HOW DO HEATERS WORK?

While many furnaces are powered by gas, oil or other fossil fuels, smaller heaters often rely on electricity. The primary component common to all electrical heaters is the electrical resistor.

When you heater got on, the electrical current that is produced heats up the nichrome wire components in the unit. Electrical energy is turned into heat as the current passes through the resistor. That’s why electric heaters are also known as resistance heating units.

The next step in the heating process depends on whether or not the heater has a built-in electric fan or not. If there is a fan, it will help draw cold air into the heater. The air passes over the heating elements and then is pushed out into the room. This is also known as convection heating because the warmth is transferred through the air. Convection heaters are a good way to warm a space quickly by getting hot air to circulate around the room.

If there is no fan in the heater, air enters the unit from below. The air flow passes over the coils, is heated and finally finds its way out through the top of the device. This style of electric heating is known as radiant heating . Electric baseboards are radiant heaters and provide an effective way of introducing thermal energy to a room without changing the infrastructure of your home.

-Blog by Srivika Srinivas