electric fan heaters and dry air myth?

[beerismygas]

hi there! ppl in this group know their appliances so i was hoping for some enlightenment on this question i have. if you google "fan heater & cough" you will find lots of references saying fan heaters dry up the air more than oil heaters and can aggrevate coughs.

But I am trying to reason out the science behind it.if a fan heater dries out the air more, where does the water go? doesnt it stay in the room? is there any truth in this?

thx

electric oil heater (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil_heater)

fan heater (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_heater)

[tinnews]

Any heater that burns oil/gas/hydrocarbon produces water as a result so the oil heater will actually humidify the air (which can be a problem, producing condensation) whereas the electric heater won't.

[OG]

It depends on what you mean by an oil heater. I usually think of an 'oil heater' as being one of those oil filled radiators in which case the humidity shouldn't change cf a fan heater; but yes, an oil burning stove (if venting into the room) would increase the room's humidity. Whether the OP was thinking of the same is another matter.

[meow2222]

They do seem to feel worse, but as you say its hard to see any diference in drying. I suspect it may be because they kick up dust, much more so than unfanned heaters.

NT

[beerismygas]

yes i meant the electric powered oil filled column heater type. lets assume we are comparing them with electric fan heaters of equal wattage, say 2kw.

[Andy Champ]

Andrew Gabriel posted this link earlier

that as the temperature rises with the same amount of water in the air the RH will drop - so it feels drier.

An oil (or gas) *burning* heater (not an oil filled radiator) makes water in the room, helping to cancel out the drop in RH by increasing the amount of water.

This will of course increase the condensation.

Andy

[Harry Bloomfield]

I think the question was probably comparing electric fan heaters with electric oil filled radiators, rather than oil burners.

[Rednadnerb]

But surely any products of combustion will be vented out through the flue, water vapour as well as CO2 and carbon monoxide. Maybe it feels more comfortable because the air in the room is changed because it is drawn in by a real fire.

[Kevin Poole]

Ah, a youngster who doesn't remember central heating being an Aladdin heater in the hall (on the very coldest nights).

Paraffin-fuelled wick-type burners, shoving products of combustion and a gentle miasma of Esso Blue into the room were slightly safer than the infamous drip-feed paraffin burners. Then there were bottled gas "cabinet heaters", beloved of a certain class of takeaway and those whose financial management skills could manage the occasional tenner for a gas bottle, but not the shock of an electricity bill.

[Rednadnerb]

Not so. My memory loss was temporary and I pulled my post before I could be shot down but you were too quick on the draw.

But you've only winged me, I'll be back.

Brendan.

[Fergus McMenemie]

The OP did not mention frequency of use. A thought...

Another effect I have seen myself involves dust. Fan heaters when first turned on after a period of non-use seem to blow out some dust. They also suck in dust from the room "super heat" it and then blast it out straight at you, or whatever the heater is aimed at. Anybody who has taken one apart will have discovered the dust.

Other types of heater are convection based and dont seem to collect less dust or muck. I also suspect they are at lot less active when it comes to blasting muck out.