Nichrome vs. Quartz Heaters

Nichrome

• Nichrome is an alloy of two metals -- nickel and chromium. The ideal mixture for use in heating elements is 20 percent chromium and 80 percent nickel, according to the nickel-alloys.net website. Nichrome is a high-resistance metal, meaning it is a poor conductor of electricity. Additionally, it is resistant to corrosion at high temperatures and has a slow wear process.

Nichrome Heaters

• As a result of its high-resistance properties, when an electrical current passes through nichrome, it heats up rapidly. This reduces your energy usage, as the nichrome wires begin producing heat almost immediately. Wire wears out as it is exposed to high temperature. The nichrome alloy wire used for heaters is slow wearing, meaning your heater should have a longer life than those with lesser quality metals.

Quartz

• Quartz is one of Earth’s most common minerals, consisting of two-thirds oxygen and one-third silicon. It occurs naturally throughout the world and in every color. Geologists measure the hardness of rocks with the Mohs scale, with 1 being the softest and 10 being the hardest. Quartz is rated as a 7 on the Mohs scale, according to the geology.com website, which means it is very durable. Some manufacturers make synthetic quartz rather than mine its natural cousin from surface-level rocks. They do this to control its quality, which varies when nature forms it.

Quartz Heaters

• Quartz heaters came on the market in 1979. The manufacturer refines the quartz into glass tubes. Heating elements are inserted inside the tubes. As the quartz gets hot, the reflective surface area surrounding the tubes sends the heat into the room. Quartz does not react chemically when in contact with most other substances. This property makes it a good choice for heaters, as it is not affected by the heating elements, other than absorbing their heat.