How to choose a quartz heater so that you do not regret later

In the off-season, when central heating has not yet been turned on or has already been turned off, and the room temperature is rapidly falling, it becomes necessary to use an additional type of heating. It is good that the modern market offers heaters for every taste: there is plenty to choose from. Periodically, the attention of buyers is offered all sorts of new products that embody the dreams of both summer residents and citizens. Such pleasant innovations include a quartz heater. Choosing this heater, you can make your house or apartment warm when you need it.

Which heater is called quartz?

Until recently, no one heard anything about devices with this name, but today they are in demand everywhere. A long time ago in the niche of heating appliances there was no replenishment and, finally, we can say that a development worthy of the attention of users has appeared. So what exactly attracts these wonderful devices?

Quartz heaters have many advantages. They are always in demand and are able to fit into the concept of Smart Home, as they can be programmed and regulated remotely

The market presents users two types of quartz heaters:

• monolithic (MKTEN);
• infrared.

Let's talk about the characteristics and design of both.

Monolithic quartz heater

MKTEN is a monolithic slab made of a solution, the main component of which is quartz. Inside this plate is a spiral heating element made of an alloy of chromium and nickel. It is completely isolated from the environment.

This heating device looks rather unpretentious, but the effect of its use will please you: it heats up for 20 minutes, and cools down in 1.5 hours

The device is powered from the mains. That is, heat begins to be generated when a current is passed through a nickel-chromium spiral. This phenomenon of heat generation is called the brick effect. In order for the stove to be able to warm up to a working temperature of about 95 degrees, it takes a third of an hour. If it is disconnected from the network, it will cool down for a rather long time.

The standard size of the MKTEN in centimeters is 61x34x2.5. The weight of the device is approximately 10 kg. Its rated power is 0.5 kW. If the room area does not exceed 16 meters, and its ceilings are of medium size, then one basic module will be enough to effectively heat such a room.It is customary to hang such a design on the wall, therefore, together with the plate itself, three brackets are usually included in the kit: one upper and two lower.

If there are a lot of rooms or a larger room will have to be heated, create an MKTEN system, the design of which includes the necessary number of basic modules connected in parallel. Depending on the room temperature, this system is automatically controlled by the thermoregulatory equipment that the heater is equipped with.

One modular unit is able to heat a room with an area of ​​16-18 square meters, if the ceiling height in it does not exceed 3 meters. From several blocks you can make an entire system

The presence of a thermostat allows you to make the system even more economical. When the set temperature is reached, the unit turns off and goes into a kind of sleep mode. The standard module cools for about 1.5 hours. After some time, MKTEN starts work again. If the temperature controller is not included in the basic package, it can be purchased additionally and relatively inexpensively. Other advantages of this device will be described below.

Benefits of Monolithic Blocks

These quartz heaters are often bought for a summer residence, where they are used as the sole source of heat. However, in addition to the existing central heating or other heaters, they are also often selected. As you can see, the scope of MKTEN is wide. Why exactly are they so attractive?

Advantages of these units:

• Devices have a high heat capacity.
• The insulated heating element of the unit will last a long time because it is not exposed to air and water. For the same reason, it is reliable in operation.
• The heater is economical.
• For effective heating of a room of 16 sq.m. only one base unit is needed.
• Electricity is converted into heat by an innovative method related to the properties of quartz. In 2 minutes, the stove cools down by only 1 degree.
• The presence of a temperature regulator in the device significantly improves its operational characteristics. The device will not need to be continuously monitored, monitoring its operation.

Thus, a monolithic heater is an excellent choice for owners of suburban real estate. If a visit to a summer house or cottage takes place only on weekends and holidays, we would like the house to be cozy and warm. And during the week of your absence, the walls can freeze or damp, which does not add comfort. Using the unit, you can use the thermostat to set the minimum temperature - 10 degrees. Arriving at the cottage next weekend, you will immediately feel the difference.

What should or should not be feared?

Like any heated surface, a monolithic device can be dangerous for children and animals, if you touch it with unprotected parts of the body. You need to remember this and place the blocks so that they are not too low. More than 95 degrees, these devices will not heat up. Due to the closedness of the spiral itself, they do not create short circuits and do not provoke ignition.

This equipment is designed for intensive daily use. Cast aside doubts, and use this economical quartz device in your apartment or house. Moreover, no negative effects on the health of households should be expected from him either. Before being sent to the market, the device went through numerous tests for all kinds of side effects from its operation: nothing negative or even alarming was revealed. MKTEN is safe for others.

Pay attention to the behavior of your pets near the appliance. Cats do not see him as a source of danger, although they usually react very sensitively to all kinds of negative radiation. The device needs minimal maintenance. From time to time, you just need to wipe it off the dust with a dry soft cloth.

Quartz infrared heaters

A separate type of quartz heaters are infrared devices. Here, emitting tubes are made of quartz glass, in which a tungsten heating thread is enclosed. There are several types of such devices that differ from each other by the principle of the device of the element that emits heat.

Open spiral device

Devices with an open spiral, which was used back in the days of the USSR, cannot be found on sale today. But the reflectors, with a spiral wound on a ceramic base, behind which a reflector was located, are still alive in the memory of many compatriots.

Such heaters have not been offered by the domestic market for a long time. This is a real relic of the past, because it burns oxygen in the air and is extremely fire hazard

The use of such devices is strictly prohibited, because they can provoke a fire. It’s dangerous to leave them unattended. In addition, in the course of their work, they completely “burn out oxygen” in the air, as a result of which the breathing of people in the room is difficult, they have a severe headache.

Quartz tube instrument

In this case, the main heating element is still the same spiral, only securely hidden in a sealed glass cylinder. The air from the tube is pumped out, which means that there is no need to talk about burning oxygen. Another advantage of this device is that its efficiency is 5 percent higher than that of a device equipped with a heat-emitting plate.

An infrared heater with a quartz tube is also not the most efficient model, although from the point of view of heat transfer it is even more effective than a heater with a heat-radiating plate

The disadvantage is the fact that the tube itself is very hot during operation (up to 700 degrees). The dust that gets on its surface burns out, spreading the smell of burning around. With the help of such pipes, shawarma is prepared on the street. To heat dissipated, but not concentrated locally, you need to suspend the heater under the ceiling. If you leave it on the floor, it is better that it rotates.

Typically, such devices do not have a hygienic certificate, and the guarantee for such a heater does not exceed a year and a half. The tube itself is afraid of moisture and a sharp change in temperature conditions. If it fails, it will be cheaper to buy a new device than to repair an old one.

Heat emitting plate

The idea of ​​the next device is that the main heating element in it is a heater (tubular element) mounted in an anodized aluminum profile. Ten red does not heat up, and its radiation is soft. Neither the destruction of oxygen nor the danger of fire should be expected from such a device. This heater is eco-friendly.

As you can see, a heater with a heat-emitting plate looks very organically on the ceiling: it looks like a lighting device under a fluorescent lamp

The only drawback of this product with a heat-emitting plate is light crackle during its operation. This is not due to design flaws or malfunctions. Just stainless steel tena and the aluminum of which the plate is made, have different expansion coefficients when heated. If people have a healthy psyche, such a soundtrack will not produce any effect on them, just as the crackling of firewood in a fireplace does not produce a negative effect.

The reason for the popularity of infrared models

Most often, these heaters are placed on the ceiling or at a significant size. They are in high demand and there are several reasons for this:

• These are quite light models that do not take up much space in the house.
• Installing such a device is not difficult, even alone.
• This device can be adjusted.
• The infrared model is today considered the most fireproof.
• The efficiency of these most efficient devices is approaching 95%.

When turned on, radiation propagates almost instantly. It also quickly becomes warm. The speed of the infrared heater is higher than that of oil cooler, fan heater and microthermal appliances. Another advantage is that it is able to perfectly fit into the concept of a Smart Home, as it can be controlled remotely from the owner’s smartphone or via the Internet or work on a given program.

In this diagram of the infrared heater Peony, it is clearly visible what elements this device consists of. This model, suspended from the ceiling, effectively heats a fairly large room

What to look before buying?

Infrared quartz heaters for the home are taken more often than for giving. We have already found out that the best choice would be in favor of a device with a heat-emitting plate, if the five percent difference in efficiency with a device equipped with a quartz tube does not bother you. But the first heater you get is still not worth it.

When buying, you need to pay attention to everything. After all, it depends on your choice whether this thing will last you 2-3 years or 30 years. On the diagram: 1 - plate, 2 - ten, 3 - case, 4 - foil, 5 - insulator

Pay attention to five elements:

• Plate. This element should have a uniform color without spots and stains. If on its surface there are small scratches - it does not matter. The anodizing layer cannot be less than 15 microns, otherwise the device will last only 2-3 years, 25 microns - already 20-25 years of service, and additional crushing - all 30 years. The spider line of cracks that can occur during the first heating will only increase the protection of the plate.
• Ten. The best ten is made of stainless steel. An ordinary metal product cannot be used on the balcony, in the pool, in the garage, in the country, or in a country cottage. Two occasions should come to the ten in a pair on one side. The place of their fastening must be well protected (protection class - IPX1).
• Body. Typically, instrument housings are painted with powder paint, which extends their life. As a rule, the paint is applied outside, so when the seller removes the cover to show you where the wires are attached, pay attention to the condition of the case inside. The rusty metal inside indicates that the paint was applied on the outside to rust: you do not need a rusty product.
• Foil. It is the quality of the foil that affects the efficiency and economy of the heater. Its thickness cannot be less than 120 microns, then you will not begin to heat the ceiling, and the heat rays will be directed towards the floor. Even if the foil is wrinkled, it’s nothing, if only the thickness was all right. To check this, use a ballpoint pen to dot the surface of the foil. At 120 microns, it should not pierce or wrinkle, but spring.
• Insulator. This element prevents overheating of the device. Insulators are different, but asbestos or glass wool is unacceptable because of its negative impact on human health. Request a hygiene certificate for the isolator. It is good if it can be used in the food industry, for example, as part of ovens. You were told that the insulator is imported? Take a critical look at the whole thing. But is it a fake?

Be sure to look at the instrument wires. The presence of cambric and crimped tips is an indicator of the quality of products. Pay attention to the quality of packaging. Serious producers do not save on it.

We bring to your attention a comparative test review of various units:

Which brands to prefer?

Do not carry on a long warranty period. It may well be that the producer offers you a 10-year warranty, but he is not going to be on the market all this time and is not too concerned about the quality of his products.It is better to get a five-year guarantee and not use it as unnecessary than having a 10-year guarantee to despair of finding the one who provided it to you.

If you bought a working appliance and fixed it on the ceiling, its radiation will be directed downward. Like the sun, he gently heats the room, makes it truly cozy

You should not buy a heater just because of its imported origin. Such models cost more than Russian ones, but you may not get the expected quality. In Europe, labor is expensive, so owners of many well-known brands are moving their production to China. And then the raw materials begin to acquire local. It turns out that you are buying Chinese-made products at European prices.

An infrared quartz heater with a heat-emitting plate looks very impressive. Be sure to buy a temperature controller for it, it will greatly facilitate your life

If you decide to buy products of a Russian manufacturer, it is better to contact not a reseller, but a dealer. You can find out the whereabouts of official representatives of large Russian manufacturers in your region by visiting the manufacturer’s website. Today, all companies of any significance have already acquired their resources on the network so that customers have the opportunity to purchase their products without overpayments and with real quality guarantees.