Air conditioners vs conventional heaters: who wins the winter wars

As the cold weather lingers and families crank up the heating, many face a hard decision on how to keep warm and comfortable without compromising safety.

Conventional heaters, while effective, carry significant risks that no household should ignore, according to Kichang Jung, air solutions product director at LG Electronics South Africa. 

“Residential fires caused by heating equipment, including wood stoves, portable heaters and furnaces, are all too common in South Africa,” said Jung.

“Modern air conditioning units offer households a much safer solution for heating needs. Air conditioners provide effective warmth through advanced heat pump technology, eliminating the fire hazards and carbon monoxide risks associated with combustion heaters. Families can rest assured their homes are safely heated.”

Here are several compelling reasons an air conditioning unit is the safer option for heating homes this winter compared with conventional heaters:

Reduced fire risk

The lack of open flames or combustion in air conditioning units virtually removes the fire danger associated with space heaters. Conventional heaters provide heat through open flames or burning fuel, easily igniting nearby flammable materials if tipped over or placed too close. Air conditioners gently warm homes through an electrical heating cycle without that ignition risk.

Decreased risk of carbon monoxide poisoning

Apart from being a fire risk, conventional heaters that use combustion can lead to carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. The main cause of CO poisoning is ventilation issues and dangerous levels of fumes getting trapped inside. Air conditioners operate electrically, producing no carbon monoxide. This eliminates the risk of odourless, deadly CO gas accumulating in living spaces.

Less risk of burns or overheating

This is because of their design which ensures heating components are safely enclosed and positioned out of direct contact areas. While traditional heaters pose the risk of accidental injuries and burns, particularly to children and pets, air conditioners provide a safer heating option by minimising the possibility of direct contact with hot surfaces.

Heat can also easily build up within conventional heaters because of restricted airflow, worn-out components, electrical problems and lack of maintenance. Air conditioners have fail-safes in place to prevent overheating and they will shut off automatically if airflow becomes restricted.

Improved air quality

Compared with certain types of heaters that can degrade your air quality, air conditioners can enhance the air inside your home. While wood and kerosene heaters can reduce indoor air quality, air conditioners filter and deodorise the air.