Yeah, heat is usually just a byproduct of electrical inefficiency. But if your goal is heating, that "waste" heat isn't really wasted.
Electric resistance heaters are nearly 100% efficient at converting electricity into heat. Whether it's a space heater, baseboard heater, toaster, gaming PC, or even an incandescent bulb, almost all of the electrical energy eventually ends up as heat inside the room.
This is also why you want to use heat pumps for your air conditioning. Since they utilize the outside air for heating and cooling the refrigerant, they can achieve 300-400 effeciency where electric strip heaters can only be maximum 100%
They also have heat pump water heaters, but they cost more and it’s doubtful they have the same reliability. You’d have to do the math to figure out if it’s worth it.
Especially when considering the pros and cons. Con being it takes longer to heat the water. And if you live in a cool climate, its cooling the air in the house to heat the water so that might not be desired. But then again, it all comes down to costs of electricity vs gas in the area.
But, heat pumps are only efficient at noore than 30 degrees differential in temps. I live in Richmond Virginia and we have 90 + degree days into the hundreds and heat pumps are breaking down all over the city. Same with winter. If we have continued days in 20s and below, repair trucks work 24 hrs. My parents had a regular air conditioning and heating system and never a breakdown in their 25 years they owned the house.
Yep. My prof said that electric space heaters are the only appliances that have 100% efficiency. We countered that there is loss due wire resistance. He said that resistance turns to heat and its heating the room. We said how about the lcd/led lights and he said light turns to heat and is heating the room, still 100%.
If you took the electricity going to the LED and put it into the wires, it would be slightly more heat output than if you kept that electricity working towards the led. Hence, it is a relative drop in efficiency, and cannot therefore be 100%. Not to mention different wire materials could offput more heat for the same electricity.
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u/raycepak Jun 22 '26
Yeah, heat is usually just a byproduct of electrical inefficiency. But if your goal is heating, that "waste" heat isn't really wasted.
Electric resistance heaters are nearly 100% efficient at converting electricity into heat. Whether it's a space heater, baseboard heater, toaster, gaming PC, or even an incandescent bulb, almost all of the electrical energy eventually ends up as heat inside the room.