heating in conservatory

[PE]

Hi
Searched on here for various issues with heating a conservatory and understand the heat loss issues that seem to plague any solutions.

Has anyone used the 400W slimline heaters from TLC www.tlc-direct.co.uk/Main_Index/Heating_Index/Slim_Heat/index.html as providing some background heat for such a room?

Seem cheap to buy and relatively cheap to run at only 400W?

Any input?

Thanks

 

[ban-all-sheds]

I've got one in the loo - works fine in a room that size - not sure how much use 400W would be in a conservatory.

As a rough guide, a "standard" 60cm high single-panel CH radiator puts out about 1kW per m of length....

 

[PE]

Thanks BAS might have been one of your old posts that directed me to the TLC site (cheers!)

Plan is maybe to have two of these 400w heaters at each side of the opening to the conservatory rather than one radiator on one side to "spread the heat" and use the Economy 7 cheap electric to leave these on overnight and then maybe a few hours late efternoon and early evening. Again like my other post I don't think these wold ever heat the room to such a level where a thermostat would ever be of use?

Stand to be corrected however......

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Try the plumbing and CH forum - I'm sure someone will have a link to a free calculator on the web - my fear is that 800W in an open-plan conservatory will be as much use as a kleenex condom...

 

[Steve]

we have a "semi-open plan" conservatory (it has big double doors to close it off). We have a heat pump air conditioner system. It heats the room lovely and toasty warm in winter, and is very efficient. Our model uses 1KW of electric for every 2KW of heat it produces - it is 200% efficient in heating mode. Something to consider. I would advise at least 2-3KW of heat in a small conservatory.

I would use a big oil radiator - very unobtrusive, quiet, and it doesn't smell when you turn it on This will just heat in the background. And if you want the room liveable, surely heating to the level when a thermostat is needed is a good idea?

Those panel heaters dont give off a lot of heat. Not useful heat anyway.

Do you actually have economy7 tarrifs? Many people believe their electric is cheaper at night, but it isn't because they aren't on eco7 or dual tarrif meter. Besides, why heat the room at night when nobody is using it?

 

[Lectrician]

I would get a company such as dimples to spec for you, or get a plumber to do a kw calc for you.

Those ceramic 400watt heaters are ****e - we had a couple delivered damaged time after time.

They do get warm.....eventually.

At the end of the day, they look quite tacky, and certainly not built to last. When it fails (which it will), you bung it.....so spares available!

The best type of heating for a conservatory I have found......(and we wire about 4 a month for a window company).......is fan heaters. Mainly in commercial apps admittadly.

At the end of the day, the heat loss from a conservatory is really high - you may aswell heat your garden.

 

[Steve]

you may aswell heat your garden.

some people do

 

[Lectrician]

you may aswell heat your garden.

some people do

Me included

I bought a full stainless steel patio heater from Ebay before everyone was it - cost me £20 The stainless steel ones where going for £400 at the time!

Still going strong, and probably used around twenty 15Kg cyliners

And still it is warmer to hang by the BBQ

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Still going strong, and probably used around twenty 15Kg cyliners

That's getting on for 800kg of CO2.....

 

[ban-all-sheds]

Those ceramic 400watt heaters are s***te - we had a couple delivered damaged time after time.

I had 2 delivered - both undamaged, both working OK.

They do get warm.....eventually.

Have a 400W in the loo, and a 200W in a cupboard in the bathroom - both on stats, work fine, and certainly have the capacity to get both volumes warmer than you want.

At the end of the day, they look quite tacky

Plain white rectangular slabs, 10mm thick - what's not to like?

and certainly not built to last. When it fails (which it will), you bung it.....so spares available!

Fingers crossed, then....

The best type of heating for a conservatory I have found......(and we wire about 4 a month for a window company).......is fan heaters. Mainly in commercial apps admittadly.

Crafty's heat-pump also sounds like a good idea... (even though a COP of 2 is pretty poor....)

At the end of the day, the heat loss from a conservatory is really high - you may aswell heat your garden.

Get some blinds - close them at night.

 

[Steve]

Crafty's heat-pump also sounds like a good idea... (even though a COP of 2 is pretty poor....)

COP? 2? pretty poor? its not the best air con system ever, ill agree, but it'll do.

 

[ban-all-sheds]

You should be looking at a COP of 3-4 for an air source heat pump, and as much as 5 for a ground source.

 

[discoverer]

Just finished my own conservatory (Wickes hardwood - bit of a nightmare but cheap). Decided to extend the central heating with a double panel convector radiator in the conservatory. Thought about the 400w. panel heaters as additional heating but went off the idea as not being worth the trouble of fitting to the largeish area (42 cu.m.) Radiator is mostly turned off except for the week-end when we use the area plus a ceramic 2kw fan heater to boost the temperature if necessary until the rad can hold it's own even with the curant cold weather - great for reading the Sunday papers