Electricity is everywhere. Your television, the car… even your watch. The influence of electricity on our society has revealed numerous possibilities that have changed the way that we live and operate. The benefits an electric world offers have even spread into how we heat our homes. Once the sole domain of fossil fuels, electricity has allowed us to develop ultra-efficient and sleek heating solutions that are better for both the environment and your wallet.
The concept of smart homes may have been around for a while, but the idea is becoming increasingly popular as technology develops and solutions become more affordable. When it comes to electric radiators and electric heaters, some allow you to control your heating in clever ways using AI assistants and apps on your smartphone. These allow you to micro-manage your central heating from anywhere, at any time, offering enhanced convenience and efficiency.
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What is electric heating?
Electric heating is the process of converting electrical current into heat energy. The heating element within an electric heater is called an electrical resistor, and when an electric current passes through the resistor, this is where the heat is created.
This process is commonly used in a wide variety of applications across the household. From cooking on an electric stove, boiling water in the kettle and, of course, home heating.
In terms of electric heaters and radiators, they work just like your plumbed central heating radiators, except for one key difference – they don’t rely on a boiler and a network of pipes to deliver the heat. This is beneficial as it allows greater control over the temperature of each unit. It also improves reliability, because if your boiler breaks your heating system remains fully functional, keeping your home nice and warm.
How do electric heaters work?
Electric heaters are often standalone units that use electrical elements to heat a core. There are two main types of core that are used in electric radiators and heaters; oil-filled and dry cores. Heaters and radiators with a dry core are often made of ceramic making them light weight and leak-free.
In operation, electricity is passed through the heating element inside the heater, utilising the electrical resistance to produce heat. As the element heats up, the heat energy is transferred to the core which is then conducted by the heater’s casing before, finally, being transferred to the surrounding air and keeping your home at a nice, comfortable temperature.
To learn more about the differences between oil-filled and ceramic core radiators, please read our blog on Ceramic Radiators vs Oil-Filled Radiators.
Why you should switch to an electric heater
There are plenty of reasons why you should switch to electric heating for your home but here are our top 3 reasons:
- High energy efficiency – using an electrical element to heat a highly conductive core, such as thermal-fluid or ceramic, is far more efficient than heating water and delivering it across a network of pipes leading to reduced operational costs from traditional plumbed heaters and radiators.
- Greater sustainability – the lack of combustion and harmful emissions from electric heaters makes them an eco-friendly heating solution for your home allowing you to save money and the planet!
- Programmable – as each smart heater or radiator is its own standalone unit, you can create fully customised heating schedules and temperature levels for every room in your home so that, no matter the time of day or year, your home is always just the right temperature.
Looking for your own electrical heater?
All our heaters are compatible with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa making them easy to control on the fly. Our Rio Eco smart heater is also compatible with Google Home and Amazon Alexa, making it the ultimate hands and hassle-free heating solution. Smart heating just got smarter.
If you have any questions regarding our Rio Eco electric radiator, please visit our FAQ page where we have answered a handful of questions, we may have already answered yours! If we haven’t already answered yours, please do not hesitate to contact our friendly team today who will be more than happy to help!
