How to choose an oil heater

When going to purchase a heater, you need to know for sure what to expect and how to make the right purchase.

Tips for choosing

You should rely on the area of ​​the room, the level of heat loss in the room, and the efficiency of central heating. It's also worth taking into account energy costs. More powerful devices cost their owners more.

Dimensions, weight

The discrepancy between size and weight should alert you. By definition, a large oil heater cannot weigh little. If a particular model, despite its dimensions, is not at all heavy, then the manufacturer has definitely decided to save on something: either the structural elements are made of excessively thin metal, or the oil compartments are not filled as expected.

Heating area

In our natural conditions, it is not advisable to purchase radiators with a power of less than 1500 W. They will not be able to provide a comfortable stay even in a tiny room. Even devices with thin links cannot cope with heating a large space. The more free space in the room, the higher the ceilings, the thicker the fins of the heater should be.

Power

Start from the fact that there should be 1 kW per 10 m².This means that to heat a typical bedroom in central Russia, you need a device with 1.5-2 kW (according to the approved scale, these are medium-power devices).

Other useful notes:

• if the room has higher ceilings than usual (more than 3 meters), and the windows are wider (for example, panoramic or aiming for this), then you should take a more powerful radiator;
• insulating films on windows reduce heat loss by 40-70%, so you can buy a low-power radiator with them;
• in end apartments and apartments that do not face the sunny side, it is usually cooler (it makes sense to purchase a high-power device).

Owners of private houses should take into account the materials from which the home is built, as well as the presence of a subfloor and the condition of the windows. The more sources of heat loss, the higher the heater power should be.

Useful reminder on thermal insulation coefficient:

• 3-4 points – these are non-residential objects without thermal insulation;
• 2-2.9 points – single brickwork, simple roofing and window structures;
• 1-1.9 points – standard apartments and private houses;
• 0.6-0.9 points – objects in which the issue of heat loss has been carefully worked out and reduced to a minimum.

Section thickness

The number of sections is directly related to the level of electricity consumption and heat production. Typically, models with 5-7 sections have a power of 1500 W. 10-13 compartments are typical for the most powerful devices.

The thickness of the ribs also plays a role. Wide and flat models are considered safer, but small ones heat up faster.

Possibility of heating adjustment

Central heating does not always keep up with temperature changes outside the window.To avoid having to “heat the street” or, conversely, freeze and purchase a second heater, you should initially choose devices whose design provides the ability to regulate the heating of the heating elements.

Safety

You should choose heaters with an auto-shut-off function when overheated. They meet fire safety requirements. With them, you don’t have to watch time and get up at night to turn it off.

Important! A lot depends on the operation of the radiator. Safety precautions say that the device should not be turned over, dropped or placed on its side. Also, do not try to change the oil in it.

It is also worth checking the integrity of the wires before use. If you suspect that the cord is broken or detached, you must send the device for repair. Connecting it to the network could cause tragedy.

Misconceptions and tricks of sellers

Most often, managers try to embellish the characteristics of the product and keep silent about the disadvantages typical of oil heaters. So, you should not believe the words that a particular model does not dry the air. This property is typical for absolutely all devices in this group. There are no exceptions and cannot be due to the principle of operation of the device.
Other alarm bells:

The heating properties depend on the color of the housing. In fact, neither white, nor black, nor purple stripes warm better. The shade of the case does not affect the power of the device, the speed of air heating, or the range of action.

This particular heater can be placed next to the wall or even hung on it. In reality, this is impossible according to the laws of physics. In accordance with safety precautions, the device should be located at a distance from impenetrable barriers.

The product can be stored all season in an unheated garage, on the balcony or in the country house. In fact, radiators of this type should be used and placed only in residential areas. The oil that is poured into them changes its physical characteristics under prolonged exposure to very low temperatures. Moreover, no specialist will be able to correctly determine after what period of time and at what temperature the oil in a particular model will freeze.

Models with a casing are easy to maintain. Yes, touching them does not cause a thermal burn, but wet cleaning with such a design is difficult to do, and it will have to be done often.

Due to the fireplace effect, the product heats up in the same way as a fireplace. They have completely different operating principles. Therefore, even the presence of this additional function will not be able to bring the oil radiator closer to a real fireplace.

This particular device is good because its design provides for the possibility of draining and changing the oil. In fact, such devices have not been produced for a long time, they are only made at home. The reason for the cessation of mass production lies in tragic cases when the plug (safety valve), due to long-term operation of the radiator and wear of the rubber, jumped out of the hole and hot oil shot into the air.

Important! No considerations or arguments should influence the rejection of “homemade” oil heaters. They are truly unsafe. There is a risk of electric shock, burns from boiling oil, or fire.

Oil heaters, regardless of their modifications, face a choice: energy savings or heat transfer levels. First, decide which of these 2 points is a priority.Only the choice between the two indicated parameters determines which radiator you should buy and how many sections it should have.