Best Ceramic Space Heater Reviews 2016

How Does a Ceramic Heater Work?

A ceramic heater has three components. The heating elements, which are made from PTC ceramic material, aluminium fins for heat transference and a fan for warm air distribution.

PTC stands for Positive Temperature Coefficient. PTC ceramic material has the property that when an electric current passes through it the material does two things. It warms up, but as it warms up its resistance to electrical current increases. This makes PTC ceramic unusually good for incorporating into space heater. The material is naturally self-regulating, meaning that it does not overheat due to the increased electrical resistance it exhibits as it becomes hot.

The heat created by the ceramic material is transferred onto the aluminium fins which as placed in contact with the ceramic inside the heater. These aluminium fins have a large surface area, which in turn heats the air surrounding them through convection.

Finally, the fan is required to force the warm air into the room in a particular direction. Some ceramic heaters push the warm air out the front of the space heater casing but others are tower or cylindrical in shape and the heating element revolves or oscillates inside forcing the air in a much wider arc.

The beauty of ceramic heaters is that the temperature of the ceramic material inside the heater never gets hot enough to ignite combustible material such as paper. This makes them a safer option than conventional fan heaters with wire elements.

It also means that the casing does not need insulation, which means many ceramic heaters are both small and light. As a result, they are often thought to be one of the best portable space heaters for many homeowners.

The Advantages of the Best Ceramic Heater

As previously noted there are a number of advantages that ceramic heaters have over other types of space heater.

They are small and light making them extremely portable and easily moved around.

The self-regulating nature of the PTC ceramic heating element means that they are considered to be a safer option than other forms of space heater. However, as noted below, sensible use of space heaters should never be overlooked. No space heater is completely free from risk.

Ceramic space heaters often include a function which can allow them to be operated without the heating element turned on. This means that they can double up as a cooling fan during warm summer months as well as a heater during the cooler winter months.

Many modern ceramic space heaters have a remote control for easy operation.

The best ceramic heaters are able to direct warm air straight at you, providing immediate warmth, but also have an oscillating function which is able to distribute the air more widely into the room. This means they can be used for both personal heating and for more general room heating.

Ceramic Space Heater Efficiency

These days no discussion of heaters would be complete without examining whether they are energy efficient. So, how efficient are ceramic space heaters. The answer to this question is – it depends.

PTC ceramic is a naturally efficient material for use as a heating element. The reason for this is that as it becomes warm it becomes more resistant to electrical current, meaning that the power used drops off sharply as it reaches its set temperature and increases as it cools.

This means that ceramic heaters are naturally self-regulating which makes them more energy efficient than many other types of space heater.

However, ceramic heaters provide heat through convection heating and require a fan to force the warm air into the space surrounding them. The fan requires electrical current to operate but is not actually involved in producing the heat provided. This introduces an element, in a similar way to all fan-forced heaters, which is less energy efficient.

In addition, ceramic heaters suffer from issues that affect other types of convection heaters and that is energy or heat loss through draughts or conduction heating.

If you intend to use your ceramic heater in a room that is a large open space, or has draughts from either windows or doors then it is likely that you will not be impressed with either the heat provided or the apparent energy efficiency you achieve.

Heat in rooms can often be lost by conduction if you have for instance metal window frames which are excellent heat conductors.

Finally, rooms heated by convection heating also suffer from a circumstance described as temperature stratification, meaning that warm air rises as it is heated resulting in a warm ceiling, but cooler temperatures experienced below. So unless you work near the ceiling then convection heating systems are sometimes slightly underwhelming.

In summary, ceramic heaters are energy efficient but are best used in relatively small rooms free of draughts or open doorways.

Important Features of Ceramic Space Heaters to Look Out For

Obviously when choosing the best ceramic heater you will want to consider the size, shape, portability and aesthetic looks. However, we suggest you also add to your list the following essentials:

1. Thermostatic control.
2. High and low power settings.
3. Tip-over protection, to ensure the heater switches off in the event that it gets knocked over, especially important in busy family households or where there are pets.
4. Automatic overheat protection.
5. A sufficiently long power cable to ensure convenient placement without the need for an extension cable.
6. Fan only setting to allow the ceramic heater to double us as a cooling fan in summer.
7. Fan oscillation to allow the heat generated to be distributed as evenly as possible throughout the room.

Ceramic Space Heater Safe Use Guidelines

All space heaters should be treated with caution when in use. Ceramic space heaters tend to be naturally safer than other types of space heater, but nevertheless sensible use is recommended in all circumstances.

1. You should ensure that any space heater that you are considering is ETL or UL listed.

2. Although ceramic space heaters are naturally self-regulating you should ensure that the model you choose includes a thermostat to ensure that they cut-out at pre-set temperatures which improves the heater energy efficiency and helps to ensure that the heater does not overheat.

3. Set the thermostat for you heater at a sensible temperature. We recommend around 70 F. Overheating the room is energy inefficient, may be uncomfortable to site or work in and represents a clear increase in risk.

4. Do not leave your ceramic heater unattended. If you leave the room or the house always turn the heater off. Leaving it on is a waste of energy and represents a fire hazard in an unattended place.

5. On a similar theme to the above two points always make sure that you operate you ceramic heater in-line with the manufacturer instructions, especially when it comes to heater clearances.

6. You will achieve maximum energy efficient use from your ceramic heater in a small room with few draughts or large windows that will allow the heat you generate to escape. If necessary you can deal with temperature stratification issues with a small fan placed high up to ensure the heated air circulates within the room.

An interesting demonstration of ceramic heater safety can be found in the video below:

<iframe width="854" height="480" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/n6U_BfM8h24" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Conclusion

Ceramic space heaters are great heaters for your home. They are small, energy efficient and often extremely portable. They are also a safer form of heater than many others that use either electrical resistance or fuel based heating systems.

We like them a lot and they feature prominently in our list of best space heaters.

The post Best Ceramic Space Heater Reviews 2016 appeared first on Space Heater Pro.