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Wall heaters are relatively small, wall-mounted electric resistance heating units. Typically, wall heaters heat small areas called zones. Thermostats on wall heaters can either be mounted on a wall or directly built into the unit. Some wall heaters are equipped with fans that come in a variety of sizes and sound levels.

How do wall heaters work?
Heat is generated by running electricity through high resistance wires called heating elements. The heating elements generate heat and distribute the heat via natural convection or by using a fan. The heater is controlled by a thermostat which turns the unit on or off according to the set temperature.

How do you operate wall heaters?
Wall heaters are both safe and easy to use. You control the unit by setting the thermostat at your desired temperature. In the winter, EWEB recommends a temperature of 68 degree when you are home. You can save energy by setting back the thermostat 5-10 degrees at night when you go to bed.

Each wall heater usually has its own thermostat, which allows you to heat different rooms to your desired temperature. Bedrooms and rooms where you are active are usually kept cooler than rooms where you sit and talk or watch TV.

It is advisable not to keep a room below 60 degrees during the winter or a mildew problem may develop. Keep furniture, curtains and other materials away from wall heaters to ensure free air circulation and prevent the possibility of a fire. Placing large pieces of furniture in front of the heater prevents the free circulation of air and the unit will not operate at its maximum efficiency.

Establishing a "set point"on the heater's thermostat can provide a more consistent room temperature and help you save money. Centrally place a thermometer in the room. Decide upon the lowest temperature setting you are comfortable with and then adjust the thermostat only high enough to maintain this temperature. Marking this temperature setting on the thermostat makes it easy to reset the heater during use. Remember, the lower the room temperature, the lower your energy costs. Thermostats may fail after a number of years and will need to be replaced.

Programmable thermostats are available that can be set to automatically turn your heating system off after you go to bed and back on in the morning.

Some wall heaters come equipped with fans. Different fans move different amounts of air and make varying levels of sound. You may want to check the noise level of the fan before you buy. Fan capacity is measured in cubic feet per minute (cfm) and noise level is measured in sones.

What does it cost to operate wall heaters?
To determine the cost of operating your wall heater you will need to know the unit's wattage and the amount of time it is running. For example, the cost of operating a 1500 watt wall heater that runs five hours per day during the month of March (March has 31 days) is $9.33 per month, at EWEB's present rate of $.04 per Kilowatt hour (kWh).

Troubleshooting
If your heater fails to work, check the thermostat to make sure the system is on. If the heater still fails to come on, check the breaker box to see if the breaker has tripped. If the breaker has tripped you will need to reset it. If the system is all right in both these cases you will need to call a repair service.