There are two basic kinds of heaters for your home available, radiant and convection models; ones with a fan or blower motor, and ones without.
Within the category of radiant heaters there are sub categories based on what they are made of and how they are installed. There are ceramic heaters and quartz portables, under floor systems, cove heater, and ceiling panel installable models which heat by infrared radiation. Anything directly in the line of sight of the unit will be warmed quickly. This can be good if you have or your family has new homes in Sacramento or other colder climate areas.
Some good examples for choosing radiant heaters are:
Open rooms where there is not a lot of furniture to block the infrared radiation.
Any open space where only occupied areas need heating.
Rooms or areas that only need heated for certain periods of time.
Lounge or office work areas that only need warmth delivered to a small or confined area.
>Convection heaters include electric baseboard, toe kick, and oil-filled radiators. Air is forced over the heating elements is pushed into the room heating it quickly. There are also wall mounted heaters that warm the air around the heater and rely on the air movement within the room to disperse the warmed air. One of the down sides to a convection heater is that the fan can be noisy when it is operating.
Here are some good reasons for choosing convection heaters are:
Any area or room that can be sealed off to contain the warm air.
Larger rooms that have a lot of furnishings are good because the air has to circulate around them.
Work or leisure areas where you tend to move around a lot are good for convection heaters.
Spaces that need to remain at a steady temperature.
With so many models to choose from be sure to select the one that has updated safety features like – child resistant controls, and especially a cutoff feature that protects the unit from overheating. Other options may include energy efficient models and timer control switches.
This is a very good article explaining the difference between convection and radiant heat. I have not heard much about radiant heat in home settings. This article certainly shows me plenty of applications.