A conservatory is a wonderful place to relax in summer, bridging the gap between your home and garden.
However, in the winter months, your conservatory may get less use. Even with the central heating system running, it can become cold and bleak and feel like a waste of space. What’s more, any plants in your conservatory may die as the temperature plummets (artificial plants might be a solution instead).
Luckily, there’s a range of conservatory-heating solutions that can help you keep it a comfortable space all year round. And, let’s face it, having somewhere to retreat to, that is bright, warm and beautiful, is even more important through the cold, grey days of a British winter.
So, you can keep your conservatory warm and inviting by investing in a conservatory heater.
There are lots of things to look out for, but don’t worry. The following tips will help you make an informed purchase.
Conservatory Heater Benefits
Heaters can help transform the conservatory from a cold zone where no one goes, to another comfortable hang-out spot.
The best conservatory heaters will also help maintain a regular air temperature in the conservatory, which may help keep any heat-loving plants you have in there happy.
Furthermore, these heaters are great to use any time you just feel like you need a little extra boost of heat alongside your central heating. The great thing about this style of heater is that you can buy one predominantly for use in your conservatory, but it will be portable enough for you to take anywhere in the house.
Most of the conservatory radiators on this list can even be temporarily used as a shed heater or garage heater.
Choosing the Right Size
If you’re looking for a heater that you can move around as you wish, make sure that it’s not too large or heavy. Most heaters are designed to be portable, so you’ll probably find it has wheels anyway. But a heavy heater might put you off using it exactly as you’d hoped.
If you only have a small amount of floor space, you should check the dimensions of the heater to make sure that it will fit well. Alternatively, you could consider a wall-mounted electric panel heater that won’t use any floor space at all!
A larger heater won’t necessarily do a more efficient job of heating your space. Generally, a 1kW convector heater will be capable of heating a room of around 14 m³ to a comfortable 22°C.
Energy Efficiency
Most heaters will have an energy efficiency rating displayed in their description. Nowadays, it’s relatively easy to find heaters that are extremely energy efficient, so don’t waste your time considering a model which isn’t up there with the best.
An adjustable thermostat is a great way to make a heater more energy efficient. If you set the thermostat to a certain temperature, the heater will automatically stop heating once it reaches that goal. Naturally, this energy saving feature can also help reduce energy costs.
Similarly, if you buy a heater with a couple of power options, you can avoid using more energy than you need. For example, the Duronic HV102 Heater has two heat modes so you choose between high and low power. Therefore, if you only want low-level heat, you have the option to do so instead of only being able to blast it on full power.
Different Heater Types
There are several different types of heaters which can be used in a conservatory. There are pros and cons to each type, so it will depend on what you’re hoping to achieve.
Convection
These heaters work by warming the air in the room. As the air warms, it rises, and cooler air takes its place. As a result, the warm air is constantly moving around the room. These are a great option if you are looking to warm a whole room. This type of heater often has an intelligent thermostat which can save you money as it avoids overheating. Here are some different types of convector heaters:
- Fan heaters work well and push hot air around the room. They may not be as energy efficient as other heaters because not all energy is put into creating heat; some is used on expelling air. Warm air can be easily lost through open doors and draughty cracks, so it’s important to keep the area airtight if you’re trying to use a fan heater to warm the room.
- Traditional oil filled heaters are slower to heat up than fan heaters but offer steady convection heat. An oil filled model will also stay warm for a while when switched off, so it will continue to heat even when it’s not using any power.
- Electric convector heaters are generally 100% energy efficient, because all of their energy is converted into a heat output. They can be relatively cheap to run and include smart settings to give you more control over your heating.
Radiant
Radiant heaters don’t heat the air like convector heaters do, but they focus on heating the objects directly in front of them. They don’t tend to evenly heat a room. These heaters are perhaps better suited to being used for short periods of time, just to keep one person warm in a static position.
- Halogen heaters, recognisable by their orange glow, will provide warm heat to objects directly in front of them. They are not very efficient at warming a whole room because they do not focus on heating the air.
Most of the heaters on my list are electric convection, as this type is most energy efficient and heats a whole room. This is usually preferred over only heating the surfaces directly in front of the heater.
Safety Considerations
Many heaters will have some safety features. The most common are overheat protection and a safety tip over switch that will the heater off if it’s knocked over. That said, there are still some things to bear in mind when using a conservatory heater.
Don’t leave a conservatory heater on overnight – even if they have a cut-off switch to avoid overheating, it’s still dangerous to leave them unattended for hours.
Be careful about nearby materials – place your heater somewhere with lots of space around it to avoid materials being melted. Also, if you have young children or pets, consider a wall mounted heater that can be installed out of the way.
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