UPPER ONSLOW, N.S. – A new home heating solution from Germany is helping homeowners cut costs and stay warm in style.
Recently approved for sale in Canada, the ELKAtherm clay brick electric heaters use a combination of convection and thermal radiation heat to efficiently warm older and newer homes while keeping a minimalistic but stylish look.
“It is a hybrid between baseboard heaters and Electric Thermo Storage (ETS) systems,” said Karsten Irmler, a heating systems specialist from Germany.
“It has a clay brick inside the heater, which keeps a continuous temperature. The brick then radiates heat, keeping a constant, pleasant temperature in the room all day.”
By combining convection and thermal radiation heat, the heaters help cut costs to power and heating bills by running only a total of four hours a day, and also keep a consistent heat from the floor of a room to the ceiling, something difficult to obtain in older homes.
“Its really safe too,” said Irmler.
“For homes that may have children, these are good because the outside will never be hot enough to burn someone. You can even lay a coat or sheet on it and not have to worry about them catching on fire.”
As the heaters are new to Canada, local sustainable resources outlet Golden Green held multiple information sessions at their location in Upper Onslow on Saturday, inviting the public to learn about the new heaters.
“One of the biggest advantages is the space and money you save using these heaters,” said Irmler.
“You have no surcharge from using them, and you don’t need to have a separate space for heat pumps or any of the needed technology for heating systems.”
Golden Green is handling the North American distribution for the heaters, and is currently selling them on location.
ELKAtherm will be selling 12 different sizes in Canada, and offer them in 120 different colours.
“We’re 20 years behind in this technology, they’ve had it over there this whole time” said Blair Cross, North American operations manager for Golden Green.
“We don’t have prices set in stone yet, and it all depends on the size. The biggest one is going to run about $1,500 and the smallest will be around $400-500.”
The heaters can also be used with multiple attachments, such as wheels to make it portable, and a rack system allowing it to dry wet towels or clothing.
More information on the clay brick electric heaters can be found at elkatherm.com or by visiting Golden Green in Upper Onslow.
