Hotels, schools, retail stores, sports facilities and other building types typically have rooms that are most efficiently heated by the use of space heaters such as baseboards or convectors, radiant ceiling panels or infrared heaters. For these applications, the appearance of the heating unit is just as important as its performance. That is because interior design is important in creating a desired atmosphere in these spaces.

Think about how the use of light and the choice of color, furnishings and materials affect the ambiance in a hotel lobby or office boardroom. Consequently, heating units need to blend in with or complement their surrounding environment.

At the same time, these units must help specifying architects and engineers solve heating problems such as counteracting cold drafty areas near windows. Convectors are non-fan forced, recirculating electric heaters that use natural convection to move the heated air back into the conditioned space.

Convectors operate quieter than fan heaters. They also have a lower risk of ignition hazard in the event that they make unintended contact with furnishings compared to radiant electric heaters.

Convector heaters are ideal for use in areas with large spans of windows, such as school and hotel lobbies. Typically mounted at floor level on exterior walls and under windows, convectors provide an upward movement of air to counteract cold downdrafts and minimize condensation.

Available in a variety of sizes, configurations and colors, convectors also offer design and installation versatility. Models are available that can be recessed into walls, housed in custom enclosures or mounted in a variety of ways.

In instances where large expanses of multi-story windows are located where large groups of people congregate, a second series of convective heaters, spaced at every floor level, will prevent the cascading effect of the downdraft. While the rising heated air is blocking the downdraft, it also provides a warm air curtain that acts as a buffer to prevent the heat loss from the space to the cold wall.

For well-insulated buildings with small amounts of glass, the use of more compact convective heaters may be sufficient. These electric fireplace heaters would only be mounted under the window area. Utilizing heaters in this manner reduces the initial installation cost, since fewer heaters will be installed, while still providing the dual function of counter-acting the downdraft and the transmission effect.