How Does an Electric Wall Heater Work?

Electric Wall Heater Basics

An electric baseboard wall heater is a type of convection heater. Essentially, an electric wall heater is just like a built-in radiator, but with a slimmer design that doesn't use up as much space. It is low-profile, easy to install and does not require gas lines, ducts or steam pipes. Because it uses electricity, however, it can be expensive to run compared to other heating methods.

How it Works

The electric wall heater is powered by a heating element. A high-voltage electric current is run through a resistor, a type of material that resists the flow of electricity. The resistor turns the electric energy into heat. That heat is then conducted into metal fins that stick out from the heater, which spread the heat into the room.

How the Heat Spreads

Electric wall heaters use a phenomenon called convection to carry heat around a room. The air immediately above and between the fins heats up, which makes it expand and rise into the air. This leaves a vacuum, and more air is drawn in to fill in the empty space. Soon, a continuous air current develops. Air continuously heats, rises and spreads out. Then it cools, falls and returns to the heater. This air current carries heat through the whole room.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Electric Wall Heaters

Electric wall heaters are useful because they can heat a single room without heating up the whole house. This saves a lot of energy if you spend most of your time in one part of the house. They are also easy and inexpensive to install compared to other heating systems. They only take up a little room at the baseboard, so they don't hog a whole side of the room like traditional radiators. The main disadvantage of electric wall heaters is the expense of running them. Electricity is almost always more expensive per unit of energy than natural gas or propane--particularly with the efficiency of modern forced air heaters. Basically, an electric wall heater is only a good idea if you want to just heat one part of a house.