Home heating technologies are not standing still. Now quartz heaters are gaining popularity in the Russian market. They are characterized by experts and many homeowners as inexpensive and highly efficient devices. What are the features of the technologies involved in them? What advantages are they characterized in comparison with traditional types of devices?
What is quartz heating?
What are quartz electric heaters? What is the principle of their work based on? A heater for a quartz-type house can be represented by two main technological classes.
Firstly, there are infrared heaters. Their peculiarity is that during their operation it is not the air that is heated, but the objects located in the room - by directing the corresponding frequency of the radio waves at them. Some models of the device have a flexible reflector that can rotate to the desired angle.
Secondly, devices with a chrome-nickel rod are produced. Actually, devices of this class are most often called quartz. Domestic heaters of this type are designed very simply. The heat in them is generated by a heating element (it is made, as a rule, of nickel-chromium alloys) located inside the plate, the material of which is a mixture based on quartz sand. Its unique property is its ability to retain heat for a long time. As a rule, heaters of this type are equipped with efficient thermal relays that provide optimal control of heat transfer between the heating elements in the device and the environment. Among the most important advantages of this type of heater is fire safety. The fact is that plates that fit the heating element, as a rule, do not heat up to temperatures above 95 degrees. Based on this technological feature, one can also observe the environmental aspect of the advantages of quartz heaters - they do not dry the air.
Beneficial features
Among the particularly noteworthy properties that any quartz heater possesses - TeplEko (reviews of this brand are among the most common) or another company - they are almost completely silent. These devices have a very long service life. This is mainly due to the isolation of the heating element from the air. That is, it does not oxidize, and therefore serves for a long time. Another noteworthy property that a heater for a house, belonging to the quartz category, has is a quick heating to the optimum temperature - about 20 minutes. The infrared device begins to heat surrounding objects almost immediately after turning it on (however, it is recommended to wait about 10 minutes until the lamp reaches the optimum beam generation power).
Reliability
Monolithic quartz heater "TeplEko" (reviews of many users of the device confirm this) and many other brands - a very reliable device. The technology used in it is extremely simple. And therefore, there are very few objective factors that can affect the disruption of its work. Sudden changes in temperature and humidity in the room mean nothing in terms of the operational properties of the device. With proper use of the IR device, it will also be a reliable device with a long service life.
Control
Depending on the brand of the manufacturer, the device can be controlled (both technological types) both in manual and automatic mode. In the second case, as a rule, there is a need to buy an additional accessory - a temperature regulator. This device allows you to primarily optimize energy consumption. Many Russian homeowners strive to have an economical heater in their apartment - a quartz-type device satisfies this criterion to a large extent. The average level of electricity consumption in devices of this type is about 0.5 kW / h. This is several times lower indicator in comparison with the values, in particular, convector heaters. True, for infrared devices, the indicator is slightly higher - 1.5 kW - but at the same time, the overall heating efficiency of objects located in the room, in relation to the energy consumed, is at the same high level as when using devices of the first technological type.
Remote control
It should be noted that the technological scheme of the heater of a number of modern models allows the presence of a module for remote control over the operation of the device - as a rule, using GSM communication. A homeowner, being, for example, at work, can “call”, no matter how surprisingly it sounds, to his heater or send him an SMS with an “order” to warm up the room to such and such a temperature. And this is also one of the elements of energy conservation. Electricity will not be consumed until the owner of the heater accordingly disposes.
Installation and operation features
The design features of the quartz heater (if we talk about the technological modification where sand is used) are such that it can be mounted in a variety of ways - on the floor, on the wall. The device is so effective that it can be the main source of heating in the apartment - even if the central highway for some reason does not work. True, for this, probably, it will be necessary to purchase several modules of quartz heaters - however, as we have already noted, they can be placed virtually any way. And therefore, the homeowner should not experience problems in order to arrange such an efficient and economical heater. Installation work, as a rule, is not accompanied by any noise of drilling and other actions requiring the use of powerful tools. Moving quartz heaters from place to place is also quite simple. One medium-sized module is enough to warm the air in a room with an area of about 16 square meters. m
In turn, infrared heaters, as a rule, are also equipped with elements to increase the convenience of placement in the apartment. The only fundamental difference between such devices and those made with sand technology is the desirability of being placed outside close contact with people: after all, the prolonged exposure to infrared rays at a short distance can cause a person some discomfort.
The high energy efficiency of quartz heaters (both technological types) is usually due to the corresponding efficiency in the aspect of converting electricity to heat. According to experts, the efficiency of systems based on devices of the type in question is about 30% higher than when using traditional technologies. Moreover, if you use an automated temperature control system, the corresponding indicator can be increased up to 70%. Quartz sand functions in the aspect of maintaining heat, like "hot bricks". This allows achieving the highest energy efficiency of the device. Savings when using the thermostat are due to the fact that the system, having fixed the temperature rise to the optimum level, stops the heating of the device. Heat is thereby held back by quartz sand. As a rule, one thermostat can be connected simultaneously to 5-6 heaters.
Instrument Dimensions
What sizes are typical solutions in the segment of quartz heaters? For example, the TeplEko quartz heater, reviews of which are among the most common among users of this type with devices, is quite compact. Its main element - the stove - has a width of about 60 cm, a height of 35 cm, a thickness of about 2.5 cm. The weight of the heater is about 12 kg. The indicators, as we see, are quite acceptable from the point of view of installation comfort (which we have already noted above) and the arrangement of devices in the room. They won’t take up much space, and, as a rule, they do not need to install any bulky auxiliary structures for holding them.
Ease of maintenance
A quartz heater, a photo of a typical sample of which you can see below, is a device that does not require regular maintenance. The heater in which sand is used is about 5-6 years. The service life of heating elements in infrared devices is about 7 thousand hours, which, in general, is a comparable indicator (subject to rational use of the device). All the homeowner needs to do is rid the surface of the appliance of an excessive layer of dust. The installation of any additional climate systems, ventilation solutions in the case of quartz heaters is not needed.
How to choose a device
Which quartz is the best heater? What criteria should I use when choosing a device? The brand, according to experts, is one of the most insignificant indicators. The level of technology that companies use to produce quartz home heaters - TeplEko, Profeco, Teplopit - is about the same. The most important criterion, which is most appropriate to focus on, is the ratio of the price and power of the device, regardless of the specific technological type of device. The factor of aesthetics, compatibility of color, shape, design of the device with the interior of the apartment is important.
Although the first thing that probably needs to be done is to decide: we are buying an infrared heater or a quartz heater, in the technological scheme of which sand is used. What are the main features of IR devices? Among the obvious advantages is the very high efficiency of heating objects indoors. It is enough to wait a few minutes until the lamp reaches the optimum radiation power, direct the infrared beam to the desired area of objects - and they will heat up to the desired temperature in a matter of minutes. The disadvantages of infrared heaters include the fact that while objects are warming up, the air temperature rises to a very small extent. This problem can be solved to some extent by purchasing several devices and placing them around the perimeter of the room so that the beam coverage area is maximum. However, this option in operational terms can be quite expensive - the energy consumption of infrared devices, as we have already noted, is two to three times greater than their counterparts made using sand technology.
At the same time, the infrared device is an ideal solution when the central heating is working. In this case, if the battery power at some point in time is not enough (for example, repair work is underway at the boiler room), then it is quite possible to warm the air by several degrees using infrared devices. Not to mention that just a few seconds after turning on the device, people in the room will feel a pleasant stream of heat. Thus, the infrared device is optimal if the air in the room is already in some way already warmed up to a temperature equal to at least 15-17 degrees.
What features are characterized, in turn, by a quartz monolithic heater - TeplEko, Profeco, Teplopit - and other brands? As we noted above, such devices have minimized the level of energy consumption. Therefore, if we need quartz heaters for summer cottages, where, perhaps, the resources of the power system do not allow the use of rather energy-intensive infrared devices, the technological type under consideration is the best option. In addition, central heating is rarely carried out in the cottages - this is another reason why a quartz monolithic heater is better for country houses than infrared. The thing is that this type of device is guaranteed to warm not only objects in the room, but also the air in it. And if the device is equipped with a temperature controller, then it will automatically maintain the optimum temperature.
Thus, when choosing a heater, we can be guided by the following set of criteria.
1. If there is central heating in the room, and the power system can withstand relatively large loads with high-power devices, it is advisable to choose an infrared heater.
2. If the power grid is not fully adapted to energy-intensive devices, and at the same time the central heating batteries are installed, then it is more appropriate to probably buy a monolithic quartz heater - wall, floor.
3. After we have decided on the technological type of device, we can pay attention to the actual indicators of the ratio of price, power, as well as the appearance of the device.
Of course, the option with a combination of two types of heaters is quite possible. And in this case, the issue of the availability of central heating is likely to become less relevant. A more important aspect will be whether the power grid can withstand the simultaneous connection of different types of devices.
Much is determined by the economic aspect of using the devices - in particular, electricity tariffs. It is necessary to analyze the expected dynamics of the use of heaters. In particular, a monolithic quartz heater - wall or other modifications - consuming about 0.5 kW, will work in an active state of about 7-8 hours a day. During this time, it will consume about 3.5-4 kW of energy.
If we are talking about an infrared device, then it, consuming about 1.5 kW, will probably work about 3-4 hours. It turns out monolithic - a more economical heater. But everything, of course, is very individual. Perhaps the homeowner is willing to overpay a little for greater comfort - especially if, for example, electricity tariffs are low - which, in particular, is typical for country houses, where electricity prices are usually lower than in the city.
Typical Specifications and Prices
Take the option in which we chose the TeplEko quartz monolithic heater. The device we purchased will have approximately the following technical characteristics. Many competing solutions from other brands have a fairly similar set of relevant parameters. And therefore, those characteristics that we described below can be considered a conditional reference point for devices in this segment.
About the dimensions we have already said above. Typical indicators for a monolithic quartz heater are a width of about 60 cm, a height of 35, a thickness of 2.5. The device is not too heavy, its weight is about 12 kg.
The power possessed by the TeplEko quartz heater (user reviews contain extremely positive ratings regarding this aspect) is only 0.4 kW. For comparison - about the same consumption of a chandelier of 4 lamps with a power of 100 watts, a good LCD TV. On average, a device spends about 2.54 kW of electricity per day. One quartz heater can effectively heat a room with an area of up to 18 square meters. m
The TeplEko quartz heater warms up (homeowners' reviews are also characterized by positive opinions on this matter) quite quickly - 20 minutes to a temperature of 95 degrees. The cooling rate is just over 1 degree in 2 minutes. This is facilitated, as we said above, by the high heat capacity of the materials used in the production of this type of device.
Another aspect that the TeplEko quartz heater is characterized on the positive side (user reviews confirm this) is the affordable price. The device costs about 2,600 rubles, which, in principle, is not much more expensive than traditional types of devices. True, it is also necessary to consider when purchasing a TeplEko quartz heater, the price of accessories is a component that cannot be excluded from the general cost estimate. For example, a temperature regulator compatible with the device will cost about 1000 rubles, a protective screen - about 1300 rubles.
If we want to be able to “call” the heater from work, then we will have to get a GSM-module for remote control, which costs about 3,700 rubles. Thus, in our heating system will be present not only the TeplEko quartz heater itself. The price of accessories is also subject to accounting.