Panel heaters vs. oil-filled electric radiators

[Yourmotionsays]

Not sure whether this is quite the right place for this query but I just wanted to gauge opinion on which of these are best from a safety perspective, or if they're about the same. At the moment we have Stiebel Eltron CNS 200 panel heaters in the living room and bedroom of our flat. I am always a bit wary of leaving them on unattended or for extended periods, and about having anything too close to them when they're on because I worry that they're a fire risk. Am I being paranoid? I was considering replacing them with thermostatic wall-mounted oil-filled electric radiators that cut off when a certain temperature is reached and kick back in when it goes below. As far as I know they use about the same amount of energy, taking longer to warm up but longer to cool down, but one or two things I've read online suggest they're safe(r) to leave on for longer periods. Is this the case? I would like the option of being able to do this if we have another winter like the one we've had this year - the flat is nice and toasty when the heaters we have now are on, but very chilly when it's sub-zero outside.

 

[OwainDIYer]

I don't see there being any particular safety advantage of one type of heater over another.

Stiebel Eltron are a reputable brand and so should be safer than some random unbranded stuff.

Obviously maintain safe clearances. If you are concerned about bedding etc falling on the heater then you can get guards and a sloping top one will help deflect anything falling on top.

 

[ericmark]

I know during the building of Sizewell 'B' there was a fire in a portacabin office which was blamed on the convector heater when some paper fell on it, and there was a move to oil filled radiators, but oil filled radiators also had problems with the thermostat which bolts on the end having a poor connection to rest if radiator which resulted in loss of earthing, so it is hard to say which is safest in general terms.

In the main we look at speed of heating room compared with hysteresis, any heater which stores heat, will in general take longer to heat room, and have a more constant heat output, so heaters are selected to suit the room, so in the kitchen used say 3 times a day with very little room to fit heaters in the plinth fan heater likely the best, but would not want same heater in a living room.

But again location, if the heater as in my living room is next to a table, then easy for some thing to fall on the heater and also the table will reduce the thermals to get heat into the room, so a fan assisted radiator will push the heat past furniture and into the room, but you have the noise of the fan. I lived with a Myson fan assisted radiator for years in the last house, fan set to half speed, and most of the time did not notice the sound from it, but 1 am watching TV at reduced volume so as not to upset next door, and when the fan kicked in it really did sound loud.

In the main the convector heater uses the chimney effect to ensure circulation. So anything which falls on the heater stops the circulation and 2 kW is a fair output, look at a standard central heating radiator of around same physical size and the output is likely less than 1 kW, and this is the real point, unless fan assisted you want a large area for 2 kW, so the heater is not a high temperature.