What is FAR Infrared Heating?
Infra-Red heating is a form of electric radiant heating, infra-red waveforms are emitted from the heater which instead of heating the air they travel through the air and gently heat up the surfaces that they hit, in fact, it works the same way as the warmth that we feel from the Sun. Being as the energy is absorbed by the surfaces instead of being put into the air much less energy is wasted making this form of heating very efficient.
Far Infrared heaters take advantage of the unique warming properties of this radiation. When the Far Infrared waves touch surfaces in a room, heat energy is released and so the ceiling, walls and floor of a room are gently heated.
That’s what we call “thermal mass” and because the room no longer is absorbing our body heat, we feel warm. In fact, we are built to respond to this form of heat as it is what we feel when we are in front of an open fire or feeling the sun on our faces. We absorb Far Infrared radiation exceptionally well because our bodies are 80% water and the long waveform acts very effectively on this.
If you compare that with conventional heating, there is a world of difference. The convection process that central heating systems use, for example, is geared to warming the air, which is far less effective in transferring thermal energy to a building.
Advantages and Disadvantages of FAR Infrared Heating
Advantages:
- Very efficient.
- No air movement.
- Decrease dampness in buildings.
- Can use existing electrical circuits when replacing other forms of electric heating.
- Inexpensive to install and run.
- No maintenance (other than electrical testing of circuits).
- Very controllable.
- Runs on electricity rather than Gas or Oil.
- Rooms are heated via radiant heat.
- No air movement.
- Decrease dampness in buildings.
- Can use existing electrical circuits when replacing other forms of electric heating.
- Inexpensive to install and run.
- No maintenance (other than electrical testing of circuits).
- Very controllable.
- Runs on electricity rather than Gas or Oil.
- Rooms are heated via radiant heat.
Disadvantages:
- If not replacing existing electric heaters a new circuit would need to be put in.
- Focused heating does not heat the entire room
- Gas-fired heaters are not entirely safe
- The air remains relatively cold
- Infrared heaters must not be obstructed by objects
There are existing electrical circuits feeding the night storage radiators at 12 High Pavement that, provided they pass the electrical tests, can be used to power Far Infra-Red heaters. Each room will be able to have its own thermostat and programmer making the heating system very controllable.
Infrared heaters are a great way to heat surfaces quickly and efficiently. They do not heat the air, however, so if you are looking to generally heat up a room then this option will not be the best for you. With Infrared heaters you want them to be unobstructed so they are good for outdoor heaters for cafes and restaurants.