For heating purposes, infrared is the name applied to heat that travels as radiation.
Radiation as in heat which radiates outwards from a specific point. Fires, the sun, our own bodies, everything and anything emits some degree of radiated heat. Now there is a way to use infrared to provide heat for our homes, gardens and offices.
So how do infrared heaters work?
Infrared heats directly unlike conventional heating methods. Infrared heat travels directly from the heater to whatever is in the way whether it is a person and table a cat or dog. This is very different to how traditional heating systems work. These work by using a process call convection, this is where the air is heated and then the air heats objects.
Convection is a very inefficient as the heat has to transfer from the air to the objects/people in the room during this process there is lot of heat loss as it relies on air to carry the heat and that hot air can be lost when for example opening windows. These issues are not a problem with infrared. The heat comes directly from the heater and is absorbed immediately which means that it cannot be affected by air movement/heat loss.
How are they powered?
Electric. Infrared heaters are powered by a low level of electricity, this means that they are much better for the environment that a conventional gas heating system or electric convection heating system which use much more electricity.
Will they save me money on my energy bills?
Yes. As mentioned above they require much less power to run than a traditional heating system. That on top of the reduced heat loss should help to bring down the cost. They can also be controlled in the same way as other heating systems via thermostats, controllers, and programmers.
Do they glow red?
You’ll be familiar with infrared heaters used outdoors in places like pub gardens, which do indeed glow red. However, these use ‘near infrared’ radiation, which is typically somewhat harsh heat. What companies like Herschel have done is create heaters which can be used internally and these use ‘far infrared’ radiation which do not glow red. This means that the heaters just look like discrete flat panels which can be placed on walls or ceilings. In fact they can even be mirrors, or have pictures printed on to them.
