If we asked you to name the different ways you can heat your home, we bet a good three quarters of you wouldn’t say “infrared.” In fact, we reckon a few of you might not know infrared can even be used as a heating solution, let alone an efficient, healthy, and discreet one. For whatever reason, infrared radiant heating panels are treated with scepticism and everyone seems to have a different anti-infrared-panel myth up their sleeve. It’s time to dispel some rumours and set the record straight. Let’s demystify radiant heating panels once and for all explore the multiple benefits they can bring to your home…
Myth #1 – Radiant heat panels make you feel uncomfortable
Let’s start with a classic! To deal with this one, we need to dabble in a bit of GCSE science…
Radiant heat panels use infrared radiation, a type of heat energy given off by pretty much everything in the universe: from our own bodies to the coldest ice-cubes. Infrared, to use its slightly less scary name, is heat energy that travels in waves. Radiant heat panels generate these heat waves through electrical resistance. These heat waves travel in straight lines until they reach a solid object. When the waves hit an object, their energy is absorbed as heat. If infrared hits organic material, like our skin, it gets absorbed and begins to vibrate our molecules, creating warmth.
Different infrared heaters produce different types of infrared waves, with some producing higher temperatures than others as a result. Radiant heat panels produce a gentle type of infrared called far-infrared. Far-infrared is so comfortable and soothing that it’s used in incubators for infants and baby animals.
Perhaps the root of this “radiant heat panels make you uncomfortable” misconception stems from outdoor patio heaters, the type of infrared heaters you see outside bars and restaurants. These red glowing heaters provide a high intensity heat that would be uncomfortable to stand under all evening. Radiant heat panels don’t use the same type of infrared as outdoor heaters. Radiant heat panels use a much gentler infrared, one that’s suitable for interior use – where the heater doesn’t need to tackle harsh, changeable weather. To show you how much gentler, take a look at the images below…
Notice anything? The radiant heat panel produces a much larger, less focused wavelength than the patio heater. This gentle wavelength is the reason radiant heat panels won’t make you feel uncomfortable. You could line your entire house with infrared panels and still feel warm and snug. Infrared heat, at this wavelength, provides a deep sensation of warmth rather than an abrasive, artificial one. For use in the home, the delicate heat provided by one of our radiant heat panels is second-to-none.
Myth #2 – Radiant heat panels are bulky & unattractive
Infrared is still a relatively “new” technology even though it’s been commercially available for some time now. In the not-so-distant past, radiant heat panels were the size of early noughties TVs: clunky, thick-set, and weighty. These days, in the same way our TVs have slimmed down, radiant heat panels have become slimline, discreet, and practically paper thin.
The panel to the right is a perfect example of a standard-sized, super-slim electric heating panel. A mere 2cm in depth, I think it’s fair to say this panel would fit most walls, regardless of size. Part picture frame, part abstract art, radiant heat panels are the least obtrusive heating system you could imagine – providing silent, covert heating without taking up space.
If you’re worried the colour isn’t quite to your taste, these streamlined heating panels come in many different designs. A mirror panel, perfect for use in bathrooms; black or white panels, ideal for blending into the background or for making a statement; glass panels, for additional panache; and panels you can paint, for the creative individual. Whichever you choose, we can guarantee they’ll be slim, graceful, and stylish…
Myth #3 – Radiant heat panels just don’t work
Obviously, infrared panels do work. You can find them in homes, businesses and public buildings across the world, if you’re looking! Our case studies showcase many examples of places that have thrived on infrared as a heating system. So where is everybody going wrong? A key consideration is where you place your panels. Positioning them haphazardly around your home can lead to inefficient heating and may contribute to the illusion that they’re not working. The trick to radiant panel placement lies on understanding that infrared heat is not the same as the type of heat used by “traditional” radiators.
Radiators warm the passing air, which then circulates around the room, before coming back to the radiator to restart the cycle. Infrared heat isn’t cyclical, and it doesn’t need the air to transfer heat. Infrared heat travels in straight lines, hitting objects and bouncing off in another straight line. When placing infrared panels, it’s best to think in terms of line-of-sight. Sit in the spot you want heated and think “can I see the panel from here?” – if you can’t, it needs to be moved. Easy peasy.
Another issue for all types of home heating is whether you’re under or over specifying for the size of the room you want to heat. If you have an immense, lofty entrance hall that’s 50 feet high, one modest sized infrared panel won’t be enough to keep it warm.
Take a look at the images to the right. Both show the same rooms being heated by different sized infrared panels. The purple lines represent the panels and the orange spot represent the area you want to heat. In the first image, the purple lines are fairly large and the orange dots are well covered. In the second image, the lines are smaller and the dots aren’t anywhere near the heated area.
These simple images illustrate our point perfectly: it’s always better to over specify the size of your radiant heat panels than to underspecify. Choosing a single panel with a high wattage, or combination of panels that total a high wattage, is the way to go. This way, you’ll be sure to have enough heat for your room. The worst that can happen from over specifying is that you turn the thermostat down if you’re too warm, which saves you energy anyway. The alternative is running a smaller sized panel at full power, burning energy like nobody’s business and still not heating your room adequately. This problem isn’t just confined to radiant heat panels, it’s something to think about whenever you’re contemplating a new heating system. To find the perfect sized panel for your home, try our handy infrared calculator. Simply tell us a few details about the room you want to heat, and we do the rest, providing you with the optimum wattage needed for that space.
So, there you have it, three classic radiant panel myths debunked: a triumph for infrared panels everywhere. Slim, comfortable, and highly efficient, radiant heat panels are a superb alternative to conventional heating systems. If you’re tired of dealing with the unintuitive rigidity of central heating, visit our website or give us a call today.