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Electric radiators; Thermal emitters
Not every day you buy a thermal emitter. If you are new to the world of electric heatingIt can be difficult to know where to start and which one is the best. So we have prepared this guide to show you what to look for according to the needs of your home and to be able to choose coherently to have a warm home.
Now, the market offers a significant variety of types of thermal emitters (Technically,thermoelectric emitters) and are often labeled aslow consumption electric radiators or efficient heating from a business perspective for the energy saving, but, as we will see, not all heats the home in the same way.
Generally, the price of heating equipment it is inversely proportional to the cost of supply: the cheaper the equipment, the more expensive it will be to run it, in most cases. Sorry!… This is so.
What are thermal emitters?
Is a type of heating (heat emitter) that is fixed to the wall and that works connected to the electrical network. In general, the material with which it is manufactured is aluminum since it has a very high heat transfer factor.
But… How does a thermal emitter heat a room? The comfort of our home will depend on the way in which we distribute the heat acting mainly three forces:
- For driving. The resistance heats the material in which it is in contact (Mainly some type of metal)
- For convection. We directly heat the air in the room. First, resistance transmits heat to metal (Conduction), and second, metal transmits heat to air.
- For radiation. It is radiant heat, that is, from material to material, the heat is emitted by heating nearby bodies.
How does a radiator heat a room?
Nowadays, practically all have some system with automatic control of functions with a touch keyboard to be able to program; weekly programming with temperature sensors - thermostat (See importance of thermostats in heating), presence detector and open windows or more advanced home automation options where the system communicates with smartphones.
Now that we know how heat is transmitted in a room of the house, we can already see the different types of electric radiators that we find in the stores for the winter …
Types of thermal emitters
Currently, in the market we can find three types of thermal emitters: ceramics, dry and of fluid.
The difference lies in its speed in reaching the maximum temperature which depends on the concept of thermal inertia, that is, the time that they are able to maintain the accumulated heat and this, we can verify in the following graph:
1.- Ceramic thermal emitter
They are composed of a ceramic element to accumulate heat. The ceramic heat emitters They are the ones that reach the maximum temperature later, but, due to their high thermal inertia, they are the ones that maintain heat for the longest time.
They are recommended for any type of installation and for continuous use of more than 8 hours.
Due to their thermal inertia, we can use them according to the most convenient electricity rate (electricity is cheaper at night).
These low consumption radiators They work as a thermal emitter of fluid, by radiation, similar to water radiators, so the comfort that we can achieve in the home is similar.
2.- Fluid thermal emitter
The fluid radiators It has an internal liquid that circulates through the emitter and heats up in a uniform way (It is similar to theoil radiator). They transmit heat by radiation, like a water radiator.
The fruido heat emitters They are intermediate models between dry and ceramic emitters due to their thermal inertia, since they maintain heat for up to 4 hours.
They are equipment for an integral heating installation in a home or large rooms.
The fluid emitter It is ideal for continuous use at home, between 5 and 8 hours a day of operation.
3.- Dry thermal emitter
The dry heat emitters they have little thermal inertia, that is, the aluminum resistance heats up the radiator emitting elements very quickly (1 hour) but they also cool down very quickly.
I know recommended for rooms that need to heat up quickly and warm areas with little cold.
They are less effective in maintaining heat over time and also heat the air by convection. They are the cheapest models that we can find in stores.
Disadvantages and advantages electric radiators
The utility, disadvantages and advantages of thermal emitters for home it depends a lot on the needs of the user. In general, we are going to see the following scheme of these types of energy efficient heaters:
| Advantages |
| Ease of installation. No works are needed. |
| Easy handling and mobility. |
| Independent emitters to heat only the spaces you need. |
| They are efficient in transmitting heat. |
| Option to buy a model based on utility hours. |
| Possibility of time programming and other home automation options |
| Safe heating system. |
| Manufacturers offer long warranties. |
| Maximum respect for the environment. No fumes, no residues. |
| They are complemented by the decoration. Various designs and colors. |
| Disadvantages |
| They run on expensive energy, electricity. |
| Electricity consumption can be high if we have many modules installed. |
| They require high fixed powers if we use many modules. |
| Not suitable for very cold areas. |
| For large surfaces, several radiators and that can raise the cost. |
Since we have seen the classification of thermal equipment for heating, its benefits and disadvantages of the models that we can find in stores, now, we wonder if some are more efficient than others, that is, if they use less electricity and therefore we will save a few euros.
What type of heat emitter is more efficient?
This is the typical doubt that many times is answered by the commercials of the stores attending more to the possible sale than to the reality of the energy efficiency of this type of electric radiators. As starting point:
- First we must recognize that it is an economic alternative (from an installation perspective) if in our home we do not have a central heating based on pipes for a heating circuit. Installation is very easy!
- Second, for areas with intense cold, it is not the most suitable, and they are recommended for houses with moderate heating needs.
- And thirdly, they are ideal for those homes that need heating reinforcement if we have a centralized system in the building or as reinforcement for large houses.
But, let's better see the following scheme …
First, recharge, as we see in the graph, boilers and pellet stoves are the most efficient equipment, but undoubtedly we cannot always install it at home.
Two values stand out in the graph. First use; Brief, moderate, prolonged and afterwards, your level of efficiency - energy saving, but you have to be careful with thermal emitters.
Actually, thermal emitters consume the same amount of electricity, that is, although some take longer to heat up and others less (Remember the concept of thermal inertia) that extra heat that we have when we turn off the radiator, we have already paid for it in the form of a longer time to heat them initially.
Thermal emitters have the same ENERGY efficiency, where saved is in the choice of the electricity rate
«Here the real savings are given by the electricity we use, with a ceramic emitter (It takes about 4 hours to heat up and cool down) we can save more if we turn it on at a time when the electricity is cheaper and we turn it off, when the electricity is more expensive."
Obviously, the automatic control and programming functions that the transmitter may have are important to regulate them according to needs, not like the typical ones Electric stoves, halogens, heaters or wood burning fireplaces.
So watch out for the concept of low consumption thermal emitters or the blue heat radiators, all are the same covered with marketing labels to sell more.
Knowing the energy efficiency of thermoelectric emittersNow it's time to see which one we should choose for our home.
How to choose a heat emitter?
We have to clarify several aspects before starting to buy, steps to follow so as not to get lost:
1.- We must know the surface of the room in m2 where we are going to place the thermal emitter, this will determine what power we need. Generally:
- Calculate between 80 and 100 watts per square meter of the room to be heated. For example, for a room that is 12 square meters, you will need a 1200 watt emitter of power.
- More than 15 square meters you will need two or more emitters that add up to the total power that is needed, in order to better distribute the heat.
- In bedrooms, kitchens and corridors the theoretical power can be reduced by 20%. If the room is under cover, the power must be increased by 20%.
If we are more strict in calculate the necessary power of an electric radiator, we can see in which climatic zone we live (Kcal / h thermal needs come into play). For Spain, we could use the following scheme:
We must see if the insulation of the walls, windows and the roof is good (See insulating material properties), if the qualities are suitable for winter, we will need less heating power to heat the house and if there is little insulation, it will cost us more .
Orientation is also important… Does the Sun enter the house or not? In those spaces where the sun's rays fall, we will need less installed power.
2.- We have to see its use. If we are going to connect it for several hours or sporadic use. Remember that:
- Less than an hour a day, we will use a dry emitter.
- Between 5 and 8 hours a day, we will use a fluid emitter.
- More than 8 hours a day, we will preferably use a ceramic emitter.
3.- Remember to check the size. The number of aluminum elements that the one we are going to buy has (width and height measurements). You will need a gap of 10-12 cm for it to heat properly.
4.- Look at the programming possibilities. Control and measurement is important if we want savings in electricity consumption. This aspect also goes hand in hand with the lowest or highest price.
Remember, to save energy, it is to make efficient and coherent use of the emitter
5.- Aesthetics and design is important to have a more pleasant home environment that matches the decoration. We recommend reading the article on design radiators for decoration and see the possibilities we have in color, size or shape.
How do you install a thermal emitter?
If we are not DIY handymen and we are going to practice a complete installation for the whole house of thermal emitters, directly a professional. And if we like to play, then directly to the following video that is very well explained:
As a final point, although it is not the most efficient heating, it does have many advantages as we have seen; from their ease of installation (without works) and possible mobility to other rooms relatively easy, a good design, they also offer good guarantees or the possibility of being controlled and programmed, even with the mobile.
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