Fan heater
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FAN<br />
HEATER<br />
A fan <strong>heater</strong> is a <strong>heater</strong><br />
that works by using a<br />
fan to pass air over a<br />
heat source (e.g. a<br />
heating element). This<br />
heats up the air, which<br />
then leaves the <strong>heater</strong>,<br />
warming up the<br />
surrounding room. They<br />
can heat an enclosed<br />
space such as a room<br />
faster than a <strong>heater</strong><br />
without fan, but, like any<br />
fan, create audible noise.
COST AND EFFICIENCY<br />
Electric fan <strong>heater</strong>s can be less expensive to buy than<br />
other <strong>heater</strong>s due to simple construction. The fan carries<br />
heat away from the device, which can be made smaller<br />
without overheating. The relatively small amount of<br />
electricity used to operate the fan is partly converted to<br />
additional heat, so that efficiency is not a problem. All<br />
<strong>heater</strong>s without external ventilation are nearly 100%<br />
efficient, meaning that almost all energy input goes into<br />
the room as heat. However, if the efficiency of generating<br />
the electricity is taken into account, the overall efficiency<br />
decreases significantly.<br />
Electric fan <strong>heater</strong>s are more expensive to run than fuel<br />
powered <strong>heater</strong>s due to the cost of electricity. This<br />
makes them best suited to occasional use rather than as<br />
regularly used heat sources.<br />
CONTROL<br />
Most modern fan <strong>heater</strong>s have a power setting to<br />
determine power output. Some also have a thermostat<br />
which switches off heating when the desired ambient<br />
temperature is reached. They do not maintain perfect<br />
room temperature control, since<br />
- the thermostat is usually attached to the body of the<br />
<strong>heater</strong>, and senses temperature there.<br />
- the basic bimetal thermostats usually used have<br />
significant hysteresis.<br />
- Remote sensors and thermostats with less hysteresis<br />
are available but are less common, as they are more<br />
expensive and the basic fan <strong>heater</strong> is satisfactory for<br />
most purposes.
fan <strong>heater</strong>s are unsealed appliances<br />
Electric<br />
live electric parts inside, so they are not<br />
with<br />
to use in wet environments because of<br />
safe<br />
risk of electrocution if moisture provides<br />
the<br />
conductive path to electrically-live parts.<br />
a<br />
fan <strong>heater</strong>s usually have a thermal<br />
Electric<br />
close to the heating element(s) to<br />
fuse<br />
against overheating in the event of<br />
protect<br />
failure or air intakes becoming blocked,<br />
fan<br />
a tip-over switch to shut the <strong>heater</strong> off<br />
and<br />
the fan outlet is not in the required<br />
when<br />
orientation.<br />
fuel-powered fan <strong>heater</strong>s release<br />
Portable<br />
the fumes of combustion into the room,<br />
all<br />
a risk of poisoning by carbon<br />
creating<br />
and carbon dioxide. Most<br />
monoxide<br />
fuel fan <strong>heater</strong>s in the first world<br />
installed<br />
a heat exchanger and external<br />
use<br />
avoiding that risk by venting the<br />
ventilation,<br />
gases to the outdoors.<br />
combustion<br />
HEAT SOURCES<br />
While the fans in fan <strong>heater</strong>s are electrically powered, various heat sources may be<br />
used:<br />
- Electric heating elements are common, and used in portable plug-in electric<br />
<strong>heater</strong>s. Although they may supply several kilowatts of heat, such <strong>heater</strong>s are<br />
usually small as the electric element itself is small. Since heat is removed by the fan,<br />
the body of the <strong>heater</strong> does not need to be an effective heat sink.<br />
- Hot water tubing is used where the heat is provided by a hydronic heating system.<br />
- Gas, kerosene, and sometimes other fuels such as used engine oil are burnt in highpower<br />
fan <strong>heater</strong>s.<br />
SAFETY
INTERNAL PARTS<br />
Residential model<br />
The picture immediately to the right (the top on the mobile site) shows most of the<br />
component parts of a typical plug-in electric fan <strong>heater</strong>.<br />
- The heating element is the coiled wire frame located behind the fan blades.<br />
- The thermostat is at the top left.<br />
- The heat (wattage) selector switch is at the top right.<br />
- The switch at the bottom is a normally open switch that serves as a "tipover<br />
switch" safety device: as long as the <strong>heater</strong> is standing upright, the switch is engaged<br />
and the circuit is closed.<br />
- The grip for the power cord is at the bottom right.<br />
Industrial model<br />
Industrial fan <strong>heater</strong>s use high-output finned heating elements in front of a fan to<br />
provide a larger airflow and higher kilowatt rating than many smaller residential fan<br />
<strong>heater</strong>s. Industrial fan <strong>heater</strong>s can be used in warehouses, shipping containers, clean<br />
rooms, shops and other general purpose heating applications. They can also be used<br />
as dryers or dehumidifiers with modified attachments or mountings. Portable<br />
industrial fan <strong>heater</strong>s tend to range from around 1.5 kW up to about 45 kW with<br />
either axial or centrifugal fans and various staged controls and over-temperature<br />
safety limit controls.<br />
ARTICLE SOURCE:<br />
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/<strong>Fan</strong>_<strong>heater</strong><br />
IMAGE SOURCE:<br />
https://www.fanmaster.com.au/product-category/heating/
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