Should I Buy an Oil Filled Radiator or a Electric Heater?
When it comes to keeping warm in the colder months, you need a portable radiator that you can take with you wherever you are in your home. Heating bills can become very expensive if you’re using it day in and day out, so a smaller and portable electric option could benefit your pocket as well as your cosiness. The 2 main contenders for the best portable heaters are oil filled radiators and convector heaters. Both of these designs are effective ways to heat your selected space vs the entire house but we’re going to delve into the way they work to help you choose which one is better for you.
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Oil Filled Radiators – How Do They Work?
Oil filled electric radiators are an effective heating solution thanks to the heat retaining properties of the oil. A coil inside the radiator heats up the surrounding oil which then transfers heat to the rest of the oil within the radiator. This heat is then released into the air and transferred throughout the room, making any space feel warm and cosy. Once the room has hit the desired temperature and the radiator has switched itself off, it will continue to project heat through the room, keeping the temperature up without using any extra power.
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Electric Heaters – How Do They Work?
Electric heaters are designed to be faster at heating a room up thanks to the convection current that they create. The internal element heats up the air inside the radiator, forcing it to rise into the room; this creates a current that carries the warmth throughout the room quickly whilst forcing the cooler air to travel through the radiator. Our electric heaters also have a fan built in to help the air circulate even faster, which means that you don’t have to have it on for very long to feel the warming effects.
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Which One is More Effective?
It’s hard to say which of these portable electric radiators is more effective at heating a room as they are both effective in their own ways. Whilst a convector heater could win the title of most effective for its fast-acting heating, the oil filled radiator could also take it for its heat retaining properties, keeping the temperature up in a room for longer than the convector design. As they are evenly matched on effectiveness, choosing one would all be down to personal preference and how you would use it.
When it comes to efficiency, both of these electric radiators are, again, close contenders. The convector heater doesn’t need to be on for as long as the oil filled radiator so it would use less power to heat a room, but as the oil radiator retains more heat, it will use less power to keep the room at the optimum temperature. If you just want a quick burst of heat to get yourself warm then a convector heater would be ideal for you, but for periods of longer use, an oil filled radiator might be more preferable for heat retention.