Panel heaters are low cost home heaters which heat purely by convection. Panel heaters heat rooms by warming the air. Hot elements in the panel body heat the air as it circulates around the room, keeping the room’s occupants warm by surrounding them with heated air. Because the elements which heat the air are unenclosed, the heaters are cheaper and easier to manufacture than electric radiators. Whilst convection heaters can be a fast and effective source of heat, they also come with three significant disadvantages which you should consider before choosing this cheaper option:
Panel heaters are less efficient than electric radiators because convected heat is inherently less efficient than radiated heat. This means that you’ll need to use more power to heat your room with panel heaters than you would with energy efficient electric radiators. This will mean that, if you use panel heaters regularly, the increase in your heating bills will quickly eclipse the savings made with your initial purchase.
Panel heaters are not suitable for constant use because the unenclosed elements which make panel heaters cheap to manufacture can burn dust particles carried in the air. Over time this can cause wall blackening and damage to paintwork. Circulating dust particles can also agitate allergies. This is a disadvantage common to all convection heaters – no matter what the brand, price or style.
Panel heaters are less durable than electric radiators because they have to work much harder to heat home spaces. This can give them significantly shorter lifespans than energy efficient radiators. The lifespans of panel heaters often suffer from cheaper manufacturing designed to satisfy a demand for low priced heaters.
So, is it ever appropriate to use a panel heater instead of an electric radiator?
There’s no question that energy efficient electric radiators are superior to electric panel heaters – and certainly a more economical choice for principal home heating. However, we do think there is an important place in the market for electric panel heaters. We know that kitting out an entire house with electric radiators is an expense which can quickly add up. Cheaper panel heaters give you a low cost option which still allows you to effectively heat less visited spaces such as your study, spare bedroom or conservatory. They also make effective top-up heaters for use alongside night storage heaters or slow-to-heat-up underfloor heating systems. Used infrequently, panel heaters should not wear out quickly and the running costs will not make a significant impact on your monthly bills.
That’s why we sell our Haverland Lodel Electric Panel Radiators. The Lodel combines the economy of panel heaters with the contemporary styling and extensive programming facilities of designer electric radiators, allowing you to control the heating in your spare rooms as effectively as the heating in the rest of your house.