Fanless convection heater versus oil filled heater

  • Context: High School 
  • Thread starter Thread starter Twinbee
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SUMMARY

The discussion compares fanless convection heaters and oil-filled heaters, highlighting that both types are nearly silent and 100% efficient in converting electric power to thermal energy. A 1500-watt electric heater generates approximately 5120 BTUs per hour, and concerns about convection heaters making rooms stuffy or depleting oxygen are addressed, confirming that electric heaters do not consume oxygen or produce combustion byproducts. The effectiveness of heat distribution is noted, with fan-assisted heaters providing quicker warmth across larger spaces compared to oil-filled heaters, which have a larger surface area for heat projection.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of electric heating principles
  • Familiarity with BTU (British Thermal Unit) measurements
  • Knowledge of heater types: convection and oil-filled
  • Basic concepts of heat distribution and efficiency ratings
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the efficiency ratings of air conditioning systems, specifically EER and SEER
  • Explore the mechanics of heat transfer in convection versus conduction heating
  • Investigate the impact of heater placement on room temperature distribution
  • Learn about infrared heating technology and its applications
USEFUL FOR

This discussion is beneficial for homeowners, HVAC professionals, and anyone interested in optimizing heating solutions for comfort and efficiency.

Twinbee
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Both are near silent and 100% (in)efficient, but does the convection heater (with the electric coil where heat rises naturally) make the room more stuffy as I've sometimes heard, or perhaps even deplete oxygen?
 
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All electric heaters are virtually 100% efficient at converting electric to thermal (heat) power...no electric heater consumes oxygen and as there is no combustion, there are no combustion byproducts...a 1500 watt electric heater (meaning it uses 1500 watts of electric power) in an hour produces about 5120 BTU's..."low cost" electric heaters usually means they have a low power setting which reduces the hourly cost of operation but also the heat output. A fan does move the warm air around the room more so if you sit across the room you might be warmer as a result...or warm more quickly...Ditto for infrared heaters as well.

In cooling, that is, air conditioning, there are differences in efficiencies of conversion quoted as EER or SEER ratings.
 
Would you put the reports of the convectors making the room more "stuffy" down to people's imagination? I don't know, I guess there's a chance of that. I was just thinking the extreme heat of the coil might do something to the air, unlike the oil based heater which obviously has a bigger surface area to project the heat.
 

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