consumption of electricity by electric heaters

[ciara]

i want to supplement the heating in my workshop but cant install radiators, ive been looking at putting in a little wooden stove type thing like this:

my dad used to have one and theyre great for small confined spaces, really effective. the only issue is the effort/cost of sorting ventilation. the other option i was considering is an electric heater, ive been shopping around but i cant seem to find too much info about what sort of consumption these things have, none of the sites really go into much detail, like here for example: Electric Heater - Compare prices on Twenga.co.uk there's no overly technical jargon and i would like to know how much these things are gonna cost to run on full per hour. if theyre gonna turn out really expensive then il just put in the work now and sort ventilation and opt for the wood burner.
anyone able to advise?

 

[High Tower]

small ones are around 3kw big ones up to 9KW so anything from a 13-40A supply

The wood burner would certainly be cheaper to run, especially if you run round cutting you neighbours trees down when they are on holiday.

 

[telectrix]

if you look a the rating of the heater it will tell you how many kw it is, usually around 2kw for those wall mounted panel heaters. these use 2 units per hour. at around 15p a unit, that's 30p/hour. ( you'll find how much per unit you are paying on you latest bill). some come with built in timers. and all have a thermostat, so they are not running on full power all the time. unless it's really cold.

 

[WDMDL]

Electric heaters are 100% efficient. Whatever kW of heat you need, they will consume that much electricity, until the thermostat set temperature is reached.

I downloaded a calculation program once from a central heating radiator manufacturer.
By entering the size of room, construction details, insulation and indoor and outdoor temps etc, it came up with a figure in Watts that your radiator would need to be.
Then you'd look at the spec sheet to decide which size or combination of sizes would best suit you for the desired output.

But you can use the same info for electric heating.

You may then find that the amount of heat you require would cause overloading of your electrical supply to your workshop, and will at least need additional circuits.

Anything more than one 3kW heater (or two 2kW heaters) and I'd be looking at fixed heaters on separate circuits.

Simon.

 

[High Tower]

Electric heaters are 100% efficient. Whatever kW of heat you need, they will consume that much electricity, until the thermostat set temperature is reached.

I downloaded a calculation program once from a central heating radiator manufacturer.
By entering the size of room, construction details, insulation and indoor and outdoor temps etc, it came up with a figure in Watts that your radiator would need to be.
Then you'd look at the spec sheet to decide which size or combination of sizes would best suit you for the desired output.

But you can use the same info for electric heating.

You may then find that the amount of heat you require would cause overloading of your electrical supply to your workshop, and will at least need additional circuits.

Anything more than one 3kW heater (or two 2kW heaters) and I'd be looking at fixed heaters on separate circuits.

Simon.

Efficency is not in question, the op was wondering what was best to use in the work shop.

Would we not consider solid fuel to be a cheaper option??

 

[WDMDL]

Not so much the energy conversion efficiency, but a note that whatever output your heater is, you need the same amount of electricity to run it.
Telectrix gave an example of the cost of the electricity for a 2kW heater

That's why I questioned how much heat would be needed - and how to make an educated estimate.

Yes, solid fuel heating could be cheaper - but the OP identified ventilation considerations which may add cost.
And solid fuel isn't that cheap unless you know someone you can get a load from (insert tree fellers joke here).

So how much heat and how often? A good few kW 8 hours every day could make the stove the most economical solution.

Simon.

 

[telectrix]

i would agree, but get a multifuel stove as then you can burn wood as well as coal ( smokeless of course if anyone's looking) . broken up mfi furniture burns well, and your rubbish bin will not be overflowing a week before collection day. also negates the need for a shredder machine.

 

[High Tower]

i would agree, but get a multifuel stove as then you can burn wood as well as coal ( smokeless of course if anyone's looking) . broken up mfi furniture burns well, and your rubbish bin will not be overflowing a week before collection day. also negates the need for a shredder machine.

Is it only MFI furniture that will burn or are other makes still flammable?? lol

I told you, just go round cutting other peoples trees down!!