Space heaters are a necessity when it comes to cold climate and chilly nights even in the spring. With the demand for them so high, there are now a vast variety of heating units available on the market. There are many different types and kinds of heaters for all heating needs.

Whether you want a space heater to heat up a small room, to heat up your office cubicle or just provide some personal heating in a large room, there is a specific heater that meets your requirements. There are many different heating systems that cater to the various needs that consumers have with their space heaters. This includes ceramic heaters, radiation heaters, oil heaters, and infrared heaters.

These are all various kinds of heat systems that meet the needs of space heaters users and they each have their different advantages and benefits. In this article we will take a deeper look at ceramic units and infrared units. We will take a look at the different ways these two heating systems function and their benefits.

Ceramic VS Infrared Space Heaters Comparison

Ceramic Space Heaters

When looking at ceramic space heaters, they are some of the most used designs, and are highly energy efficient systems for heat. These space heating units are popular for their proficiency to save the user money on electricity costs, provide effective and efficient heating, and also the increased safety that they provide.

How Do They Work?

The essence of ceramic is a type of heating known as convection heating. These models therefore generate warmth centered around an element referred to as PTC, which is an acronym for the positive temperature coefficient, a type of ceramic. They are pretty similar to the metal element models based on the way that they work and are used.

The PTC is a kind of material which is considered to be a partial conductor of electricity. This means that when a current or electricity is passed through the ceramic produces heat. Once the element within the heater is heated up and is generating heat, the heat can then be carried across the room or area that you are trying to heat.

This can be done in two different methods depending on the space heater. The ceramic type models can come with a fan installed which conveys the warm air by means of convection. However, the heater can be a radiant type ceramic as well, in which case the heat is slowly conveyed throughout the room through radiation of the heat as compared to using a fan.

Benefits of Ceramic Heaters

Ceramic heating units provide many benefits and are great for use within the home or the office. Following are some benefits of investing in a ceramic heater.

1. Precision heating: Ceramic heating units provide very precise spot heating; this is effective in providing efficient warmth. This in particular works for ceramic heating units that are convection based and use a fan. It can be aimed in whatever direction you need for combating chill and cool drafts.

2. Instant heating: Ceramic models provide instantaneous heat; this is a big benefit of using this heating system. Due to the ceramic part that is a sturdy conductor of heat, it warms up very fast and in combination with a fan they heat is conveyed to you instantaneously.

3. Quick to cool down: Once a ceramic design shuts off the warming immediately stops. This is ideal in terms of a safety feature for people with little children or pets. It also prevents the heater from being a fire hazard.

4. Easily portable: Because the ceramic heating element is so small and compact, ceramic space heaters are conveniently portable. They can be simply be moved from one room to another when needed.

Infrared Heaters

Infrared Heaters are another form of popular heating system. When considering infrared space heaters, they are best known being energy efficient and silent and being very low maintenance.

How Do They Work?

Infrared heating units work based on the concept of infrared radiation, which is a spectrum of light that is invisible to the naked human eye. The concept of infrared radiation is very similar to the effect that sunlight has on our skin.

As the light emitted from the sun reaches us, it is absorbed by our skin and clothes this causes us to heat up. This is because the light that is absorbed generates heat. In a similar way infrared space heater also create a ray of light at a specific wavelength which generates heat and as the light is absorbed by us, we are warmed up. This means that in order for infrared heaters to work effectively they need to be in relatively close vicinity and should be facing in the direction of the person or people requiring warmth.

One of the key features is that the light emitted is not visible to humans as it is outside the spectrum that is visible to us. There are however several different elements that are used to generate infrared heat, these can be metal wire elements, heat lamps, ceramic infrared element as well as many others.

Benefits of Infrared Space Heaters

There are many benefits of using infrared heating units, which make them a unique form of heating and they cater to various different consumer needs. The following are some benefits of utilizing an infrared heater.

1. Increased safety: Infrared heating units provide increased safety when they are used as they do not heat up as much as other space heater. They also ensure to have the heating element generally covered with metal sheath such that it is cool to the touch and prevents burns.

2. Silent operation: Infrared heaters are known for providing very quiet to silent heating as they do not require the use of a fan, which is generally the source of noise in space heaters. This makes infrared space heaters an ideal choice for the bedroom or an office environment.

3. Low maintenance: Due to the fact that there are no moving parts there is minimal maintenance required for infrared heating units. There are no motor parts, fans, or filters that require cleaning or changing.

Conclusion

In conclusion both infrared and ceramic heating units are highly efficient forms of heat and provide comforting warmth in cold weather. Ceramic space heaters provide heat based on a strong heat conducting element and generally use convection to carry the heat forward. Infrared heaters rely on radiation and to provide heat and also do not require a fan as it is directly absorbed into our skin and clothes. Both types of heating systems work effectively depending on the situation you need them for.