Electric wall heaters are useful for heating rooms and also for providing supplementary heat in small areas – such as bathrooms – into which you cannot accommodate a more traditional sized heater. These heaters are sometimes fixed on the wall and sometimes recessed in the wall cavity between two wall studs.
There are a number of factors that will influence your choice of electric wall heater. The size of the area you wish to heat, the amount of noise they will produce if they are fan assisted, and where you might need, or want, to place the heater for maximum benefit, are all issues that should be taken into account. It is important to remember when locating electric wall heaters that they should not be covered by items of furniture, other fittings or furnishings.
Built in electric wall heaters are generally not suited for fitting to external walls as there may be condensation problems created by the combination of hot metal and cold, external walls. As with all built-in electrical devices, safety is paramount. It is essential to refer to and follow all the installation instructions that come with the individual unit to be installed. It is particularly important to ensure that all safety instructions are followed.
There is a wide range of electric wall heaters available and it is likely that you will easily find one to suit your needs and location. Some of the most popular types of electric wall heaters include -
Electric baseboard heaters – these are wall fitted heaters, generally fixed – as their name implies – at baseboard level at least an inch from the floor. Working on the principles of convection, cool air is drawn into these heaters at the bottom and warmed by the electrically heated coils inside the unit. Once the air is heated it seeps out through slots thereby slowly and gradually heating the space in which these electric wall heaters are fitted.
Another variation on the electric baseboard heater theme is a type of heater commonly known as toe-kick heaters. These heaters are intended to be fitted in the toe space underneath cabinets and vanity units and are convection units that are fitted with a fan to distribute the warm air as it is heated.
Electric radiators or panels are often used in place of conventional radiators. These electrically heated units are filled with oil or water and can often be almost indistinguishable from the more conventional radiator used in central heating systems. A popular type of electrical radiator is the heated towel rail found in many bathrooms and often used in buildings where the general heating is underfloor heating.
A stalwart of the electric wall heater family is the electric storage heater. These heaters are fitted to the wall and their main benefit is that they take in cheaper night-rate electricity, store it and then release it as warm air – like a convection heater – during the day.
Electric wall heaters are versatile and convenient and suitable for heating most living and work environments.