15 Ups and Downs of Adding an Electric Wall Heater

Electric heaters are way cheaper upfront than other heating options like furnaces, heat pumps, and gas boilers. You don’t have to buy and install radiators either, since the heating tech is built right into the electric units. That makes them really attractive if you’re on a tight budget and just need a quick heating solution.

The downside is that electric heating can cost more over time compared to systems like heat pumps and gas boilers. But if you’re in a short-term situation and need an affordable fix, electric heaters might be your best bet.

Unless you’re a pro, you really shouldn’t try to install your own central heating system. There’s just too much that can go wrong, and so many details you need to get right. It’s a big, complex job, especially for a whole house.

But with electric heaters, all you usually need is a screwdriver and some basic DIY skills. In most cases, they’re “plug and play” – you just mount them on the wall near an outlet and you’re good to go. That makes electric heaters a super DIY-friendly option, especially if you’re on a tight budget.

This means that every bit of energy an electric heater uses gets converted into heat. There are no energy losses to things like exhaust gases or fumes. This makes electric heaters super predictable and efficient in any weather.

The downside is that electric heating is only truly “green” if your utility provider uses clean energy sources like wind, solar, or nuclear power. If the electricity comes from fossil fuels, then your eco-friendly claims might ring a bit hollow.

This is a big advantage over central heating systems. You can just turn on the electric heaters in the specific rooms you’re using, rather than having to heat the whole house. It’s perfect if you have a guest room or home office that goes unused for stretches.

Zonal heating like this also means you can quickly warm up a chilly room without having to fire up the whole system. It’s great for new parents who need to keep a nursery toasty at all times.

Electric wall heaters are just that – mounted on the wall. This saves tons of space compared to freestanding heaters. It makes them perfect for smaller homes like apartments and condos. You also don’t need to find room for a big old boiler or an outdoor oil/gas tank.

Heat pumps can take up a lot of space too, both inside and out. And they just don’t blend in as seamlessly as wall-mounted electric radiators. So if you’re short on square footage, electric heating is a much more space-efficient option.

With electric heaters, what you see is what you get. No hidden pipes, no complicated boilers or pumps to worry about maintaining. They have no burners, filters, or moving parts, so the risk of breakdowns is super low.

Boilers and heat pumps, on the other hand, require regular servicing and things like bleeding the system to remove air. Maintaining electric radiators is just so much easier and cheaper.

Clanking pipes are one of the worst noises in homes with traditional water-based heating. But electric heaters operate silently, with no fans or blowers. They’re super quiet, making them perfect for bedrooms and nurseries where noise can be an issue.

Even outside the home, electric heating is much quieter than a heat pump. Those can create a constant low-level hum that can get annoying, especially if they’re placed right under your bedroom window.

If smart home tech is your thing, then electric heating is a natural fit. Sure, you might have to spend a little more on “smart” heaters versus standard models. But it’s worth it to make heating your home way easier.

With smart electric heaters, you can control and automate the times they turn on and off, even remotely. You can heat specific rooms at specific times, like warming up the bathroom before you get up and keeping the living room cozy in the evenings. It’s way more efficient than just having one thermostat for the whole house.

Electric heaters are also generally more efficient at maintaining even temperatures than central heating. Each unit has its own thermostat, so they only turn on when the immediate area needs it.