Have them installed on the A/C units but this is the first time to test them, appear to warm some but not much. How energy efficient are these things? Doesn't feel like the heat is much more than supplemental? Not something I need to know, curious though, how do these things work?
Bottom line is the efficiency, for me anyway. Would the electricity requirements be in the 1500 watt range, or ?? I can't see using them at all if they require much, would rather go with a couple of oil filled radiator heaters or something I think.
The heat strip 'efficiency' is 100 %.
All the energy it receives is released
as heat.
This is true for ALL electric heaters,
oil filled or not. The ONLY difference
in heat output
is in the WATTAGE.......I don't know the
wattage of heat strips, but it is small,
and this small amount of heat is distributed
throughout the R V by the fan,
so is not very evident.
Now I am waiting for the usual response that
they 'take the chill off', whatever THAT means.
L NORMAN WADDELL
30 FOOT ALLEGRO
SATURN TOAD
WIFE AND 2 DOGS SUGAR BEAR & COCO BEAR
The instruction for our air conditioner state that the "heat strips" are NOT to be used for heating, they are there as an aid to take the chill off, nothing more.
When we needed supplemental heat, we used ordinary 1500 watt electric heaters. We didn't use them much, because the tanks and plumbing are warmed by the furnace ducts. When the furnace doesn't run, things freeze.
I like to avoid that...
Norm, my only advice to you is to READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. IIRC, "to take the chill off" is exactly what the instructions state. If you have a problem with that, take it up with the manufacturer of the unit.
Electric heaters are by nature nearly 100% efficient. The delta T you can expect is around 17 C from outside temperatures
Mine draws 1408 watts with the fan on low. The fan by itself draws 222 watts--so my heat strip is about 1186 watts.
GoState wrote: Have them installed on the A/C units but this is the first time to test them, appear to warm some but not much. How energy efficient are these things? Doesn't feel like the heat is much more than supplemental? Not something I need to know, curious though, how do these things work?
Bottom line is the efficiency, for me anyway. Would the electricity requirements be in the 1500 watt range, or ?? I can't see using them at all if they require much, would rather go with a couple of oil filled radiator heaters or something I think.
Regards, Don
Kustom Koach Class C 28'5" 256 watts solar, 875 amp hours in two battery banks 12 volt batteries 2500 watt inverter.
Thanks all for the replies, makes sense that they are basically 100% efficient. Appears I'll have to do some testing of using those versus my oil filled radiators, but by feel the oil filled appear to be providing much more heat while not using much more in wattage if pianotuna's figures are close. Realizing it could be the heat is being distributed with the fan vs radiant from the oil filled and giving somewhat of a false reading just using my hand as the thermometer. Thanks again.
Have a heat strip in our pop up and it was good for about a 20 degree temp difference from outside just by itself. That and 1 other ceramic 1500 watt heater and we were in the pop up with nights that got down to 16F. But it did get chilly...
We now have a 5th wheel as well, and heat it with 2 1500 watt heaters as primary. The furnace is there if we need it, but I don't want to use a 37K BTU furnace if I don't have to, especially if I pay for electric at the CG Anyway.
As far as energy usage, they will not exceed the 1500 watts that a regular space heater would as they have to operate on the normal 15 amp circut.
I don't want to run my air conditioner fan more than required, because it is so noisy. So I will not want a built in heater, but if you are OK with the noise, it will slowly heat your RV.
Don't expect a electric heater to put out really hot air, and because it stays on most of the time, there will be less cool and then warm cycling, so I consider that an advantage.
I bought 3 small 1,500 watt electric heaters at Wal Mart. They don't last as long as your more expensive built in heater, but do last a couple of years for $15 each. Then I can blow warm air into the room I am located in.
At 9 cents per KW, I could use 22 KW to make 80,000 Btu's of heat, and this saves buying a gallon of propane and burning it in my furnace (about 2 hours) so for $1.98 in electric, I save buying one gallon of propane. Your electric cost and propane delivered cost might vary. My electric is included in the rent, guess what I will be using this winter?
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