Electric Space Heaters: What Are the Different Types?

Electric space heaters are popular when it comes to heating options for your home because they are cost-effective and easily maintained. Most space heaters use electricity to provide warmth because it is available everywhere. Electric space heaters also do not emit any pollutants, are often required to pass rigid safety tests and do not require you to store any fuel.

A specific type of electric space heater is a convection space heater, like the Dayton NW9 Electric Ceramic Convection Space Heater. Convection heaters are especially useful for providing background warmth in a closed space because they are relatively silent and have a low risk of fire hazard. How they work is that they warm the air near the element or body of the heater by using air convection currents to generate heat. The currents then circulate through the appliance and across the heating element. Cool air is denser than hot air, which means hot air rises and allows cool air to take its place.

There are different types of convection heaters. Oil filled radiator heaters, like the NewAir AH-450 Electric Oil Filled Radiator Space Heater, are perfect for personal spaces like underneath desks and in offices because they have low surface temperatures which makes them safe. Their operation is silent as well because they don't use fans to spread warmth. The heating element heats the oil in the body of the heater and then the heat is transferred to the living space by natural convection via the air. The oil never needs to be replaced and is never burned. The residual heat in the oil and the body continues to heat the air even after the heating element has been deactivated. This characteristic helps oil filled radiators maintain a more consistent temperature over time.

Convection heaters can be fan forced as well, like the Dayton U37 Electric Convection Heater. A fan is used to pass air over a heating element in order to speed up the airflow. The air is heated by the heating element then leaves the heater to warm the surrounding air. The heat will spread rapidly but the fan will make noise. They work well in areas where installing other types of heating devices would be impractical and where sound is not a concern. Fan-forced convection heaters should not be left unattended.

An infrared or radiant heater is another type of electric space heater. Thermal energy is transferred via electromagnetic waves with these heaters. Heat is emitted or radiated from the heated object or substance and only objects are warmed as opposed to entire areas. Infrared heaters, like the NewAir AH-350E Electric Reflective Space Heater, heat you and not the entire room so they save you money. The heat penetrates your skin, warms you from beneath your skin and radiates outward. A portion of the heat reflects off of your skin so even people next to you will be heated. Infrared space heaters use less energy than other space heaters and operate silently so your home environment will not be disturbed. Also, there is no stuffy feeling created because heat is distributed evenly and no air is being pushed around.