Oil Electric Heaters

Electric heaters come in many different shapes and sizes. That is why for some people who lack knowledge on this, they may be confused when shopping for an electric heater with the many choices available. To purchase an electric heater that is suitable for the intended space, you will need to know its heating properties, and whether they can deliver performance to your expectations.

About oil electric heaters

Among the various types of electric space heaters, oil electric heaters are especially popular to warm single rooms in your home or office.

Within oil electric heaters, there are metal columns with hollow cavities. The oil that is heated by a heating element at the base flows freely around the heater’s cavities by convection. The oil, having high boiling point and specific heat capacity, works as a heat buffer or reservoir. It stores thermal energy of a large amount in a small volume, and remains liquid for heating, decreasing the heating pressure in the heater

The heating element within oil electric heaters makes use of the oil heat reservoir as the primary heating mechanism by heating the oil, which will then radiate over time through the electric heater’s metal body.

The columns within the oil electric heaters are thin, in order to achieve a large surface area to volume ratio, so that more air can be in contact with the heater, allowing rapid transfer of heat from the oil electric heaters to the surroundings.

Advantages of oil electric heaters

Compared to other electric space heaters, you will find that oil electric heaters are much more silent comparatively when in use. This is because a heating element is used to warm the oil, which is then circulated, unlike fan forced heaters that require the use of a built in fan, which will make a lot of noise while operating. Hence, its silence makes it a great choice to warm spaces such as your bedroom or study.

Without needing to power a built in fan, oil electric heaters also consume less energy compared to fan forced heaters, saving you some electricity costs.  They can also run for a long period of time.

Another thing is, oil electric heaters are much safer alternative to electric heaters, as it poses no risk of catching fire. This is because the heating element of the heater is well concealed within the unit. So, if you use an oil electric heater, you don’t need to worry about your children or pets getting scalded or burned accidentally by the electric heater.

Limitations of oil electric heaters

However, oil electric heaters do have their limitations. First, they are usually quite large in size, and heavy to carry. So, most of them come with wheels to make moving easier.

In addition, they are also created to warm spaces that are not covered by the central heating system, which explains why they are usually placed in bathrooms and bedrooms. For bigger spaces such as the living room, you may need two such heaters to achieve a warm temperature. Hence, they work best only in small, enclosed rooms.