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Ceramic electric heaters & respiratory aggravation

I tried a number of electric space heaters and found that the ceramic heaters were the least noxious in terms of burning smell. However, despite its odorlessness, I find the air aggravating to the lungs and eyes. How likely is it that the aggravation is due to generation of ozone? The heater is the Windmere "Heat Pro" WCH11 and runs upto approxmiately 1580 watts. I'm guessing that no voltages are higher than the wall outlet (seems that the way to get high wattage is lower overall impedance).

Thanks for any opinions on this. I live in Canada; my impression is that the electrical safety standards here do not cover things like ozone generation.

Fred

Reply to
fma
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no ozone from electric element only from electric arcs you have P.O.C. (products of combustion)

Reply to
PCK

I'd say nil. Ozone is generated by exposing the air to an intense electric field. You get that sort of thing in electronic air cleaners (electrostatic precipitators), not resistance heaters.

Heaters, in themselves, shouldn't smell at all. If you're sensitive to such things, keep in mind that what you smell is actually stuff that gets onto the heater element being heated. Especially after a long warm spell, the element will have a fine coating of dust that will smell/burn the first time you turn on the unit.

daestrom

Reply to
daestrom

(electrostatic

in the winter when you need the heat the overall humidity drops lower then what you are acclimated to.

you may find that running a humidifier helps.

Reply to
TimPerry

And, of course, that "dust" may be human skin cells, the major component of dust in many household environments. So what we smell when the heater turns on is burning human tissue, so to speak.

No wonder some of us are sensitive to it. Some of us may be reincarnated from a previous existence that practiced cannibalism, so that smell was the pavlovian precursor to a meal.

Henry

PS. Or not

Reply to
HLE

the ceramic

despite its

eyes. How

heater is

watts. I'm

the way to

impression is

like ozone

Buy a free standing electronic air cleaner... the kind you need should cost you $300 to $500.. that solves most alergy problems in most of these types of cases from my experience. The smaller the house the less you can spend.

Even a cheapie 'ionizer' $100 or so would help some..but you really need a full blast electronic air cleaner...if you have severe alergies and live in houston Texas for instance you might benefit from a unit with carbon prefilters.

Phil Scott HVAC contractor

Reply to
Phil Scott

the ceramic

However, despite

and eyes.

The heater is

watts. I'm

that the way

impression is

like ozone

correct. the ceramic produces less because of the ceramic media... you can buy oil filled electric heaters what will not have any problem at all...but are much larger, about the size and look of a steam radiator... $150 or so.

Phil Scott

Reply to
Phil Scott

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