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Date:         Mon, 9 Dec 2013 10:00:56 -0800
Reply-To:     Dick Wong <sailingfc@DSLEXTREME.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Dick Wong <sailingfc@DSLEXTREME.COM>
Subject:      Re: [OT] Efficiency of electric heaters?
In-Reply-To:  <CA+r=Jhps-a9qTV=OxDUcOosBSezXnAevVM8K53xJOw_f-wY+1g@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Yes, 1500W in an electric heater is 1500W. The units is sitting inside the room, so all the heat that is generated, whether it is blown out with the fan, radiated into the room, heated by an inefficient fan motor or is coming off of the overheated power cord ;-), still contributes to the room. If your room is drafty, poorly insulated or has a very high ceiling, the air that is heated is short lived or floats away. The fan units primarily heat the air. The radiant units primarily heat the objects (people). The radiator (oil) style devices do a combination of both (and can be slow to get going).

You may feel warmer (or at least the one or two body parts) when you are in front of the radiant heater, but as soon as you move away, it's gone. Since the fan units heat the air, the whole room feels warmer, but it takes longer to heat all of that air. A radiant heater gives you localized heating, i.e., hot spots.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :-)

Stay warm in Oregon. It's cold here in the mid-section of California too.

-Dick- 87 Vanagon Syncro (Blaze)

On Mon, Dec 9, 2013 at 9:34 AM, Larry Alofs <lalofs@gmail.com> wrote:

> The electrical energy 'consumed" by the fan also ends up as heat. > > > > On Mon, Dec 9, 2013 at 12:31 PM, Jeff Palmer <jpalmer@mymts.net> wrote: > > > I would say this is on topic. Lots of us use electric heaters to > > supplement. Much cheaper than Propex :) > > My two cents from a guy living in -30 weather: > > Electricity is 100% efficient (or close) regardless of the fixture, but > it > > may or may not be price competitive with less efficient heaters that use > > different fuel. I think? > > I prefer radiant heat - much more comfortable and stable. And quiet. I > > would think the nasty fan on some electric heaters must consume extra > power > > too. Love my oil filled unit. > > Jeff > > > Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2013 07:59:19 -0800 > > > From: camping.elliott@GMAIL.COM > > > Subject: [OT] Efficiency of electric heaters? > > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > > > > > Hi all, > > > > > > (This is not Vanagon-related but I don't know another pool of engineers > > > and scientists to write to, so I'm writing here for help.) > > > > > > It's pretty cold here in Bend, Oregon, and the house that her son is > > > renting is colder than he'd like. It's an older house, built cheaply, > > > and only has electric baseboard heaters -- no gas, no fireplace. > > > > > > Mrs Elliott has been looking at electric heaters and asks whether some > > > put out more heat than others. "1500 Watts is 1500 Watts, same BTUs" I > > sez. > > > > > > I sez, "It doesn't matter whether the heating elements are fifteen > > > one-hundred Watt light bulbs, or whether the heating elements are put > in > > > an oil bath; it doesn't matter whether they write the words `infrared' > > > or `quartz' on the enclosure: you'll put the same heat into the room. > > > All heaters are alike in terms of heat output. > > > > > > "Sure, an infrared heater can be `aimed' directly at your body, which > is > > > real nice; and others have blowers that can direct the heated air and > > > stir the air to keep the colder air from pooling on the floor, but in > > > terms of how warm the overall air in the room eventually gets, all 1500 > > > Watt heaters are the same." > > > > > > That's what I sez. But she knows I'm a bit of an idiot sometimes and is > > > tempted by expensive 1500 Watt heaters, thinking there must be a reason > > > why they promote this quartz or that oil-filled feature. She points out > > > that when you turn off an oil-filled heater, it still radiates heat for > > > quite some time afterwards; I point out that the slow cooling is > matched > > > by slower warming. > > > > > > Can the engineers and scientists in the room comment on this matter? So > > > that This Marriage Can Be Saved? If I'm wrong, I'm wrong. > > > > > > (Probably don't want to clutter up the list with this, please email to > > > me directly.) > > > > > > -- > > > Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott > > > 1984 Westfalia, auto trans, > > > Bend, Ore. > > > > >


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