Buying Guide – Heaters

There are various types of heaters available, each with their own set of advantages, disadvantages and uses for certain situations. For instance:

  • Need a low constant background heat? – a panel heater may be what you need
  • Need to warm an infrequently occupied room? – a wall-mounted fan heater may offer the best solution.

Each situation offers a unique heating challenge. In these days of ever rising heating costs, no one wants to waste energy and pay needless heating bills. Efficiency is definitely the watchword here and with that in mind we have put together a simple heater guide. It explains the different heater types and helps you select the best one for your overall heating requirement – saving you money, whilst keeping you warm.

Convection Heating

Convection heating works by passing the air over an element to warm it up and then circulating it back into the room. There are two types of electric heaters that utilize convection heating technology: convector heaters and panel heaters.

Convector Heaters

Convector heaters are a good choice for medium-sized rooms where an even temperature needs to be maintained. They provide heat fast, are very quiet and are light and easy to manoeuvre. There are free standing or wall mounted versions available, whilst many do both. Free standing convector heaters are great for using in temporary buildings and workspaces and when buildings are being refurbished.

Panel Heaters

Panel heaters are designed for smaller rooms requiring constant low-level background heat. Benefits include their slim, space-saving design and low running costs. Their unobtrusive size makes them particularly useful in bars, restaurants, clubs and hotels.

All our models of convector and panel heaters include a thermostat to control the temperature, as well as overheat protection which automatically turns the heater off if the warm air grill gets blocked.

Oil-Free and Oil-Filled Radiators

Oil filled heater image

Radiators are somewhat misnamed, most of the heat that comes from them is actually by convection. Radiators heat the air that flows past them. As the air warms it rises away from the radiator and the colder air falls. This causes the air to begin to circulate around the room and the colder air is warmed as it passes the radiator.

Oil-Filled radiator

Oil-filled radiators have a large surface area, making them a great choice for heating larger sized rooms. Once the oil has been warmed up, electricity consumption stops and the oil retains heat for a long time. They are a reliable and economical source of heat and as there is no fan they are virtually silent, create no dust and don’t dry out the air. There are even mini, more energy efficient oil heaters available for smaller rooms.

Oil-Free radiator

Oil-free radiators use a unique oil-free, environmentally friendly heating technology to heat a room quicker and more efficiently than traditional oil-filled radiators. They have the same attributes as oil-filled radiators but are more heat effective, faster to warm up and tend to be lighter and easier to move.

Other Heater Types

Infra-Red heater

Infra-red heaters produce instant and directional hot air, providing fast heat. They are a safe and practical way to heat kitchens, bathrooms and work areas – anywhere were localized heating is required in fact.

Fan heater

Fan heaters are a great portable heating solution for workshops, garages, warehouses and office environments. They provide fast, directional heat and can be brought out when necessary and easily and safely stored for the rest of the time. Wall-mounted fan heaters are recommended for meeting halls and conference rooms, where heating is only required for relatively short periods of time.

Bathroom wall heater

Bathroom wall heaters have a compact, space-saving design, are quick and easy to install and provide fast warm-up with good air circulation.

Heated air curtain

Air curtain heater image

Heated air curtains are the efficient way to keep heat inside and the cold out. They are ideal for doorways of shops, hotels, and offices.

Here at Lyco, we stock a full range of heaters to suit most requirements and are always at the end of the phone to answer any queries you may have.

For more buying guides, advice or inspiration go to our Lighting Advice section.

Charles Barnett Managing Director

Charles started Lyco in 1995 with just 4 enthusiastic employees and has grown it considerably over the past 25 years. Charles is also the Managing Director of Lighting Direct and newly acquired Online Lighting. He now has a team of 50 lighting experts working on growing Lyco Group to be the UK leader in lighting for both businesses and homes. Away from the office he is a keen cyclist and is proud to have cycled 1017 miles from Lands End to John O’Groats to raise money for a new residential centre for adults with multiple learning difficulties.