Every bathroom needs a heater. What better feeling is there than stepping out of a hot shower into a warm, cosy, bathroom? Small luxuries like this can make getting up early less arduous, especially on a cold winters day. In the UK especially, the temperamental weather makes heating our homes a necessity, but that doesn’t mean your heating solution cannot add something special to your rooms. This is where heated mirrors come in; imagine being able to combine your bathroom mirror and heater in one, saving space while giving you that perfectly warm room you always wanted. Well, now you don’t have to! Herschel, a leading German heating innovator, have created a range of stylish, heated mirrors, perfect for your bathroom.
How Do They Work?
Heated mirrors work by emitting infrared heat, which is a form of radiation. Don’t worry – infrared heat is 100% safe: it’s the same heat emitted by the sun, open fires, and even humans. This is what differentiates heated mirror panels from the majority of other bathroom heating appliances on the market: while these all use a combination of convection and radiation to heat a room, heated mirrors solely use radiation. This is far more efficient as, unlike convection, instead of heating the air in the room, radiation heats people and objects directly, meaning you can feel the warmth of the heater regardless of the ambient air temperature. Therefore, you can still have good ventilation in your bathroom, as radiant heat is unaffected by draughts in the same way as convected heat.
Electricity? In the Bathroom?
It is a common misconception that all electrical appliances cannot be installed in bathrooms as they pose too much of a hazard, however this is not the case. Not all products are suitable for bathroom use, this is true, but those with a suitable IP rating are. The IP rating, in layman’s terms, is how protected from the elements the product is. Your bathroom heater needs a minimum IP rating of IPX4 to be safe for use, and requires professional installation to ensure your safety. For more information regarding IP ratings, click here.
Benefits to Your Bathroom
For anyone looking for ultra-smart, efficient heating, a Herschel heated mirror is for you. These mirrors can replace your traditional bathroom mirror and heater, and at only 2.5cm deep are ultra-slim, saving wall and room space while providing a more effective heating solution and mirror all-in-one. Available in a range of shapes and sizes, heated mirrors are ideal for every bathroom size, and, due to the nature of their heat, ensure even heating throughout your whole bathroom. As radiant heaters heat objects, including the walls, worrying about damp will be a thing of the past! If that doesn’t already sound good enough, our mirrors will not fog up after your bath or shower, as the heated surface prevents water from condensing against it.
Once installed, Herschel mirrors are long lasting and extremely safe. There are no risks of leaks or carbon monoxide production, and are completely silent when on. They even come with a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty, giving you total peace of mind.
Benefits to You
Heated mirrors can save you a significant sum of money in the long run. Unlike most traditional heaters, once installed, heated mirrors require little to no maintenance. Their deep level of heating also means that you can set your infrared heater temperature 3-4°c lower than a traditional heater, and still feel the same level of comfort, making huge savings on your energy bills. To further optimise the energy saving potential of your infrared heater, we suggest fitting your panel with a thermostat, available here. With this device, you can control your heating much more accurately, and your heater will turn on and off automatically to maintain your desired room temperature. With thermostatic control, infrared heaters can be up to 60% more efficient than conventional heating methods, saving significant amounts of energy.
Electric infrared panels also mean good things for the environment. Electricity is increasingly being generated from renewable sources, meaning the environmental impact of our electrical products is decreasing. When electricity is generated from renewable sources, which you could even do yourself via solar panels on your roof, these panels are totally carbon free.
Not the Product for You?
Alternatively, if you are not convinced that our designer heated mirrors are right for you or your bathroom, or you have a bathroom that does not see regular enough use to warrant a heated mirror, we sell the Stiebel Eltron Infrared Quartz Heater, which at a price of £79.99, is a far more budget friendly option. The compromise? This product is less aesthetically pleasing, and doesn’t have a mirror element. It is smaller than the Herschel mirrors, however due to it being a quartz heater, gives off an orange glow as it heats. The warmth is more instant than that from our heated mirrors, but the heating elements get very hot, making this product uncomfortable to be under for extended periods of time. We recommend this product in small, seldom used bathrooms, where occasionally a quick blast of heat is required to make the room bearable.
For more information regarding any of these products, feel free to contact our friendly sales team!