Overview of the quartz heater for home and garden

Today, manufacturers offer us the widest choice of equipment, the main purpose of which is the heating of an apartment or house. Energy-saving heaters have long appeared on the market, which, thanks to a special operating principle and device, can save the family budget. One of these devices is quartz, which will be discussed below.

What are quartz heaters

There are two types of quartz heaters:

1. Infrared - the rays distributed by them during work heat up nearby objects and interior details. The heating element is enclosed in a sealed tube made of quartz glass.
   
2. Convection - like most other devices, they heat the space around them. They are a monolithic quartz-based panel with a resist heating element inside.
   

In fact, both types of heaters have more differences than similarities (there are also convective infrared models). And they received the name “quartz” by applying the above-mentioned natural material in completely different parts of the device.

What is a monolithic quartz heater

The principle of operation of the device is more like the familiar to us Russian stove. The flame inside the furnace heats the furnace walls, which, having heated up, for a long time give up their heat to the surrounding space. Households in the old days, having heated the furnace in the evening, used its heat all night.

Of course, a monolithic quartz heater has nothing to do with the burning process. Instead of a firebox inside the device is a heating element - nichrome spiral, completely closed by a monolithic slab. The structure of the device is simple, it has the following details:

1. A spiral consisting of nichrome.This alloy (nickel and chromium, with the addition of silicon, manganese, iron and aluminum) has a high resistivity and high heat resistance, ductility, reliability and durability.
2. Monolithic panel - a simple structure weighing about 12 kg, consisting of quartz sand.

Heater of purified quartz sand can be installed in the apartment, in the country, in the garage, in general, in any room that has an electrical network.

The device is considered to be stationary, since it is supposed to be mounted on the wall for the whole service life.

Device

The process of manufacturing equipment at the plant is as follows. The spiral with the corresponding connecting elements and fasteners in the form of a zigzag is placed in a special form and is poured with a solution made in advance of quartz sand. Then the resulting billet is pressed, dried and subjected to high temperatures in the oven. The output is a plate of considerable size - 60 by 35 centimeters, 2.5-3.0 cm wide.

Due to the special mechanism of production equipment, the heating thread is completely isolated from contact with the external environment. The place of its attachment to the power cable is also closed.Due to this design, the device is almost completely protected from the occurrence of a short circuit or breakage of the helix. An alloy of nickel and chromium, which has different proportions depending on the brand of the heater, can be easily heated up to 800 degrees. Of course, quartz heaters for the home do not have such a potential, the surface of most models is heated to a temperature of no more than 100 degrees. The probability of a helix burnout is minimized.

Most models do not have a power button. All that they are equipped with is a power cable ending in a socket.

Although some manufacturers display a toggle switch on / off, and also offer their customers a complete thermostat. Of course, with heaters equipped with a thermostat, you can save on electricity.

Benefits

By installing a wall-mounted quartz heater in your home, you can get a good source of additional heat. Due to its design - a monolithic panel made of quartz sand and a nichrome spiral - the working surface of the heater in a short time (not more than 20 minutes),heats up to temperature 70-80 degrees.

The device has many advantages:

1. 100% fire safety. This is possible due to the special design of the device: the heating thread in them is completely isolated from contact with the external environment, so its ignition is unlikely.
2. Environmental friendliness. Given the fact that the filler solution for the manufacture of a monolithic panel is made of high-quality materials, the heater is not capable of harming human health or the environment.
3. High reliability and durability. A monolithic panel, a heating element, a power cable are, perhaps, the entire device of a quartz monolithic heater. Due to the simplicity of its design (without the "frills"), the device will last a long time.
4. No unpleasant odors while the device is running. The heating coil is “hidden” behind a layer of quartz; therefore, it does not have any contact with the air medium at all, and, as a result, the situation of dust settling on it, the burning of which often gives off smell, is completely excluded.
5. Does not burn oxygen and does not dry the air. Due to its construction, the spiral does not come into contact with the atmosphere, therefore the probability of deterioration of the climatic situation in the room is completely excluded.
6. Binescapability.
7. High heat capacity. Quartz sand has the ability to accumulate the resulting heat, and then for a long time to give it into space in the form of infrared radiation. Thus, even after switching off, the device will radiate heat for about an hour.
8. Aesthetic appearance. The small thickness of the heater, about three centimeters, allows you to install it almost anywhere. A large selection of panels for plaster will help to preserve any interior appearance.
9. Easy installation. Even an inexperienced newcomer, who owns only a few types of tools, will cope with the installation of equipment without any problems. Complete with the equipment usually comes with special brackets with which you can fix the heater on the wall you need.
10. Moisture protection. Most models have a high class of splashproof. Therefore, the heater can be installed not only in the common areas of the apartment, house, but also in the bathrooms.
11. Low price. The average cost of such a model is up to 4 thousand rubles.

disadvantages

Of course, to use them in the mode of permanent work for heating a country house or apartment in the absence of heating is not entirely reasonable.Hour operation of the device can cause significant damage to your budget, as electricity costs will increase significantly.

Not all manufacturers willingly point out the shortcomings of monolithic quartz heaters, saying that they simply do not exist. However, a device with so many advantages is not deprived of its disadvantages:

1. Essential weight of the deviceA: Some models weigh 13 kg. Please note that this is an important characteristic affecting the installation location of the device. Install it on the room partition you are unlikely to succeed.
2. High surface temperature monolithic panel at the time of operation of the device - 80-120 degrees. By negligence, by touching the device, you can harm your health by getting a burn. It is especially dangerous to install such a device for families with small children. You can solve the problem through the purchase and installation of a special screen, which does not affect the efficiency of the heater.
3. Lack of control - neither the remote board nor the remote, in some models there is no power button. But on the other hand, this suggests that there is practically nothing to break in the equipment.

Many users complain on the network about poor-quality products, which over time fall off, crack. But, apparently, all these people ran into unscrupulous manufacturers selling fakes. They use in the production of materials such as gypsum, cement, whitewash, instead of purified quartz sand, giving their products for high-tech equipment of other firms.

Device and principle of operation of infrared quartz heaters

IR heaters got their name due to the method of operation. By analogy with the action of the Sun, the outgoing rays from the heater heat up nearby furniture, interior details, walls. Having accumulated heat, objects begin to give it to the air. And the more these cabinets, chairs, and chairs get under the action, the faster and stronger the air in the room will warm up (for more details see the articleprinciple of operation of the heater with infrared radiation).

The device of infrared quartz heaters includes:

1. The tube, one or two, made of quartz sand ;.
2. A heating element, inside the tube is a high resistance nichrome or carbon helix.
3. Reflector Reflectorlocated behind the heating element. It is a mirror plate - made of glass or metal polished to a high gloss. Definitely, the second performance is more durable.
4. Protective grid. The temperatures to which the heating element can warm up are incredibly high. Therefore, without protection, the device can become very traumatic, cause harm to health in the form of a burn.

Merits

All IR quartz devices have certain advantages and disadvantages that you should pay attention to when choosing.

Positive qualities of infrared heaters:

1. Fast heating. Turning on the device, you almost immediately feel the effect of his work.
2. Ability to create a pleasant microclimate in a restricted area. Thus, an infrared heater perfectly heats the seating area by the TV, workspace, legs under the table.
3. Compactness. This is a great option for the heater to give, it can be brought every time with you in the trunk of a car.
4. Can be used outdoors, for example in gazebos and cafes. Thanks to the ability to heat nearby objects and furniture,the device will successfully cope with the task of creating a pleasant atmosphere in a cool evening.
5. Bnoisy work.
6. Efficiency over 90%. However, almost all modern heating equipment has such an advantage.
7. Some models are equipped remote control. For appliances installed on ceilings, such equipment is very useful.

disadvantages

Disadvantages that are inherent in quartz infrared heaters:

1. Low security - in spite of the fact that the heating elements are covered by a protective grid, the equipment does not become completely protected from this. It is especially risky to keep such a heater in rooms where small children play. The problem can be solved only if you set the device to an inaccessible height.
2. Fragility - when the heater tilts, the heating element made of quartz may break, such damage cannot be repaired.
3. Characteristic red glow - quartz infrared heaters have a peculiar feature: heated coils start to glow red, sometimes it can be annoying.
4. Fire hazard - dust, threads deposited on the heating element in the process of operation of the device, begin to burn, which is not safe. The device in any case can not be permanently ignored.

Infrared quartz heaters allow you to divide a heated room into comfort zones. So, with their help, you can heat up part of a large room. For example, the working area of ​​two employees, located in a huge room, warehouse or cabins.

Conclusion

What is better to use - quartz heater, oil radiator or convector - everyone decides for himself. However, quartz devices, of course, safer due to their uncomplicated design. With their help, you can create a favorable temperature in any one part of the room, whether it is a zone at the TV or at the desktop. Monolithic quartz heaters do not burn oxygen, do not dehydrate the air. Therefore, there is no need to purchase a humidifier when using them. Many models are equipped with a thermostat that allows you to control the operation of the device. The damage from quartz devices is minimal, especially if you place them at a level that is not accessible to small children.