Different Types of Heaters

Heaters are an essential part of the HVAC sector and their multiple commercial uses. You can heat various parts of your home, water, or other equipment with the thermal energy from the heater systems. However, the numerous heaters available in the market make it confusing for typical buyers.

While the primary principle of these devices is to heat air, there are many other applications as well. For instance, band heaters can heat any cylindrical object, while heat trace cables can warm the pipes or valve even for industrial uses. There are different types, such as induction, line, and others.

There are some standalone devices like infrared heaters, while others function as part of another machine. On top of all these, the potentially energy-demanding nature of the appliance can raise the cost to produce heat.

Therefore, depending on residential and commercial applications, heaters can be of various types. This guide provides a detailed list of the most popular options in the market.

Key Takeaways

• Heaters come in various types, each designed for specific purposes and applications in residential, commercial, and industrial settings.
• Common types of heaters for residential use include convection heaters, radiant heaters, combination heaters, electric space heaters, fan heaters, gas heaters, halogen heaters, ceramic fibre space heaters, panel space heaters, oil-filled space heaters, and water heaters.
• Industrial heaters serve specific applications, including band heaters, thermal fluid heaters, heat trace cables and tapes, coil and cable heaters, and cartridge heaters, each tailored to industrial heating needs.

What are The Different Types of Heating?

Convection Heaters

Convector heaters are also known as convection heaters. These heaters are a type of electric-powered heaters that function by drawing in the cold air. This is done via convection currents over a heating element. Once the air is heated up, the device then spreads it across the room to warm it up.

Convector heaters work the best when it comes to adequate heating of the entire room instead of a particular area. It might take some time to feel the effectiveness of the device, but it is much more efficient than radiant heaters.

Convector heaters are helpful in many areas of your home, such as the dining space, living room, and many others. Just make sure to choose heaters with micathermic panels when searching for convection heaters. In this, a sheet of mica covers the heating element for combined heating. These panels are the most efficient in heat absorption and release.

Radiant Heaters

Despite the common notion that older homes have radiant heaters, this technology is prevalent in many portable heaters. Now, the heaters can create a hot liquid that runs through coils within the device. These are known as direct-fired radiant heaters and use combustion to heat liquid or gases.

However, there are electric and infrared types as well. Infrared radiant heaters use infrared rays to heat objects and people near them. The device works by transferring heat directly instead of heating the air. This is why these heaters are ideal for camping.

They also come in various sizes. For example, the baseboard type radiant heater usually found at home is relatively larger than the smaller electric space heaters. However, there are portable variations of the device which are made using similar technology.

Pro Tip: Baseboard heaters are devices that transfer heat through steam or hot water. They can even function via convection by heating up an electrical resistance element. Although, convection is the most commonly found method in baseboard heaters.

Even if the heaters tend to be heavier, they come with wheels for easy operation. The best part about this heater type is that is its high energy efficiency and silent performance. But the orange light emitting from the radiant heater may disturb sleep, and thus, is not suitable for bedrooms. Also, the oil-filled radiant heaters can trigger fire because of the combustible nature of the oil.

Combination Heaters

Combination heaters are devices that offer both radiant and convection heating. You can say these offer the best of both worlds. This type is relatively new in the market and uses a fan for better heat distribution.

How Many Types of Heaters Are There?

Now, there might be various types of heaters in the market. However, their primary function would be to heat a space or water. Depending on which, heaters can categorise themed in the following manner.

Space Heaters

Space heaters function via the method of radiant or convection heating. While the radiant heating process emits infrared radiation for direct heating of the objects, convection heating is better for space heating. Nonetheless, you can use these heaters whether you want to warm an entire room or simply the objects and people nearby. Below are the different types of space heaters:

Electric Space Heater

This is one of the most common types of space heaters out there. The reason for their popularity lies behind their efficiency, which is the highest due to no heat loss. The cost of electric heaters is not too much either. However, the running cost of this space heater tends to be high.

There is no space heater more efficient than electric heaters when it comes to heating the building spaces. You can choose the best electric heaters based on a few criteria, such as –

• Their electrical rating
• Airflow rates
• Heat output

This space heater warms the air around it via the process of convection. However, there are some that use radiant heat or infrared rays for direct heat transferring. However, the radiant heaters can only heat objects and people close to them. That is why this space heater is not the best choice if you want to heat an entire room.

Fan Heaters

Fan heaters are a type of space heater that is most popular as a portable heater. Fan heaters resemble the appearance of a traditional fan, but the function is quite different. With the use of infrared technology, the fan heaters can produce heat and spread it across an area. The versatile fan heaters are apt for both indoor and outdoor uses.

If you are looking to provide supplemental heat to your rooms or offices, fan heaters are the perfect space heater for you. However, the internal heating coils tend to get high, which is a common drawback among all infrared heaters.

Gas Heaters

A gas space heater is pretty different from its electric counterparts. These can provide two types of heat:

• Convective heat
• Radiant heat

If your house is near an area with ample natural gas supply, this space heater may prove to be a better option than an electric heater. If you want an option without natural gas, then LPG heaters are also a good choice.

Now gas heaters can be of two types:

• Flued or fixed
• Unflued or portable

A flued gas heater uses a flue or a chimney to vent water vapour and air pollutants outside your home. On the other hand, the portable, unflued heaters emit directly inside the house. So, it is important to do some research to understand the potential side effects before you buy one.

Another issue with gas heaters is that they are much more costly than electric ones. However, the running cost can be less, depending on various factors. For instance, during a power outage, the effectiveness of a gas heater remains unaffected.

Ceramic Fibre Space Heaters

A ceramic heater is a type of space heater built with ceramic fibre insulation. The ceramic space heaters have an extremely low mass and a high insulation value. Ceramic space heaters also come with various self-supported heating elements. Therefore, you get the advantage of insulation and heating elements combined in single packaging. This is also one of the popular types of space heaters.

The heating elements are embedded within the panels or modules of the insulating material, or they can be embedded within the refractory fibre as well. One of the best things about these heaters is the customizability they offer. You can customise the ceramic heater based on various factors, such as:

• Power density
• Maximum rated temperature
• Heating element location
• Operating voltage
• Geometry

A Ceramic heater is used in heating systems where there is a need for rapid thermal cycling. Due to their versatility and easy geometrical customisation, you will find ceramic heaters of various shapes. The most common shape types are:

• Semi-cylinders
• Cylinders
• Flat panels

This type of device is most effective for non-contact heating, as found in ovens and furnaces. However, you might want to notice that these are also a type of electric heaters. The name differs from electric heaters because of the ceramic plates attached to their metal coils.

Panel Space Heaters

One typical example of a combination heater is panel space heaters. The function of panel heaters is gaining a lot of popularity in recent times. One of the key reasons for that is their lightweight and easy portability. You can mount these types of space heaters on the wall or simply keep them on the floor.

The panel space heaters circulate the heat using the airflow within a room. This is much different from circulating the air containing dust. Therefore, they are beneficial for those suffering from allergies. The function of these heaters is quite similar to the oil-filled heaters, as they let the hot air radiate from the device. However, flat panel space heaters use electrical current instead of oil for heat production.

Now, you may think that the panel heater technology is an excellent substitute for another type of heater. However, there is still a lot of work to be done.

These heaters are highly energy-efficient and produce 80% heat through convection and 20% through radiating hot air. However, these are not as efficient as the convection or radiant type heaters. In reality, these heaters can only get rid of the cold but do not help warm it up.

Halogen Heaters

Apart from the traditional heating systems, many new technologies are being evolved to develop more efficient devices in the heating industry. One such example is the halogen heaters. These heaters are incredibly environmentally-friendly and work great for smaller spaces. They run on electricity and use halogen lightbulbs.

The halogen heaters are highly portable and compact. More importantly, their high energy efficiency makes them one of the forerunners on this list. The number of halogen light bulbs used in the device is sufficient for producing a high amount of energy. All you need is a consistent electric source to power the halogen bulbs.

These heaters are most suited for heating a single room in your house. Therefore, you do not require a central heating system and can save a lot on your monthly utility bills. With these lightweight, portable devices, you can even cut down your reliability on the larger heating systems.

Of course, other than indoor uses, these heaters can also function as a patio heater to heat the outdoor spaces like your deck. Now, most halogen heaters come with temperature control, and you can set a timer for convenience. The internal thermostat in the device will auto turn off once your room achieves the ideal temperature.

Propane Space Heater

When it comes to combustion heaters (HVAC), a fuel source is needed for generating the ideal heat that can warm the air or water. Unlike the other heaters, where electric current passes through a wire or coil to produce the heat, these include a fuel source. One such example is the propane space heaters.

If you are looking for a portable option for smaller spaces, this is most suited, making them the ideal garage heaters or storage heaters. The device utilises either a convection or conduction heat transfer mechanism. The propane space heater has a conventional propane tank that supplies the fuel to the device. It looks much similar to the propane tanks you see on a gas grill.

This is a fan heater, and the fan blows the hot air toward a particular direction or space you want to heat. However, these are heavy heaters that are not at all portable. So, you need to be very careful while moving around a combustible liquid-filled propane tank.

Infrared Heaters

These heating devices mostly rely on the process of radiant heat transmission. With this process, the heaters can warm people and materials as well. The function of an Infrared space heater is entirely different from a fan heater or a ceramic heater. The infrared space heater can convert electricity into infrared rays that efficiently heats the space thanks to advanced infrared technology.

The electromagnetic, infrared rays are emitted into the air and can raise the temperature of nearby objects or areas. Instead of an indirect heating process, the infrared rays work via the direct heating process. It heats a particular space or object for better temperature control.

There are two types of infrared heaters out there:

• Infrared heaters with fan
• Infrared heaters without fan

These heaters radiate heat via electromagnetic, infrared rays instead of a heating element. Usually, they don’t even require a fan for functioning. Although, the fan found in a few models can help accelerate the healing process.

The best part about these heaters is that no object can block the heat, as it will be absorbed. Some infrared space heaters even come with a thermostat and a handle or wheels and are highly portable.

Oil-Filled Space Heaters

Oil-filled heaters are also called column heaters because of their columnar design. They are often referred to as radiator heaters as well because they resemble the old-fashioned radiator heaters. These portable devices can run on electricity and have diathermic oil inside.

Diathermic oil is a substance useful in high-heat transfer systems that control temperature. It has a low freezing point and high boiling temperature. Therefore, when the heater can heat the oil to circulate it through the columns to help release hot air.

Oil-filled heaters always come without a fan inside. Since the exterior metal surface can heat up due to the internal fluid, a fan will not be helpful in heat distribution. The only way the heat can radiate off is via convection. Therefore, the produced heat lasts much longer even after turning off the device. However, you cannot control the speed of the heat in this type of device.

Water Heaters

These heaters are used to warm up the water specifically and are different from the air or space heaters. When choosing these heaters, you need to focus on factors like the style, storage capacity, and heating source.

Also, checking out the electrical rating is helpful in some cases. These are generally not used as industrial heaters and are mostly suited for domestic use. However, these are handy in heating up spas and swimming pools too.

One of the interesting things about water heaters is that various heating methods are prevalent. That means various types of heaters can function as water heaters, be it gas combustion or solar radiation. Of course, heaters with electrical resistance are the most common ones. The most common types include:

• Electric water heaters
• Oil-filled water heaters
• Gas water heaters
• Solar water heaters

Usually, the water heaters can be categorised by design, fuel source, and application. For instance, there are traditional tank water heaters, tankless water heaters, and heat pump water heaters with different constructions. Simultaneously, there are a booster, in-line, and feedwater heaters that have different applications.

What Type of Portable Heater is Best?

As far as portable heaters are concerned, modern technology has come a long way to ensure the safety of users. Even oil-filled and propane heaters perform under extreme supervision. All of the heaters enlisted here are efficient in providing hot air or water in your home.

However, the uses might differ. For instance-

• Oil-filled heater systems are ideal for large areas, bedrooms, and basements.
• Fan heaters are perfect for your children’s rooms, and other small areas
• Propane heaters are ideal for camping and heating outside areas
• Infrared portable heaters are great for heating up small rooms and offices
• Panel space heaters work great as bathroom heaters

Special Mention: Heater Types for Industrial Use

Industrial heaters usually follow convection, induction, infrared, and resistance power heating methods. Nowadays, even furnaces and industrial ovens follow the combination heating method. Unlike domestic applications, industrial heating requires the heating up of specific applications. For instance, band heaters are used to heat up cylindrical objects.

Band Heaters

These heaters can be wrapped around many cylindrical shapes. The purpose of these devices is to heat up the entire circumference of the cylinder. You need to consider many factors while choosing band heaters, such as the temperature range, heating element type, and electrical requirements.

Band heaters are efficient in heating pipes or preventing freezing in the pipes. The clamping system of the heater helps to secure it to the cylindrical tubes.

Thermal Fluid Heaters

These heaters can heat up many types of fluids required in industrial applications. Their primary use is mainly suited to heating food, pharmaceutical, and chemical applications. Usually, the function of the various types of thermal fluid heaters is similar to a hot water generator.

Much like the oil-filled heating system, the thermal fluid is moved through various pumps under pre-set conditions. When choosing the right one, you need to pay attention to the heater output, pump size, temperature, and other factors.

Heat Trace Cables and Tapes

These heating devices are also wrapped around a pipe or tube, like the band heaters. These are mainly used to heat or prevent freezing in the pipes. The devices are highly effective in maintaining a constant temperature within the pipes and tubes, which is essential in industrial applications. These heaters have a tape or cable-like shape, and they are available in various lengths and widths.

Coil and Cable Heaters

The miniature tubular construction of the coil and cable heaters may not seem impressive enough, but their flexibility is unparalleled. These heaters are most useful in the injection moulding industry. They ensure the proper heating of the injection nozzles for use in other applications, like pipe, rods, and tube heating.

The flexibility factor of the heaters allows for configuration in multiple ways for the desired outcome. Depending on the application for which they will be used, you can mould their construction. However, they generally come in a rectangular, round, or square shape.

Cartridge Heaters

This is another type of cylindrical heating device that comes with fitted holes or bores. The holes allow for faster heat transfer as electrical current passes through a coil of wire. The coil is made of nickel-chromium alloy to offer higher resistance.

Cartridge heaters are most useful in heating metal plates used in machines. They are also helpful in plastic welding and injection moulding industries.

Heat Pump Source: Reliable Heating and Cooling Solutions

At Heat Pump Source, we take pride in our unwavering commitment to serving the UK with top-tier HVAC solutions. From the efficiency of heat pumps and the cool relief of air conditioning to the warmth of boilers, radiators, and underfloor heating, our dedicated team is always at the forefront of innovation. We understand the unique needs of every household and business, and we strive to provide dependable health and cooling products and services that are tailored just for you. Ensuring your comfort and satisfaction is our utmost priority. Whether you have questions, need guidance, or require support, we’re always here to assist. Please don’t hesitate to contact us; we’re eager to be of service.

Conclusion

Truth be told, there are no clear choices as all of the options mentioned above have their unique purposes. However, when choosing heaters for domestic purposes, it is recommended to focus on the portability factor more. Whereas industrial heaters will have different requirements.

Therefore, the choice of the heater type will depend vastly on how and where you want to use it. Also, energy efficiency and safety are common factors irrespective of whichever heater you choose.