PDA

View Full Version : What is more efficient a wall or floor heater.


mariagarber
Jun 11, 2009, 10:50 AM
My home was built in 1954. We have a floor heater. Do you recommend to install a wall heater. What are the advantages and disadvantages of a wall ad loor heater?

Perito
Jun 11, 2009, 11:09 AM
I'm assuming these are electric heaters.

Neither one is inherently more efficient than the other. Heat is easy to calculate with electric heaters and the placement isn't a factor in inherent efficiency. If we were talking about different types of heaters (hot water, gas, etc), then we could compare them.

The question comes down to whether there's a greater heat gradient with one heater or the other. If insulation is the same with either type, then neither one is more efficient than the other. If, on the other hand, you mount a wall heater and remove insulation behind the wall heater. When the wall heater gets hot, you'll lose more heat out the back of the wall heater. If, however, the floor heater is set over a crawl space and, because of the floor heater, there is less insulation, then the floor heater would be less efficient.

Floor heaters are especially popular in bathrooms. Heat can be concentrated on the feet that can get cold. There may be some other considerations like this, also.