Outbuilding heating

[pred]

Hi folks, I'm asking for my daughter who has a small child minding business in Scotland, I don't know if that would affect the type of heating required.
They have converted a garage into a playroom or something, she was looking at a designer type electric radiator, I've got a feeling would be more for show than performance, could anyone advise or recommend which type of heater please, many thanks in advance and stay safe..

 

[just pumps]

I once had radiators in a flat that looked like normal water filled rads but it was a gylco water mix and all you did was hang them to a wall and plug them in. They had heat level controls including timers and were not expensive to use.

 

[JohnD]

All electric heaters are equally efficient in heat production.

You put in 1kWh of electricity, costing around 15p, and get out 1kWh of heat.

The brand, appearance and price of the heater itself has no effect whatsoever.

Some people marketing expensive heaters would like you to believe otherwise.

Electricity is an expensive fuel due to the complexity and cost of delivering it to you. The current price is about five times the cost of energy from gas. Much of our electricity is generated by burning gas.

if you have to use electric heaters, I favour oil-filled radiators because they give a more even temperature, and get no hotter than a teapot, so seldom start fires or cause burns. Several spread around the walls (fixed so they can't be knocked over) will heat it more evenly than one very powerful heater.

If the room is used mostly during the day, and not into the eveing or night, storage heaters of the economy 7 type will cost more to buy, but less to run. Sometimes you can pick them up for nothing from people converting to gas heating. They are easy to carry once you take the removable bricks out.

Insulating the building will cut heating costs.

People who live in sunny areas benefit from solar gain using large windows facing the sun. This may not apply much in Scotland.

 

[just pumps]

Sorry John but have to disagree on a couple of points, a 2kw oil filled radiator cost an arm and leg to run as I found out on my boat and when on maximum you can`t keep a hand pressed on it for very long.

Going back to flat, my neighbour spent out to have gas and a boiler installed and my bills were not that much more with my gylco/water mix rads. As it`s for a smallish room and offers full controls I stand by my first post.

 

[JohnD]

Any 2kW electric heater, left on for the same amount of time, costs the same. That's a fact.
Less heat uses less electricity and costs less money.

Energy from electricity currently costs five times as much as energy from gas. That's a fact.

I agree that if you put your hand on a hot teapot, your nerevous system will instruct you to move your hand away before you suffer a burn.

 

[just pumps]

Any 2kW electric heater, left on for the same amount of time, costs the same. That's a fact.
Less heat uses less electricity and costs less money.

Energy from electricity currently costs five times as much as energy from gas. That's a fact.

I agree that if you put your hand on a hot teapot, your nerevous system will instruct you to move your hand away before you suffer a burn.

I wasn`t paying five times more than the neighbour and when we compared the times when we used the heating and everything it was pretty much the same so I can only guess that my rads were pretty good quality.

 

[JohnD]

I wasn`t paying five times more than the neighbour

Then you weren't using the same amount of energy.

It has not always been five times. It used to be four times.

The price ("quality") of an electric heater has no effect on its efficiency. They all turn 1kwh of electrical energy into 1kWh of heat energy.

Sorry.

 

[just pumps]

I don`t disgaree that electric costs more than gas however I stand by what I said about us both living pretty much the same lifestyles regarding cooking and have the heating on. For a flat with 4 off these radiators I wasn`t paying 4 or 5 times more plus it would of taken a long time before the cost of the gas & boiler installation was payed off. When I sold the flat I had the electric bills for 2yrs and nobody viewing batted an eye at the costs.
That is all I have to say on the matter so guess we have to agree to disagree

 

[Gasguru]

There's a whole bunch of reasons why you might think your electric system was favorable compared with your neighbours...and it's got nothing to do with your radiator quality.

 

[just pumps]

There's a whole bunch of reasons why you might think your electric system was favorable compared with your neighbours...and it's got nothing to do with your radiator quality.

Wasn`t what I said at all. Please read all posts before jumping in, thank you.

 

[Gasguru]

....so I can only guess that my rads were pretty good quality.

Sure you didn't say that

 

[just pumps]

Sure you didn't say that

So you are going to pick bits are yer, Talk to the hand bud!