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great article (Reply to this comment)
by Gondo
I am a licensed electrician and I must agree that I prefer fan forced wall heaters. Much more so than basboard or european wall mount convectors. First of all baseboards are very large and take up a lot of wall space which I hate. They practically take up a whole wall of wasted space. Secondly baseboards are mounted so low to the floor they tend to trap dust and dirt in that 1 inch crack under the heater that can never get swept or vacumed. Finally a baseboard heater contains many fins that over time are bound to get bent out of shape which makes them unattractive and less efficient.
European convectors solve the problem of baseboards by turning the baseboard heater into a square instead of a single long unit. It has multiple rows of fins to turn it into a more compact unit that is surface mounted on a wall and operates exactly like a baseboard. These styles are way nicer than a baseboar although they are very expensive. Usually around twice the cost of a fan forced heater.
Fan forced heaters are my favorite. They are very tiny since they use a fan to distribute heat, not natural convection. They are about 1/4 the size of a european convector. They also have the option of being recessed and flush mount unlike the european convector that must be surface mounted. They are much easier to install by just installing the metal housing up against a stud like a switch or receptacal box. Then the guts just screw right into the box and the cover fits over. European convectors are much more complicated to install since they are much bigger and heavier and have a chain to hold the covers on. Finally the fact that the fan forced heaters use a fan means that they blow hot air into the room and allow for much quicker and even distribution of heat. The baseboards and convectors just heat up and trust that cold air will enter the bottom and rise out the top via natural convection. It takes much longer to bring the room up to temperature with convection.
Just a side note. Not all digital line voltage thermostats are compatible with fan forced heaters. They are all designed for baseboards but not necissarily compatible with fan forced heaters. Make sure it's marked as being compatible. For what it's worth, for the relatively low cost, small size, attractive easy to clean flush mount, high performance, longevity, and simple instalation, I'd use nothing but fan forced heaters across my home.
I personally have solar heaters as well as ductless mini split heat pumps in my home. But I still require my fan forced heaters as back up on those really cold days that the heat pump cannot be used, and in those smaller rooms like the bathroom were I do not have an air unit from the heat pump.
Another note. In Canada I prefer fan forced heaters made by Stelpro over other brands such as Oulette and Dimplex. They are more rugged, quieter, have models for every exact voltage requirment like 120, 2098, 240, and 347v. They also come standard without built in thermostats which is prefered unlike other brands which come with an inferior built in thermostat. Stelpro is also available in an attractive modern silver finish that would match the newer silver thermostats available and blend into a modern stainless steel decor.
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Oct 20 '10
2:57 pm PDT
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Excellent Overview (Reply to this comment)
by hermi14
Very helpful.
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Feb 17 '07
6:46 am PST
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thanks! (Reply to this comment)
by pinkants
this was amazingly informative yet easy to understand! thank you!
pinkants
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May 27 '03
8:10 am PDT
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Must read for electric heat buyers (Reply to this comment)
by chic_bowdrie
I was searching for info to help make a decision on how to heat my soon-to-be-converted attic. This review confirmed my choice for a wall-mounted heater with 120v power and watt requirements suitable for my size attic. The info was easy to read and to the point. I can't think of any questions that weren't answered in this article.
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Jan 28 '03
11:59 am PST
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Must read for electric heat buyers (Reply to this comment)
by chic_bowdrie
I was searching for info to help make a decision on how to heat my soon-to-be-converted attic. This review confirmed my choice for a wall-mounted heater with 120v power and watt requirements suitable for my size attic. The info was easy to read and to the point. I can't think of any questions that weren't answered in this article.
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Jan 28 '03
11:58 am PST
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