Content
The main requirements for a country heater are efficiency, mobility and speed. The unit should consume a minimum of energy, be easily transported to any room and quickly heat the room. An important condition is the safe operation of electrical products to avoid fire. Our review today is dedicated to energy-saving heaters for summer cottages, as well as the criteria for their selection.
What to look for when choosing a country heater
Choosing a country heater is necessary not only at low cost. Often such cheap models are dangerous to use and consume a lot of energy. It is important to adhere to several important rules when choosing a unit:
- installation of a heater in a dacha should be easy and quick;
- It’s good if the unit is mobile so that it can be easily moved from room to room;
- maximum level of fire safety;
- a heater for a summer house should be economical but effective;
- The versatility of the unit is welcome, allowing you to adjust heating modes;
- the lowest cost of the product without sacrificing quality.
Guided by these basic requirements, we will try to determine which model is best to choose for the dacha.
The video talks about the rules for choosing a heater for a summer house:
Review of electric heaters
If you can use any heating device, even one powered by gasoline or diesel fuel, to heat a garage or outbuilding, then a unit that operates only on electricity is appropriate in the house. Let's look at which electric heaters can heat a country house and a separate room.
Convectors
Electric convectors can be called the most common heaters. They are used not only in the country house, but also in any other premises. Models can be mobile on wheels or wall-mounted. Mobile type convectors are very convenient to use due to their mobility. If the dacha is uninhabited and you only need to temporarily heat one of the rooms, you can buy only one convector. If necessary, it can be easily rolled into any room and simply plugged into a power outlet.
Convectors are designed quite simply. Inside the metal case there is a spiral and protection against overheating. Such models are considered the cheapest. They constantly keep the case temperature within 80OC. More expensive convectors are equipped with a control unit and thermostat. This allows you to regulate the heating temperature and control the operation of the heater.Despite the initial costs when purchasing a product for a summer residence, such convectors are economical to operate.
Depending on the model, the cost of a convector ranges from 3 to 7 thousand rubles. If you need to heat all the rooms, then it is better to give preference to wall-mounted convectors. The total cost of heating installation can be easily calculated based on the number of rooms.
For example, in a bathroom, splashes of water may get inside an electrical appliance, which can lead to a short circuit. It is better to use electric heated towel rails here.
Infrared panels
The second place in popularity for country heating can be given to IR panels. There can be no talk of mobility here, since the heaters are mounted permanently on the walls or ceilings of each room. The IR panels are fixed to the ceiling with special brackets included in the kit. For wall installation you will have to buy special fasteners separately. The operation of the panels is controlled through a temperature sensor.
In terms of energy consumption, infrared panels are considered economical. However, there are certain disadvantages. The most important of them is the negative impact of IR rays on humans. Installation of panels is safe only on high ceilings. Almost like all heaters, infrared panels dry the air.As for the cost, 1 high-quality product will cost approximately 3.5 thousand rubles.
The video shows the installation of an IR heater:
Oil radiators
Third place can be given to oil radiators. In terms of energy consumption, they are considered the most unprofitable for a summer residence. Inside the metal case there is a powerful heating element filled with oil. In order for the heater to start generating heat, the heating element must warm up all the oil, which, in turn, will give off heat to the metal body. However, in terms of mobility, this heating option wins. Radiators are equipped with wheels. They are easy to roll from room to room and simply plug into an outlet.
There is no need to worry about security. The heater has overheating protection. Some models turn off when tipped over. The operation of the radiator is controlled only manually, which is not always convenient. Typically, the oil heater control unit can only set the required temperature. On more powerful models there are buttons for turning on 1 or 2 heating elements. An oil heater also benefits in cost. The price of 1 product varies from 2 to 3 thousand rubles.
Fan heaters
Among electric heaters, the fan heater can be given first place in terms of mobility and speed of heating the room. Arriving at a cold dacha, you just need to bring the heater into the room, connect it to an outlet and in a few minutes the air will warm up to 21OC. Moreover, the compactness and light weight of the fan heater allow it to be carried in the trunk of a car.
This is where all the advantages of such a heater end. In terms of energy savings, they are unprofitable. The fire safety class does not allow them to be left to work unattended.A working spiral burns oxygen, causing dry air to enter the room. The operation of the fan heater is controlled only manually. The user can only change the temperature and fan speed to supply a certain volume of air.
At a price, the consumer is provided with a huge selection of models. You can buy a product costing from 600 to 8 thousand rubles. Most often, the price is determined by the power of the fan heater.
Electric fireplace
This modern heater will become a decoration dacha interior. Purchasing an electric fireplace has several advantages;
- If you want to have a real fireplace, its construction will be very expensive. Using an electric equivalent is much cheaper.
- To build a real fireplace, you will have to hire expensive specialists. The electric model can be placed independently on any wall in the room and connected to an outlet.
- To build a real fireplace, you will need to draw up the appropriate documents, which is not required for an electric fireplace.
From a reasonable point of view, an electric fireplace for a summer house serves more as a decoration, and it can only heat one room. Although the heater can be rearranged, it is unlikely that anyone will do this. The cost of electric fireplaces is quite high, which not everyone can afford.
Painting heater
Recently, so-called heating paintings have become fashionable. These kind of wall heaters look like a plastic sheet with a simple image. The thickness of the film itself is approximately 1 mm. The sizes of the painting can be very different depending on their power.There is a special heating element inside the film. The whole system is so flexible that some paintings can be rolled up.
The power of picture heaters varies from 200 to 500 W. Manufacturers claim that compared to oil or IR heaters, the heaters are 1.5–2 kW more economical for the same heating area.
A more precise design of the picture-heater looks like this:
- The front side is represented by the first film layer. There is a drawing on it. Apart from decorative functions, the first layer does not serve anything else.
- Next comes the carbon heater, hidden behind two protective layers. Two layers of film protect the carbon fiber from destruction.
The picture works from a 220 volt network by simply plugging it into an outlet. After electricity is supplied, the carbon heater begins to emit infrared rays, which are a source of heat.
However, paintings will not work as the main heating for a dacha. It is appropriate to hang such a heater in the bedroom for auxiliary heating of the room. There are no temperature controls or automation provided here. We plugged it into the socket - the picture warmed up, took the plug out of the socket - the heating stopped.
This video shows how the wall heater works:
So what is better to choose for your dacha?
It's time to sum up our review of garden heaters. The optimal choice, with all the advantages and disadvantages, would be IR heaters. Permanently fixed panels along the ceiling in all rooms will quickly dry the room from dampness and warm up the air for a comfortable country holiday. In terms of energy consumption, this is the most economical heater for a summer house and a very profitable option.
First place in terms of safety and functionality can be given to electric convectors. They dry out the air the least, which is very important for human health. In terms of energy consumption, convectors are inferior to IR heaters, but for the sake of the comfort of a country holiday, you can turn a blind eye to such a drawback.
As for the rest of the heaters we examined, their purpose can be called specific, and they are not suitable as an option for full-fledged country heating.
