Wednesday, November 25, 2009

eHeat introduces economical "Envi" heaters

I did a post last year, about electric heating panels (imported from South Africa) that used convection heating technology:

A Low-Cost Heating Alternative that uses New Convection Heating Technology

They turned out to be a good low-cost, clean heating solution for heating our back porch in the winter. The company that sells them in the US (eHeat) is now selling an American made version that they claim is even better than the original. They call it the "Envi":

Envi - the pure convection heater
Economical
The stylish wall-mounted Envi panel heater is the most innovative and energy efficient heater available. The Envi is the world's first heater to use “stack convection technology” to evenly distribute the perfect amount of heat throughout a room while reducing your heating bills by up to 50 percent.

Safe
The Envi promotes a safe, healthy living environment, especially for children, seniors, and pets because it cannot be tipped over and the exterior shell always remains cool to the touch. And because the Envi does not use a fan, the days of worrying about dust and other allergen particles being blown into the air are a thing of the past.

Simple
The Envi installs on your wall in seconds using a simple 3-step process. No hassle, just clean, fresh, warm air.

Be warm with Envi.

The imported panels have worked well for us. We have two panels on the back porch. On nights when the temperature went below freezing all night long, I had to supplement them with a space heater. I bought a third panel this summer to install this winter, so I won't have to use the space heater even in freezing weather.

The new Envi model is a bit more powerful than the previous model, and has a built-in thermometer, as well as other improvements. Here is a page that compares the two models:

Envi Comparison

The older imported panels are vulnerable to fractures if they are dropped or hit hard with something, but none of mine have cracked; I'm careful with them. The new Envi model has a protective shield, eliminating that concern.

I don't own an Envi model (yet!), but one thing I like about the older panels is, they are simpler. I have external thermostats to regulate them. The Envi has built-in components, so what happens if they stop working? With the ones I have now, I can just replace the thermostats if they fail. So far though, everything has been good, no complaints.

The eHeat website still offers both kinds of panels, and also sells thermostats, timers and hardware accessories. Have a look around, you may find some things to make your winter more warm and cozy. And more cost-effective, too.
     

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Are these heaters approved for bathroom use?

Chas said...

The box it came in says it's not intended for bathrooms or laundry areas, and to never mount it above a bathtub or anywhere it could fall into water.

I think you could mount it in a bathroom, if you were careful to put it somewhere where it wouldn't get splashed, like you would have to do for most electrical appliances.

But if there is lots of steam and moisture, I couldn't say how it would hold up over time. That's possibly why it's not recommended. But keep in mind I have the older model; contact eHeat to ask about the newer, Envi model. It has an outer shield that might make a difference.