electric fan heaters and dry air myth?
beerismygas
some enlightenment on this question i have. if you google "fan heater
& cough" you will find lots of references saying fan heaters dry up
the air more than oil heaters and can aggrevate coughs.
But I am trying to reason out the science behind it.if a fan heater
dries out the air more, where does the water go? doesnt it stay in the
room? is there any truth in this?
thx
electric oil heater (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_heater)
fan heater (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_heater)
tin...@isbd.co.uk
> hi there! ppl in this group know their appliances so i was hoping for
> some enlightenment on this question i have. if you google "fan heater
> & cough" you will find lots of references saying fan heaters dry up
> the air more than oil heaters and can aggrevate coughs.
>
> But I am trying to reason out the science behind it.if a fan heater
> dries out the air more, where does the water go? doesnt it stay in the
> room? is there any truth in this?
>
so the oil heater will actually humidify the air (which can be a
problem, producing condensation) whereas the electric heater won't.
--
Chris Green
OG
<tin...@isbd.co.uk> wrote in message
news:49986de3$0$505$bed6...@news.gradwell.net...
It depends on what you mean by an oil heater. I usually think of an 'oil
heater' as being one of those oil filled radiators in which case the
humidity shouldn't change cf a fan heater; but yes, an oil burning stove (if
venting into the room) would increase the room's humidity. Whether the OP
was thinking of the same is another matter.
meow...@care2.com
They do seem to feel worse, but as you say its hard to see any
diference in drying. I suspect it may be because they kick up dust,
much more so than unfanned heaters.
NT
beerismygas
assume we are comparing them with electric fan heaters of equal
wattage, say 2kw.
Andy Champ
> hi there! ppl in this group know their appliances so i was hoping for
> some enlightenment on this question i have. if you google "fan heater
> & cough" you will find lots of references saying fan heaters dry up
> the air more than oil heaters and can aggrevate coughs.
>
> But I am trying to reason out the science behind it.if a fan heater
> dries out the air more, where does the water go? doesnt it stay in the
> room? is there any truth in this?
>
Andrew Gabriel posted this link earlier
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/PsychrometricChart-SeaLevel-SI.jpg
Showing that as the temperature rises with the same amount of water in
the air the RH will drop - so it feels drier.
An oil (or gas) *burning* heater (not an oil filled radiator) makes
water in the room, helping to cancel out the drop in RH by increasing
the amount of water.
This will of course increase the condensation.
Andy
Harry Bloomfield
> Any heater that burns oil/gas/hydrocarbon produces water as a result
> so the oil heater will actually humidify the air (which can be a
> problem, producing condensation) whereas the electric heater won't.
I think the question was probably comparing electric fan heaters with
electric oil filled radiators, rather than oil burners.
--
Regards,
Harry (M1BYT) (L)
http://www.ukradioamateur.co.uk
Kevin Poole
Rednadnerb wrote:
>
> But surely any products of combustion will be vented out through the
> flue, water vapour as well as CO2 and carbon monoxide.
Ah, a youngster who doesn't remember central heating being an Aladdin
heater in the hall (on the very coldest nights).
Paraffin-fuelled wick-type burners, shoving products of combustion and a
gentle miasma of Esso Blue into the room were slightly safer than the
infamous drip-feed paraffin burners. Then there were bottled gas
"cabinet heaters", beloved of a certain class of takeaway and those
whose financial management skills could manage the occasional tenner for
a gas bottle, but not the shock of an electricity bill.
--
Kevin Poole
****Use current date to reply (e.g. feb...@mainbeam.co.uk)****
Rednadnerb
Not so. My memory loss was temporary and I pulled my post before I
could be shot down but you were too quick on the draw.
But you've only winged me, I'll be back.
Brendan.
Fergus McMenemie
> Andrew Gabriel posted this link earlier
>
> http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/05/PsychrometricChart-SeaLevel-
> SI.jpg
>
> Showing that as the temperature rises with the same amount of water in the
> air the RH will drop - so it feels drier.
>
> An oil (or gas) *burning* heater (not an oil filled radiator) makes water
> in the room, helping to cancel out the drop in RH by increasing the amount
> of water.
>
> This will of course increase the condensation.
The OP did not mention frequency of use. A thought...
Another effect I have seen myself involves dust. Fan heaters when first
turned on after a period of non-use seem to blow out some dust. They
also suck in dust from the room "super heat" it and then blast it out
straight at you, or whatever the heater is aimed at. Anybody who has
taken one apart will have discovered the dust.
Other types of heater are convection based and dont seem to collect less
dust or muck. I also suspect they are at lot less active when it comes
to blasting muck out.