Do you wonder the type of heating solution to use in your home? The answer to the heating solution that you use has serious implications for the energy usage and efficiency of the home. For a long time, many believed that gas heaters were the best solution to heating in the home. However, electric heaters have made a resurgence in recent times and more people consider these types of heaters. In this gas vs electric heater review, we will consider the benefits of each type of heating system. We will consider the disadvantages as well as a comparison of the two.
After we consider all of these, you will be in a prime position to choose the best type for your home.
As the name implies, this type of heater draws its power from natural gas. It burns the gas and then transfers the heat to the space.
There are two main types of gas heaters Trusted Source Gas heater - Wikipedia Indoor household gas heaters can be broadly categorized in one of two ways: flued or non-flued, or vented and unvented. en.wikipedia.org . These are the flued heaters and the non-flued heaters.
These are heaters that are permanently installed in the home. When using this type of heater, it is important that you have a vent that will remove all the emissions that come from the burning gas.
This second type of heater is similar to the other, except that it doesn’t come with vents. If the space you are using is properly ventilated, then you can opt for this type of heater. The downside is that the ventilation might reduce the effectiveness of the heater. The Mr. Heater MHVFB30NGT is one of the best non-flued gas heaters reviewers have used.
In this section, we will consider the benefits and drawbacks of using a gas heater.
Pros:
The fact is that the first cost of getting a one is greater than getting an electric model. However, it is more economical to get a gas heater as the fuel it uses; natural gas is a cheaper alternative to the costs of electricity. Therefore, it is cheaper to run.
If you maintain the gas heater properly, it can last for a long time. Some models have been noted to last for more than 20 years.
Cons:
One of the big issues with using a gas heater is that the installation is no walk in the park. As the equipment needs to be hooked up to so much stuff, it can be quite hard to set up. No wonder, then, that most people prefer to hire the services of a professional to help them with setting it up. There are also other things that your home must have if you are to use a gas heater. For instance, it must be able to house a chimney. You also have to connect it to a gas main.
Perhaps the biggest issue that people have with gas heaters is that it is not as safe as other types of heaters. With this heater, you have to burn fuel, and when you burn the natural gas, produces carbon monoxide, which is a poisonous gas that can kill in high concentrations. Because of this, some owners have decided to install a fume detector near the heater to alert them to any form of danger.
Apart from carbon monoxide poisoning, these heaters are also susceptible to gas leaks and fire accidents.
When thinking about getting a gas heater, it is essential to keep in mind the cost and frequency of maintenance. Out of all the types of heaters on the market, the gas heater requires a more intense level of maintenance. When companies in the HVAC sector ask their customers to maintain their heaters, it is often in reference to the gas heater.
The electric heater is one that comes with a design and mechanism that runs on electricity. There are several things to keep in mind when you are buying this type of heater. Each of the types of electric heater comes with a specific purpose. In this section, we will look at the different types of electric space heaters that you can find and the purpose they are made for.
There are different types of heaters and here we consider each of the most important ones.
1. Radiative Heater
This type of electric heater is one of the best types if you are looking to heat your home. It is perfect for the indoors, but also versatile enough to be used outdoors. Several heaters fall into this category of heater. Some of the popular types of radiative heaters include fireplace heaters, infrared heaters, and patio heaters.
Why are these heaters so popular among users? Well, one reason why people love these heaters is that the way they work will eliminate the need for insulating the home. One issue that other heaters face is ineffectiveness in poorly insulated spaces. Well, that is not the case here. These heaters are really effective in all types of areas.
Unlike other types of heaters that heat up the ambient air, the radiative heater works in a similar way to the sun. Instead of heating the air, it targets specific objects and bodies and heats these up.
As the name implies, they radiate heat and send their radiation to the bodies. With this type of heater, you don’t need to close the vents before you can feel the heat. Additionally, this type of heater does the work of heating up a space very quickly. You can use them inside and outdoors.
Another advantage of these heaters is their portability. The heater is designed in a way that makes it easy for you to move around without plenty of stress.
However, some can be fixed in place. One of the best that reviewers have commented about is the 9093WH heater from Braon-NuTone.
2. Convective Heaters
While radiative heaters are excellent in different types of places, convective heaters also come with advantages. If your home is properly insulated, then you will find this type of heater to be a wonderful option.
The heater doesn’t use radiation to work, instead, it uses a fan to spread the warm air around the room or more often in the bathroom.
There are several advantages to this type of electric heater. However, the biggest reason why people prefer it is that the heater gives a constant, even heating in the space. Additionally, you can still feel the warmth from these heaters after they have been switched off.
On the downside, the heater is not really fast. Therefore, it might take some time before you start to feel the warmth from the heater.
3. Filler Electric Heater
The next type of heater that we will consider is the filler heater. This type of heater is especially suited to small places. However, you need the space well insulated if you are to get the best from the heater.
It is called a filler heater because of the filler that is included in the model. For most heaters of this kind, oil is used as the filler material. Instead of the heating element, the oil is heated up and the warmth is spread across the room.
As with the convective heaters, the downside of this type of heater is that it takes long before it heats up the space. This is due to the filler material.
However, once the filler is heated, it gives off a lot of heat. Additionally, it continues to give off this heat even after you have turned off the equipment.
As we have seen above, there are several types of electric heaters on the market. As a whole, electric heaters come with some amazing benefits, and that is what we will consider now.
1. Installation
One of the best things about the electric heater, especially when compared to the other types of heaters is the ease of installation. Where the others might require that you hire a professional to take care of installation, the best electric heaters are simply plug and use.
You likely do not require any skills before you can set them up.
2. Lifespan
Another reason why people love using these heaters is that they offer durability and a longer lifespan than other types of heating equipment. You can have these heaters for as long as three decades.
3. Maintenance
To ensure that your heater works for a long time and at the best of its ability, it is paramount that it comes with easy maintenance, and this might be the reason why so many people love to have them in the garage. Well, that is what you get from these products. The maintenance is a straightforward process that does not need any special knowledge. Most of the time, all that you have to do is clean the equipment. The only time that you might have to call the services of a professional is when the heater breaks down.
4. Safety
When using an appliance that generates heat, safety is something that you have to keep in mind. Well, it is a good thing that these heaters are not equipment that burns fuel. Therefore, there is no chance of fume emission which could be harmful to you and the environment.
The only danger that this poses is electrical faults causing a fire. That is why it is important that you maintain the appliance and use it exactly as recommended by the manufacturer.
Whether you are choosing a gas heater or an electric heater, there are certain factors that you have to keep in mind. In this section, we will consider what some of these vital factors are.
Before you decide on the heater to buy, you have to determine your heating requirements, in other words, the amount of heat that the room will need. As we have indicated above, insulation plays a big role in the heating requirements. If the room is not well insulated, the heater, regardless of the power, might not be able to cater to your needs.
But if insulation is correctly done in the room, you will find that even a small heater can go a long way in keeping you warm.
A small heater serves for a small room. and a larger heater will suit a large room. Using a small heater for a large room will not give you what you want. And if the heater is too big for the room, it can get stuffy and be rather uncomfortable.
When choosing a heater, it is also vital that you choose one that offers good safety features. Many of the best electric heaters come with safety features like auto-shutdown and tip-over protection. These features will ensure that even though the heater is unsupervised, there is very little chance of any accidents happening.
Some might erroneously consider this to be a luxury feature; however, it is anything but. With a thermostat, you don’t have to worry about monitoring the temperature of the heater. The thermostat will tell you all you need to know. This feature is also excellent as it works to monitor the temperature of the space and will switch off the heater when the room is pretty hot or when a set temperature has been met.
If you have a large home, you probably would rather have a gas heater working for you. It produces a lot of heat and will be a great fit for a cold region. Since they are more economical, they are excellent at offsetting the high heating requirements that you might have. It might be costly when you first buy it, but the efficiency will make up for the costs.
However, if you have a smaller home, an electric heater would come in very useful. Since you might not have high heating requirements, you won’t have to pay a lot to run the heater. It is cheaper to buy and install. It also offers you lower maintenance hassle.
Consider your needs carefully and use this gas vs electric heater article to make the right choice for your space.
