Pros and cons of a micathermic heater

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A modern electric heater using Mica-thermic technology does not dry out the air in the room and saves energy by 30-50%!

Recently, the micathermic heater has become increasingly recognized in the heating equipment market. This is a modern innovative electric heater, and not everyone knows about its significant advantages and differences from traditional electric analogs. This article is intended to give an overview of the new product, which certainly deserves attention due to its beneficial consumer qualities.

Pros and cons of micathermic heaters

I would immediately like to understand the advantages and disadvantages of this type of heating equipment in order to understand whether such a device should be considered as a heat source for a home, office or other premises.

Advantages of the new product:

• Comfortable indoor microclimate.
  Everyone knows how a regular oil radiator dries out the air and smells of burnt air. In contrast, the Micathermic heater is an infrared heating device, and with infrared heating the air is not dried out and the oxygen content is not reduced. Therefore, this type of heating is especially recommended for children, asthmatics, frequently ill people and, in general, for those who care about comfortable breathing in a heated room.
• Economical.
  The new product consumes 30% less electricity than traditional oil or electric radiators. The efficiency factor (i.e., efficiency) of micathermic analogues is more than 85%-90%, which allows you to heat a larger room with less energy consumption.
• Fast heating.
  On average, the device reaches operating temperature in 1 minute, almost immediately starting to emit heat.
• Safety.
  The outer casing does not heat up to temperatures above 60⁰, which makes the device safe for children and pets. There is often built-in overheating and tip-over protection.
• Ease of use.
  Many models have 2 heating modes, a thermostat for adjusting the temperature, additional functions such as a timer or “Anti-Frost” (protecting the room from freezing). Some models are equipped with a remote control.
• Mobility.
  Light weight and wheels make it easy to move inside and between rooms.
• Silence.
  The absence of noise allows the device to be used in bedrooms, children's rooms and offices.
• Affordability.

Despite such significant advantages, some disadvantages

:

• The heater primarily releases heat to the surrounding space. The further you are from the device, the cooler the air will be. However, convection helps distribute heat throughout the room more evenly.
• The price of models with additional functions or with remote control will be higher than similar standard devices.
• It is possible that when you turn on the device for the first time after a long period of inactivity, you will notice the smell of burning dust particles that have settled while the product was not working. However, during further operation there will be no odors in the air.
• The body temperature of 60˚ makes it impossible to burn a person. But you need to avoid getting synthetic things on the device (for example, tulle, flammable objects made of plastic or film). Do not use the electric heater to dry clothes, towels, linen, shoes, etc.

We are confident that if you follow the manufacturers' recommendations for installation and proper operation, Mica-thermic will delight you for a long time with warmth, comfortable indoor air and reduced heating costs.

Types of micathermic heaters

This type of heating equipment is divided according to the shape of the housing and the method of installation. If the shape and design of micathermic heaters is just a matter of taste and personal preferences, then the installation method very seriously affects the efficiency of the device:

• The standard option is a one-sided micathermic heater installed on the wall, under a window opening or directly next to the front door of the house;
• Ceiling micathermic heater. Installing an electric heater on the ceiling may seem unusual and not always justified, but for this type of device the ceiling location is considered one of the most effective;
• Portable models, most often on wheeled supports, allowing you to easily move the heater within an apartment or house.

According to the design of the body, heating devices are traditionally manufactured in double-sided, single-sided and cylindrical shapes. Since a micathermic heater is a functional device and not an interior element, there are no innovations or unexpected design solutions here.

The device of a micathermic infrared heater

Having become acquainted with the advantages and disadvantages of the new product, we will now understand in more detail what a micathermic heater is and what are its main features. The Micathermic technology itself, which underlies this type of thermal technology, is far from new and has been successfully used in medicine and space technology for many years.

The heating source here is multilayer plates, each layer of which is covered with mica. Mica has excellent thermal and electrical insulating properties. Therefore, when the plates emit heat, they themselves do not heat up, so it is impossible to get burned if you accidentally touch them. The temperature of the outer casing with such thermal wave heating does not heat up higher than 60⁰, which is absolutely safe for use even in children's institutions.

In floor-standing models, heating is double-sided: heat is evenly distributed in both directions. Wall-mounted devices, due to the built-in thermal insulation layer, give off heat only in one direction (heating the room, but not heating the wall on which they are mounted).

Structurally, the device consists of the following parts:

1. Housing with heating panels inside and protective grille outside
2. Control panel and/or indicator board
3. On/off buttons
4. Power regulator or buttons for setting temperature conditions
5. Thermostat for temperature control (not available on all models)
6. Wheels for moving
7. Remote control (optional).

Construction (

)

The device combines infrared heating and convection

Advantages of a micathermic heater

Like any new product, they immediately attracted the attention of consumers. Many people are interested in the question: why is such a device better than traditional heat sources? Let's find out!

• Energy efficiency. The consumption of an average micathermic heater is about 1.5 kWh. Fan heaters and radiators “eat” a little more – from 2 kWh. In addition, traditional appliances need to work for 3-4 hours so that those present can feel the warmth in the room. The micathermic heater immediately manifests itself, you just need to be in the infrared radiation zone. In addition, such a heater does not need time to warm up itself or the air around it - therefore its efficiency is many times higher.
• Compact and light weight. Floor-type micathermic heaters can be easily moved around the room. Wall-mounted models are less compact, but their range of action is somewhat wider than that of floor-standing devices.
• Safety. The device itself does not heat up, but only distributes thermal energy and transfers it to surrounding objects. That is why, even if accidentally touched, the owner of a micathermic heater or his household will not receive burns or other damage.
• Maintaining a healthy microclimate. A micathermic heater does not heat, and therefore does not dry the air. That is, the level of oxygen in the air does not decrease during operation of the heater. You can use such a device to heat any room, including children's rooms, where it is important to maintain a certain level of humidity.
• Quiet operation of the device. Due to the features of the device, the device makes absolutely no sounds during operation. No running engine, no crackling or tapping of heating elements - absolute silence.
• Modern, elegant design. The appearance of the device fits organically into any interior and can complement any room.

See also –
Are infrared heaters harmful to health or not?

Principle of operation

Having understood the structure of the device, now let’s figure out how it works. 80% of the action of a micathermic heater is based on the radiation of infrared heat (the same way the sun heats the Earth). The walls, furniture and objects around are the first to heat up. Next, the heated objects give off their heat to the air. The share of convection heating, i.e. heating the air directly and mixing the air masses is about 20%. By combining two heating methods (IR + convection), very high efficiency of the device is achieved.

Operating principle of a micathermic heater

If we omit all the statements about the use of space technologies in products and remove other advertising fluff, then, according to the manufacturers, a micathermic heater is an electrical device that generates heat through infrared radiation.

More precisely, the share of the radiant component in this heat is about 80%, the convective component is only 20%. The effect is achieved through a heating plate insulated on the sides with layers of mica. The manufacturing technology of such a heating element is called Micatherm, hence the name of the devices themselves.

For reference. Mica is a mineral that has the properties of an excellent electrical insulator, while also having good thermal conductivity.

The plate heater, insulated with mica, is housed in a metal housing with a grille that, according to the manufacturer, does not interfere with the passage of infrared rays. Since the plate radiates in both directions, most heaters have 2 grilles and act in two directions. As you know, infrared radiation, when it hits objects and surfaces in the action area, heats them up. And then the air in the room is warmed up from these surfaces; this is the principle of operation of micathermic heaters.

Subsequently, in order to direct the radiation flux in one direction, 2 more layers were added to the existing “sandwich” of a metal heating element and mica plates. They consist of oxides of several metals, the first plays the role of a heat reflector, the second - a concentrator. Thanks to this, one-sided and wall-mounted heaters appeared. For the most part, the shape of the device is flat, although there are various original models, for example, a tubular micathermic infrared heater in the form of a cylinder.

Customer Reviews

Customer ratings and impressions are posted on pages with detailed information about each model on the “Reviews and Questions” tab.

See reviews on the pages of specific models here!

Disadvantages of a micathermic heater

For all its advantages, this device is not perfect. Before deciding which is better - a micathermic heater or a convector, you need to take into account the disadvantages.

The micathermic heater also has these:

• Due to the targeted heating method, only a limited area to which the unit is directed will be warm. The further you are from it, the less heat you will receive;
• The device system has many holes into which dust can get trapped. If it has been sitting idle for a long time - for example, in the summer - and you decide to turn it on, get ready to feel the unpleasant odor that will be emitted by decaying dust particles. You can avoid this by turning on the device for the first time outside the house;
• Although the case does not heat up much, its temperature will still be quite high, it is quite enough to cause some object that accidentally falls on it to catch fire.

The temperature of the heater can also have a destructive effect on some pieces of furniture, wall material or wallpaper.

How to choose a micathermic heater

Now let's look at what you should pay attention to when choosing.

• The first thing to consider is the area of ​​the heated room
  . With a standard ceiling height and good insulation, models with a power of up to 1500 W are suitable for rooms up to 25 m2; for larger rooms (up to 30 m2) or with high ceilings, you should choose more powerful models of 2000 W.
• If you want to control the temperature
  , then you need models with a mechanical or electronic thermostat. The thermostat will maintain the desired temperature and save energy consumption by automatically turning the heater on and off.
• For maximum comfort,
  choose options with a remote control. In this case, the maximum number of settings is available to you.

Below are the models available for order. For more detailed information, click on the “More details” link for the product you are interested in.

The most popular micathermic heaters

You can choose a micathermic heater here!

If you need advice on choosing the right heating device for a specific room, call us at tel. (as well as free calls and messages via Viber, What's Up).

Rating of micathermic heaters

If the question is choosing a suitable model that not only provides heating and heating of the room, but also has an elegant design, then it is best to turn to DeLonghi products. For example, the DeLonghi HMP1500 model.

The black stylish body on wheeled supports will look great in any interior. Power -1.5 kW, weight - 5 kg, has built-in shutdown protection when falling

Any Italian micathermic heaters, even the most budget models, but actually produced in the EU, enjoy an invariably high reputation, both in design and in operation.

Among the budget models, we can recommend Chinese products assembled under license from EU countries:

• Model VES-MX Compact and inexpensive micathermic heater is suitable for installation on a wall in a country house, garage, workshop or in any other room where you have to deal with the cold. Power 1.5 kW, weight -3.4 kg, price 4100-4500 rubles;
• VES-MX5, a very lightweight and at the same time stylish electric heater, is recommended for use in small office spaces. Weight - 2 kg, power 1.3 kW, heating occurs only on one side of the case, has a built-in automatic switch off when falling;

• AIC DFHT-6305Р is used for heating fairly spacious rooms, for example, lobbies and halls. The micathermic heater is made according to a non-standard design in the form of a vertical column, with a circular direction of heat radiation. Power 2 kW, with touch control and adapter for switching on additional heating sections. Weight about 8 kg, designed to work for 30,000 hours;
• Polaris RMN2095 is ideal for small-sized residential premises, for example, a summer house or a one-room apartment. The power of the heating element is 2 kW, weight is 4 kg, it is possible to program the air temperature that the micathermic heater will maintain automatically. Price 6500 rub.

One of the most popular models of micathermic heater

Almost all wall and floor heaters are equipped with a very short cord, rarely exceeding 150-160 cm, so when choosing a location it will be necessary to install additional electrical wiring. In cheap micathermic models, the automation is built on bimetallic and thermoplastic relays, so during operation you can often hear the mechanism for disconnecting the heater from the network clicking.

You can buy a micathermic heater at “World of Heating”

MirNagreva is the official dealer of Polaris and VES electric. You can buy the presented models from us at the price recommended by the manufacturer

Pickup and fast delivery in Moscow, the Moscow region, as well as anywhere in Russia is possible.

You can get a free consultation on heating, as well as place your order by phone

Viber, What's Up: +7 (968) 626 10 24

Features of the design of micathermic heaters

Here, the source of thermal radiation is a special plate, which distributes waves with extreme uniformity throughout the entire volume of the room. What is typical is that the plate itself does not heat up, so the risk of accidentally getting burned during operation is reduced to zero.

The plate consists of several layers, each of them covered with mica on both sides. This makes it possible not to use coolant in the device, and owners will never experience wear and tear on the heating element.