Electric batteries: a method of economical heating or another myth

The hunt for effective and affordable heating solutions intensifies for homeowners as the weather gets colder and winter arrives. Among the plethora of choices, electric batteries have become a topic of discussion and interest. Marketed as an affordable heating solution, they guarantee warmth without raising energy costs. But there is doubt about their effectiveness; some people wonder if they are a myth or if they actually provide a useful solution.

The benefits of using electric batteries for heating have attracted attention. Electric batteries provide a decentralized solution in contrast to conventional heating systems, which depend on fossil fuels or centralized electrical grids. Theoretically, they enable consumers to benefit from lower electricity tariffs and lower their heating expenses by storing energy during off-peak hours when electricity rates are lower and releasing it when needed. The rising popularity of this technology can be attributed to its appeal to consumers who are concerned about the environment as well as those who want to reduce their heating costs.

Electric battery proponents contend that their use is a step toward sustainability and energy efficiency. These batteries provide a more environmentally friendly option to conventional heating techniques by utilizing electricity from renewable sources like solar or wind power, which lowers carbon emissions and has a smaller negative impact on the environment. Furthermore, because of their modular design, users can scale their heating capacity as needed without having to make significant changes to their infrastructure.

Notwithstanding these alleged advantages, doubts continue to exist about the viability and efficiency of using electric batteries for heating. Critics highlight a number of possible disadvantages, such as high initial costs, a restricted capacity for heating, and a reliance on advantageous electricity pricing schemes. In addition, questions have been raised concerning the dependability of using only electric batteries for heating, especially in areas with severe winters or erratic electricity systems.

Homeowners must balance the advantages and disadvantages of this technology in comparison to more conventional heating options as the discussion about using electric batteries for heating rages on. Opponents warn against ignoring the real-world difficulties and constraints, even as supporters highlight the possibility for financial savings and environmental advantages. In the end, it will be interesting to see if electric batteries turn out to be a practical solution for affordable heating or just another myth. The answer will probably vary based on personal preferences and circumstances.

Types and device of electric heaters

I want to be clear right away that we are not talking about conventional convector or infrared heating devices. We are talking about electric batteries that are constructed like regular hinged heating radiators, like the one in the picture.

Currently, four types of electric radiators are available from online stores:

• Type sectional heater;
• ceramic heating panels;
• vacuum wall radiators using electricity;
• Universal vacuum batteries capable of working from electricity or classic coolant – water.

You must comprehend the mechanism and workings of the heaters on this list in order to draw conclusions—whether favorable or unfavorable. Additionally, look over the feedback left by consumers who actually purchased and tested electric boards to see how well they heated private homes. We’ll examine every product in turn.

Life -free sectional heaters

The product looks like a wall-mounted, aluminum alloy sectional radiator that is intended to be used with a water heating system. There are only ornamental plastic panels on the sides, one of which has a control panel with a display mounted on it.

This is how the device appears inside:

• Battery sections are cast from an aluminum alloy with silicon (silumin) and equipped with heat exchange ribs;
• A tubular heater (TEN) with a power of up to 200 W is built into each section;
• The elements are twisted with each other, and the heating elements are connected to the power line according to the parallel scheme;
• heating is controlled by a thermostat connected to an electronic unit.

Note: The thermostat automatically adjusts to the required air temperature in the room based on what the user inputs on the display. When half the heating elements in an electric battery are not in use, there is an option to switch to an economical mode of operation.

The device is part of the network, and the heaps heat the ribbed sections, which distribute heat throughout the room. This is an incredibly basic operating principle. Heat transfer happens by both convection (direct air heating) and infrared radiation since the maximum surface temperature is 80 °C. The number of sections provides the required power.

The most fascinating now. The cost of an electric radiator with four sections and a 0.8 kW capacity, measuring 500 mm in standard size, is 210 at. e. (12.5 thousand rubles as of fall 2017), from the Russian company "Energo." For instance, a convector with a 1 kW heat transfer capacity from the well-known European brand NOBO (NOBO) model OSLO NTE4S-10 costs 9200 rubles, or 155. e.

Citation. One section of the aluminum Italian radiator Global (500 mm high) costs 9. e, which is comparable in price to the electric battery.

Ceramic panels

These goods have a pleasing exterior design and are made up of the various "layer pies" shown in the diagram:

1. The front part – a plate of 10-20 mm thick from ceramics. Usually decorated with a pretty pattern or photo printing.
2. Behind the stove, a heating element is installed – a chromium -nickel spiral laid a snake (another option is a carbon heater).
3. At the back to the heating element, a metal sheet is adjacent, profiled by "accordion".
4. The last part is a protective casing.

The ceramic electric panel is a very successful device, but it lacks any novel ideas in its design. Because the spiral heats the front plate and the rear steel sheet to between 80 and 85 degrees Celsius, the first emits infrared heat, and the second uses convective circulation to heat the air that passes through the profile’s bends. A thermostat and control panel are present.

The dimensions of ceramic electric batteries affect their power. A 0.6 x 0.6 m panel may require up to 350 watts of power, depending on the manufacturer. To help you understand ceramic electric heaters, we recommend watching this quick video. Just don’t take the dictator’s claims about the apparatus’s miraculous abilities seriously.

One more intriguing certificate. The product’s cost, at 1200 x 600 mm per 0.99 kW, is 15.9 thousand rubles, or nearly 270 inches, in power, which is comparable to the Nobo convector previously mentioned.

Vacuum radiators

It is a vacuum energy-saving radiator with steam firing, a liquid mini-boiler, and it operates on the same principles as a closed two-phase gravitational type thermal system. breathed out?

It’s time to move on to user-friendly human language. The heating apparatus consists of a thermosiphon, a sealed chamber filled to a certain level with mortar salt solution and pumped air. There is a second chamber beneath the sections that houses a 1 kW air or water heater. This is how the work algorithm is conceptualized:

1. After turning on, the tubular element heats the lower chamber.
2. Since a vacuum is organized in the upper chamber, the liquid begins to boil at a lower temperature (according to manufacturers – from 30 ° C).
3. The solution turns into steam, filling the vacuum battery. In contact with the cold walls, it gives heat and condenses, flowing back into the lower zone with drops. Hence the name – vapacitan, and 2 phases are evaporation and condensation of fluid.

As a point of reference. The thermosiphon (or simpler heat tube) principle involves a significant heat transfer during the solution’s evaporation and condensation. He appears to be doing the function of an air conditioner in this instance, moving thermal energy from the building to the street and back again. Here, a bromide salt solution serves as an intermediary to facilitate the transfer from the heater to the room’s air.

Similar to other electrical radiators, this one has a thermostat built in to control how hot the working fluid gets. Universal vacuum heaters can operate using regular coolant, which is water that is pumped from the boiler to the lower chamber. Here, ten is subtracted. We view the subsequent video and mentally sift through the device’s amazing feature list.

We will, however, include the price with the order. Made in Russia, the "Closed type heating device" PKN-3-0.5 heater costs 220 at. e. (13100 rubles) for four sections. The Chinese equivalents are more affordable.

Electric batteries have become a contender in the discussion of home heating techniques because of their alleged financial advantages. Nevertheless, despite the extols of efficacy and economy, a critical assessment is required. Although electric batteries are easy to use and convenient, there is disagreement about how effective they are at providing affordable heating. The projected savings must be carefully compared to factors like long-term maintenance costs, energy efficiency, and initial installation costs. The analysis is further complicated by the fluctuating cost of electricity and the environmental effects of electricity generation. In the end, evaluating whether electric batteries are a truly cost-effective heating technique necessitates a thorough analysis of both immediate advantages and long-term effects.

We are looking for real advantages of heater

The primary factor that draws customers to the electric radiator varieties on the list—efficiency 20–70%—is the focus of their advertising. The products’ descriptions provide scientific hypotheses intended to validate the claimed savings in any manner. Other ruses: the heating area is indicated in the characteristics instead of thermal power.

We’ll dispel the myth of extraordinary efficiency with a straightforward justification. Regardless of how advanced in design, electric batteries only function as a means of transfer. The heater is created by thermal energy, which also supplies water from the boiler. The other components of the heater only carry the heat to the country house’s interior.

Thus, the conclusion is that, regardless of the heating device, you will receive 980 watts of pure heat (efficiency = 98%) if the power consumption is 1 kW. The cost of the finished product increases with the number of "bells and whistles" added around the heater. From the perspective of heat transfer, these "innovations" are generally ineffective.

We will now sporadically examine the remaining benefits that sellers have stated and provide our quick commentary on them.

1. The “dry” type device and the ceramic panel are easy to install on the wall and connect with your own hands. There is nothing to object here, the characteristic is true.
2. Electric batteries are completely autonomous. Clarification: they depend only on electricity.
3. Quick heating of the room thanks to the two components of heat transfer – infrared radiation and convection. The approval is incorrect, the rate of heating depends primarily on the power of the device. Infrared and convective heat transfer can also boast of ordinary water heating batteries.
4. Due to the large thermal inertia of the radiator cast from aluminum (!), heat transfer continues after the device is turned off, hence the savings. The characteristic, to put it mildly, is erroneous. Aluminum alloys cool and heat up instantly, thermal inertia in this metal is practically absent.
5. Ceramic panels with a beautiful pattern will fit perfectly into any interior. Absolute truth.
6. The maximum surface temperature is 80 ° C, so the heater is fireproof and does not burn oxygen. We will attribute this property to the pluses of electric boats, but with a reservation: 80 degrees – it is hot, dangerous for young children.

Note: Decorative screens are typically used to shield hot surfaces from children, but they actually obstruct the path of radiant heat, turning it into convective heat (the casing heats up and interacts with air).

Generally speaking, liquid mini-cats are overrun with mystique. They are said to have a higher heat transfer because they have less coolant and less pressure. Another illustration would be the enormous amount of energy released during the liquid’s condensation process, which is used for heating. Indeed, since Ten’s power is only 1 kW, it is unknown where this amount of heat originated. Most likely from space.

Brief conclusions

This is not to argue that private homes, cottages, and apartments cannot be heated with heating radiators. To be honest, they radiate the heat that the tubular heater produces. In the moderate climate strip, a heater with a power of 1 kW is sufficient for a 10 m² home.

Based on homeowner reviews who trusted the advertisement, attempts to warm such a quadrature with a 500 W apparatus failed.

When a product’s price is competitive with that of another heater, users will believe everything they are told in advertising. However, the purpose of making such a purchase is rendered meaningless because electric batteries are 1.5–2 times more expensive than convector type heaters. Despite every advantage, real or imagined.

Ceramic panels are something we would like to remove from the list of worthless products. They can heat small rooms and look nice hanging on the wall. Selecting the appropriate power devices or using them for local heating is crucial.

The promise of efficiency and affordability has made electric batteries a popular option for cost-effective home heating. But it becomes clear from a closer look that their effectiveness might not match the hype.

Even though installing and using electric batteries is convenient, their real performance is not as good as that of other heating techniques. They frequently have trouble keeping a home’s temperature constant throughout or sufficiently heating larger areas.

Moreover, using electric batteries as the main source of heating for an extended period of time may be prohibitively expensive due to the cost of electricity. The alleged economic benefits could be undermined if homeowners experience unexpectedly high utility bills due to fluctuations in energy prices.

Furthermore, because electric batteries rely on electricity produced from non-renewable sources, they exacerbate environmental issues. Using electric batteries can contribute to environmental degradation and carbon emissions indirectly in areas where the energy grid is dominated by gas or coal-fired power plants.

In the end, electric batteries are not a magic bullet for cost-effective heating, even though they might have some benefits in terms of ease of use and initial installation. Homeowners should carefully balance the advantages and disadvantages, taking into account alternate heating options that might ultimately offer higher sustainability and efficiency.