Electric Heating Systems

During winter you do not want to suddenly find that your heating system is not able to properly heat up your home. If you need to buy additional heating, such as a portable heater, you need to calculate in advance how large it should be in order to efficiently heat the room up. It is better to have a heater that is slightly larger than you need, than one that is not big enough to properly heat a room. The theory behind this is that a larger heater can easily be turned down whereas with a smaller heater you are pretty stuck at whatever its maximum heat output is.

The most efficient way to calculate how much wattage is needed to heat a space is to calculate how many square feet your room is. You should allow about 10 watts of heat per square foot for most modern, well insulated houses. However, there are other factors to keep in mind as well: If your room has a high ceiling (above 8 feet) or if it has large sliding glass doors, large windows or is a conservatory, then you will definitely need more watts of heat to heat up the room effectively.

The best way to estimate this is to check out some of the online calculators that will automatically total up how many watts your heater should be based on the input you type in. You will need to not only know how many square feet your room is but also how well insulated the house is, how high the ceilings are and what percentage of windows versus wall space you have in your home. You should also have in mind an average temperature that you would like your room to be. If you know all of this information it is relatively easy to come up with a suggested size for your heater. If you are still unsure check with your local heating shop as they should be able to help you properly estimate your needs.

It is also a good idea to check your electric breakers before getting a heater or heaters. Breakers can only stand to have so much loaded on them before they give out, plunging you in darkness and cold. You may have to run your heater on a separate breaker, especially if it is fairly high wattage, and you will want to know this before you buy a heater, or heaters, for any room in your house.

Bob Hander, part time home decorator, loves to write and share his experiences with you on a variety of topics ranging from heating to carpentry. Determining electric heater efficiency is simple if you use a calculator and basic computations to figure it out. It will assist you in purchasing heaters in a quick and easy manner.

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