Electric Heaters - Panel, convector or oil filled?

[Jaymz]

Due to my apartment being freezing cold last winter I am planning to replace my electric heaters some time over the summer.

At the moment I have 2 storage heaters and 2 convector heaters. My plan is to keep the storage heaters but replace both convector heaters as they are getting old and the timers etc no longer work. The question is what to replace them with?

I have looked at a range of panel, convector and oil filled heaters. Can anyone recommend which type of electric heater is best to go for based on economy, efficiency, and price?

If anyone could recommend a specific model that would be great. My budget is about £150 for the two and they must be wall mountable....

Many Thanks.

 

[Steve]

oil filled radiators. every time. They are silent, and give off plenty of heat. Quite efficient. I have a 1kw oil heater in my bedroom, and it can heat the room (12m² with bay window) no problem. Keep kids away though - they do get very hot on the high setting. Try to avoid ones with built in thermostat - they tend to only "see" the temperature of the radiator, not the room, so rather self-defeating. A plug in thermostat is available somewhere. Or just have a timer and work out the best amount of time to have the rad on to warm the room sufficiently.

 

[Jaymz]

Thanks for the help crafty, I've heard that the oil filled electric heaters are expensive to run... Would you agree with this?

If possible could you provide me with the make and model of the heater you have?

 

[Steve]

mine is non-branded, from the look again catalogue.

All electric heating is expensive to run. It is the least efficient way of producing heat (considering losses at power station, power lines, transformers).

But oil filled are the least intrusive form of electric heating. When you switch on a panel heater, you can smell the dust burning off the element. Same goes for convectors. The electric element is enclosed on an oil filled rad, so you cant smell anything. There is no fan, it is silent.

I remember working at a shop which had electric fan heaters in the ceiling, about 6 of them IIRC, and they turned them on in september for the first time in 5 months, and the smell was unbelievable. I had to go outside

Most oil rads I have seen are freestanding, i dont think i have seen any wall-mounted ones (they are heavy), so you might want to consider this if your current heaters are wall mounted.

 

[macmini]

There's lots of wall mounted oil filled radiators knocking about, they look just like a normal radiator, we've got a couple of them, One Glen, One Dimplex, same company, i know....

Think Argos might sell them.

 

[Steve]

There's lots of wall mounted oil filled radiators knocking about, they look just like a normal radiator, we've got a couple of them, One Glen, One Dimplex, same company, i know....

Think Argos might sell them.

oh of course - those flat ones, slipped my mind