low voltage heaters

[brendan]

Hi

I'm looking for some advice on low voltage heaters I have a 390w heater that runs of 24v dc but the transformer seems really big are these types of heaters as energy efficient as they claim to be?

cheers

 

[Marvo]

Well a heater is a heater ....is a heater. I'm not sure how one linear heating load could be more efficient than another. A 390watt heater using 24vdc will produce exactly the same amount of heat that a 390watt heater at 230vac. I was going to suggest it would actually be less efficient using a transformer to supply the heater due to the losses involved but as the losses all resolve as heat you wouldn't actually lose anything because the transformer will also heat the room

 

[telectrix]

and it will be big. 390W @240v is only 1.625A, but @ 24V it's 16.25A.