There are three different types of electric heaters: fan heaters, radiators and oil-filled column heaters.
* A fan heater draws air into unit, heats it, then pump it out into the room.
* An electric radiators uses a reflectors to direct radiant heat from a hot element back out into the room being heated.
* Oil-filled column heaters are, as the name suggest, filled with oil heats the body of the unit, then the body of the unit warms the air that passes across it.
Gas Heaters
There are three types of gas space heaters: convection heaters, radiant heaters and 'log fire' heaters.
* A convention heaters draws in cool air, heats it, then pumps it out as warm air. there is a flame at work, but you won't see it - all you'll see is a box with vents or grilles. These heaters produce a lot of vapour. Fueled models will expel that moist air outside the house. Unfueled models simply dump it into the room.That's not such a problem if the room has good you can end up with condensation on the windows and walls, and perhaps even a mold problem.
* A radiant heater warms a ceramic panel to a very high temperature. In fact, you'll be able to see the panel glowing red-hot. The panel emits a radiant heat that warms the people and the object in room.
* A gas log heater mimics a wood-fired heater with ceramic look-alike logs and real flames, produced by the gas. Gas log units emit a radiant heat, but they also usually have a fan that circulates the warmed air.
Wood-Burning Fireplace
In a traditional fireplace, the flames,embers and hot surfaces produce a radiant heat that warms the objects in the room, including people. If you're sitting in an armchair next to the fire. you'll be very warm, but the temperature drops as you go further away from the source. Modern fireplace perform a bit better. They tend to be fitted with metal insert that draw air through the fireplace and back into the room, with the result that the air itself gets warmed. Some are freestanding, with a metal chimney that runs the height of the room and radiant heat.
Wood-burning Slow-combustion Stove
The slow-combustion heater is basically a wood-burning fire contained in an airtight box. The amount of air entering the 'firebox' affects its heat output. In other words, you can rise or lower the temperature by adjusting air-inlet controls. A slow-combustion stove can be connect to a hydronic heating system ( the kind with a central boiler and pipes that distribute the heat around the house ).
