Electric heaterOur compatriotsTraditionally, oil radiators or devices consisting of a heating coil and a fan - a la "breeze". And for unknown reasons, they completely forget about the possibility of using such an effective and safe appliance as electroconvector. This “native of Europe”, originally developed for main heating, is very popular in those countries where electrical heating is common. (There, on the basis of electric convectors, full-fledged heating systems for apartments, offices, houses and cottages are being built, organizing zone management in accordance with daily and weekly programs.) Systemic use of electric convectors in Russia today is not very common, although there are prerequisites for this. The mentality, however ... And the possibilities. Historically, and in connection with the actual deficit of allocated capacities, we are focused on water central heating in the city and on wood, and at best gas - in the countryside. And electric heaters are considered only as additional sources of heat or for heating summer buildings. But in this role, electric convectors proved to be excellent.
Heaters
The heart of the electric convector is the heating element. Near it, the air warms up and due to convection rises up inside the steel case. At the same time, cold air enters the convector through the holes in the bottom, and warm air is ejected through the upper ventilation grille. In modern electric convectors, there are three types of heating elements. The first ones, known as needle, tape or stich (from the English stitch - sew, quilting), are a thin plate (tape) of a dielectric material, thickly “stitched” with a chrome-nickel thread that forms loops on both sides. In this case, the conductive thread is covered with a special insulating varnish, and its operating temperature is quite high. The needle heater is characterized by minimal thermal inertia - it heats up and cools almost instantly. 
True, wire loops as such are not finned, therefore convection in such devices occurs mainly due to the design of the case. The heating element is of needle type
TEN with fins
Monolithic heater
In general, "stitch" is a rather delicate thing, convectorswith such a "filling" require careful transportation. And due to their fragility, they are not too durable. Also, the practically unprotected filament is not suitable for wet rooms. As a rule, the degree of protection for devices with needle heaters does not exceed IP 21, that is, they are not protected against splashes and running water. But they are the cheapest to manufacture. Such models are present in the production line of General (China), Termia (Ukraine) and even Siemens (Germany). The second type is traditional tubular electric heaters (heating elements with nichrome thread located in a steel flask with quartz, ceramic or magnesium filling), on which fixed aluminum fins, otherwise called a reflector or diffuser. The configuration and position of the plates may vary. The developed fins provide more intense heat transfer from the heater to the air and enhances. The surface temperature of such heating elements is significantly lower than that of the incandescent filament. In addition, they are much more unpretentious and durable than tape, and are suitable for use in wet rooms. The devices with tubular heaters are produced by Ballu (China), Ensto (Finland), Nobo (Norway); Siemens, Stiebel Eltron (Germany), Thermor (France). As a rule, these devices are marked with IP 24 (protection against splashing water in all directions), which means that they are approved for installation in wet rooms at a distance of at least 60 cm from "open water" (bathtubs, pool side, etc.). NS.). However, they also have their drawbacks. Due to the different thermal expansion of steel and aluminum, tubular electric heaters crackle during operation. The imperfect fit of the finning to the heating element leads to intermediate heat losses. Again, in the places of attachment to the heating element, the aluminum shell can rub over time, which will make the contact even less dense. Heating elements of the third type - monolithic ones - are devoid of these drawbacks. In them, a nichrome filament with a dielectric filler is housed in a one-piece aluminum casing with ribbing. This is how the new models of electric convectors from Ballu are arranged; Beha, Nobo (Norway); Noirot (France). When heated and cooled, all parts of the monoblock equally expand and contract, which eliminates friction and the appearance of microcracks. The devices are quiet in operation and very durable. The monolithic design allowed to minimize intermediate heat losses and further reduce the temperature on the surface of the fins. As a rule, the degree of protection for models with such heaters is IP 24.
