasionally. Furnaces also do not solve the problem of efficient heating of premises, they require a lot of fuel, they need to be constantly monitored. Heaters for summer cottages are an excellent solution. Today, many models of these products are presented in the trading network, which differ in cost, types of thermal elements and the principle of operation. To make the right choice, you should familiarize yourself with the features and characteristics of each category of heaters.

Basic requirements for heaters in the country

Since almost the entire private sector is electrified, the choice should be made in favor of electric heaters.

When choosing which heater is better for a summer residence, you should focus on the following criteria:

• safety in terms of fire, short circuit and electric shock to people;
• fast heating of the room;
• the presence of the function of work in an offline mode;
• durable body;
• profitability;

For a summer residence, it is better and more economical to choose a heater that matches the size of the room and the material from which the building is built. In addition, you should choose a heating device in such a way that it organically and beautifully fits into the interior of the room.

As a backup in the event of a power outage, it is recommended to have a portable burner and a fully charged gas cylinder. This simple and inexpensive device is enough to keep your Finnish house warm in winter for 2-3 days.

Popular designs and specifications

When choosing energy-saving heaters for summer cottages, it is recommended to pay attention to the following types of products:

• Thermal fans. The principle of operation consists in running air with a propeller through the elements heated by current. Products with open spirals and enclosed in a ceramic shell are produced. The advantages of the devices are the high speed of heating the premises, the distribution of warm air throughout its volume, compactness and low weight. Fan heaters also have disadvantages. Appliances dry the air, make a lot of noise and consume a lot of energy.
• Convector heaters. The principle of operation of the devices is based on the movement of warm air upwards and cold air downwards. The streams pass through heating elements and blades that guide them. Due to this, the heated air is circulated. The advantages of the devices are their autonomy, efficiency, reliability, noiselessness and compactness. The downside is that convectors cannot quickly heat up a room. Limited power requires the purchase of multiple products.
• Oil radiator. It is a steel body with a heating element immersed in oil inside. The devices are popular due to their compactness and affordable cost. In addition, the heaters are distinguished by their noiselessness, absence of side effects, reliability and safety. The disadvantage is high energy consumption and short range.
• Infrared heaters with thermostat. For a summer residence, this is an excellent solution, especially if it has been empty for a long time.You can choose floor film and ceiling options that complement each other well. The advantages of devices are that they have a directional effect, heating objects that warm the air around them. The products work silently without burning oxygen. They can be used indoors and outdoors. The heating effect of objects is felt almost immediately after switching on. The only drawback is the high cost of products, which is 1.5-2 times higher than that of analogues.
  
• Quartz heaters. Devices of this type are new to the market. The body is a decorative quartz plate, inside of which there is a chromium-nickel heating element that releases heat when current flows. The products are absolutely safe in all respects, economical, autonomous and presentable. There are no shortcomings in the goods, except for the high cost.
• Wall models. The choice of wall-mounted economical electric heaters for summer cottages is quite wide and varied. This method of fastening is convenient because the device is firmly fixed on the base, there is no risk of it falling, and the likelihood of theft is minimized during the absence of the owners. The best place for fixing devices is a niche under the window. There, the products will heat the cold air before it fills the room. Wall-mounted electric heaters do not take up useful space; the cable supplied to them is laid in a groove, plastic box or baseboard.

There are no universal recommendations for heaters. Each person decides the question of choice on the basis of an analysis of his financial capabilities, the contingent living in the country, technical characteristics and the appearance of the devices.

The main criteria for choosing a heater

When deciding on heating a summer cottage, you should approach it comprehensively and thoughtfully, taking into account all the advantages and disadvantages of the product.

It is recommended to adhere to the following criteria:

• Efficiency. Fan heaters warm up the room faster, but they make a lot of noise and do not contribute to creating a comfortable microclimate.
• For calculations, it is necessary to proceed from the assumption that 100 kW / m² is required to maintain normal temperature. To the resulting figure, you need to add another 20% for extremely cold weather.
• Purpose of the product. Industrial infrared devices emit short wavelengths that are harmful to health. The power of the equipment may not correspond to the wiring installed in the country.
• The degree of safety. Products must be equipped with fuses, temperature switches and automatic pushbuttons. The most dangerous are devices with exposed wiring, glass and moving parts. Ceramic heaters are completely safe.
• Electricity consumption. It is advisable to purchase economical models that consume little energy so that the trip to the country does not cause a hole in the family budget after paying the electricity bills.

The optimal solution is to install several low-power devices. In order not to wait for them to heat the room, you can use a portable fan heater for this for a short time.

Rating of the best heaters

Convectors of the following brands are recognized as the most economical:

• RESANTA OK-1600;
• NeoClima IR -3.0;
• Timberk TCH A1B;
• Ballu BIH-AP4-0.6.

In terms of efficiency, ultraviolet emitters are recognized as the best:

• Foreman PTC 20 DVRL;
• AEG WKL 1003 F;
• Shinbo SFH-3390.

Also noteworthy is the Stadler Form Anna Little fan heater.

On the domestic market, there are models assembled using modern technologies in Russia, China and European countries. The prices of goods differ depending on the type, model, capacity and place of assembly.