Convectors & Dryers

Three technologies, three different sensations

Quartz or infrared heater. It heats objects and people, not the air — like the sun. You feel the warmth the instant you switch it on, but only where it "sees". Ideal to sit in front of, useless for warming a whole room.

Convector. It heats the air, which rises and circulates. It takes longer but warms the space evenly. Silent, with no fan.

Gas heater. It needs no electricity, gives a great deal of heat and moves anywhere. But it carries serious safety requirements that cannot be skipped.

Gas: the three non-negotiables

Burning gas produces water vapour, carbon dioxide and — with incomplete combustion — carbon monoxide, which is odourless and lethal.

1. Ventilation. Always an opening. Never in a sealed room and never in a bedroom while you sleep. That is the absolute rule.

2. A carbon monoxide detector. If you use a gas heater regularly, a detector costs very little and is the only warning you will get.

3. Check the hose and fittings. Every year, with soapy water on the connections — if it bubbles, there is a leak. The hose has an expiry date and must be replaced.

And humidity: burning gas produces water, so in a house prone to mould it makes the problem worse. There, an electric solution is preferable.

Safety for every type

Tip-over protection — it cuts out if it falls. Essential with children and pets.

Distance from materials. Infrared heaters warm whatever they "see". A curtain, sofa or clothing closer than the manufacturer states is a genuine hazard.

Never on a power strip for electric models — only straight into a wall socket.

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