Frequently Asked Questions
How much will it cost to run?
Manufactures such as Dimplex, Creda, Consort Claudgen and DeLonghi will not provide detailed information on running costs because there are so many variables to consider – what electricity tariff will be used, how long the heater will be on for, what setting the thermostat will be on, etc – all these factors need to be taken into account when working out the running cost of a heating system.
A great tool is this calculator which can help work out how much it costs to run household appliances
http://www.ukpower.co.uk/running-costs-elec.asp
Types of heaters
Radiant Heaters
Provide heat directly to the room and tend to warm people and objects in the room faster than the air itself. They are therefore most appropriate for rooms that are poorly insulated, drafty or rooms with high ceilings.
Examples of radiant heaters:
Oil-filled Radiators - a popular solution because once the oil has beenwarmed up the electricity consumption stops and the oil retains theheat for a long time. There is no fan and therefore they arevirtually silent and create no dust, they have the same radiant heatbenefits of the halogen heater below. A popular solution for themajority of applications.
Halogen Heaters - Provide a warm glow which makes one warm just by looking at it! The heat is a radiant heat similar to the sun which warms up the body faster than other forms of heat, this makes them especially useful in a cold conservatory or workshop. The warm glow should stop children from touching it and a safety cut out turns the units off when and if they are knocked off. The light weight make them popular with the elderly.
Convection Heaters
The air is past over an element warm up and then circulated back into the room, either with or without a fan.
Examples of convection heater:
Fan heaters - provide instant heat and warmth, especially if you are in the direct line of the fan. Small in size so can be placed under tables to warm someone's toes up! Very light to move around and take up next to no space to store when not required.
Convector radiators - Not portable in that they are not a natural shape to push around but they are so light they are easy to move from room to room. A convection panel heater will also provide radiant heat from it's front panel. Some models have a fan to boost the warm-up time.
What is the best heating solution?
Panel heaters provide instant, controllable heat and are suitable for almost any room.
Storage heaters are one of the most popular forms of electric heating, and because they use low cost 'off peak' electricity running costs are low. Storage heaters are also cheap and easy to install, requiring no pipework or flues. Storage heaters have no moving parts or internal combustion and are virtually maintenance free.
What is IP Rating?
The resistance offered by the fixture to the penetration of solids and liquids is indicated by the IP (Ingress Protection) rating. This is a 2 digit number, the first number identifies the degree of protection against the ingress of solids and the second number against liquids e.g. IP65 indicates total protection against dust and protection against low jets of water where as IPx4 indicates that it only offers protections against water spray from all directions.
First Digit
| Protection against solids
| Second Digit
| Protections against liquids
|
0
| No Protection
| 0
| No Protection
|
1
| Protected against solid objects greater than 50mm (e.g. accidental contact with hand)
| 1
| Protection against vertical water drops (e.g. condensation)
|
2
| Protected against solid objects greater that 12mm (e.g. accidental contact with finger)
| 2
| Protection against direct sprays of water, up to 15° from vertical
|
3
| Protected against solid objects greater that 2.5mm (e.g. tools and wires)
| 3
| Protection against direct sprays of water up to 60° from vertical
|
4
| Protected against solid objects greater than 1mm (e.g. fine tools and wires)
| 4
| Protections against water spray from all directions
|
5
| Protected against dust
| 5
| Protection against low pressure jets of water from all directions
|
6
| Total protection against dust
| 6
| Protection against jets of water of similar to heavy seas
|
Converting BTU to KiloWatts (kW) and kw to BTU
BTU (British Thermal Units) is often used when specifying boiler outputs so it is useful to be able to switch easily between BTU and kW.
1 BTU = 0.000293 kW - To convert BTU to kW simply multiply by 0.0002931 kW = 3414 BTU - To convert kW to BTU simply multiply by 3414.
What is the difference between GU10 and MR16
The two types of bulbs most often seen are GU10s and MR16. The main difference between these are their fitting types, and the voltage they run on. The MR16 has two pin-like fittings and runs on low voltage (12V), and if you have these, you'll also have a transformer somewhere. Where the GU10 has two knobbly, cylindrical fittings and runs on normal mains voltage (240V).
What is the difference between GU10 and GZ10
You can fit both GZ10 (dichroic) and GU10 (aluminised) lamps into GZ10 fittings but only GU10 (aluminised) lamps into GU10 fittings.
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