Infrared heating is relatively new to the UK, however the Austrians and Germans have now been using it for decades to great effect. Have you ever been outside on a fresh winter morning and felt the warmth of the sun hitting your face? Well, this is infrared heating in action.
To find out more details about infrared heating click here, but below we are going to list our top 10 advantages of using infrared heating panels to heat your home.
1. Infrared panels produce almost instant heat
The infrared heat is emitted from the panel almost instantly, so no more waiting for a room to warm up.
2. Infrared heating costs are lower than electric convection heaters
The cost of running an infrared panel versus an electrical convection heater is far cheaper as they require less power output to provide the same level of heat – for instance a 600w infrared panel will provide the same level of heating comfort as a 1500w convection heater, so they roughly require a third of the input, hence are cheaper to run.
3. Smaller room temperature differentials
With convection heating, warm air tends to end up near the ceiling and cold air tends to sit at floor level. With infrared heating, the temperature differences across a room are far smaller so you can enjoy a more consistent temperature without any cold spots!
4. Infrared Panels can help reduce mould
Since infrared heat solid objects, if you direct the panels to face damp walls, it should help to dry them out which this in turn will reduce the formation of mould.
5. Infrared heating is Simpler and cheaper to install than wet central heating systems
Infrared heating panels simply run on electricity, so there is no need to install a boiler and additional pipework for them to run. The panels themselves can also be used to heat a whole house and since they can be turned on and off as needed and produce heat almost instantly, you can very easily produce a zone heating system (for each room) to match your requirements.
>>> Visit our infrared heating panel case study by clicking here <<<
A typical system consisting of 4 panels will take just one day to install by a qualified electrician.
6. Infrared panels allow you to maximise living space
Infrared heating panels can be hung from the ceiling, so you don’t lose any floor area like you would with radiators. By doing this it also increases the heating coverage area of the panels. For example an 850w panel will heat 13.5m2 area if hung on a wall, but a 17m2 area if attached to the ceiling. To be honest, they are only 2.5cm thick anyway so even on walls they are not going to steal too much room!
7. High quality & Low maintenance
Provided you buy quality panels you can be sure that they are going to last a long time and will not need any maintenance (our panels come with a 5 year warranty (0ur Select range) or 10 year warranty (our Inspire range).
8. Infrared heating Reduces Allergies
Since infrared doesn’t rely on air as the medium for transporting the heat (like conventional convection heaters e.g. radiators), there is far less movement of air which means that dust and allergens aren’t circulated around a room, helping to reducing their impact.
9. Other Health benefits
Infrared is naturally produced by the sun and is the reason that you can feel warm on a sunny but yet a cold winter’s day (it is not the same as the harmful UV radiation that is the other end of the visible light spectrum that causes sunburn and can damage the skin).
This infrared is absorbed by the body, which causes it to increase blood circulation, which has many of health benefits including: boosting immune functionality, detoxing and reducing joint stiffness.
10. Our Infrared heating panels look fantastic!
The panels look great and are multifunctional – they can double as mirrors in bathrooms or even have pictures printed on them (much like when you get a canvas printed).
So there you have it – our top ten advantages of radiant heating!
Installing infrared heating
Are you thinking about installing infrared heating in your home? We have scoured the country for the best tradespeople, so that we can make sure we only recommend those we really trust.
If you would like us to find you a local installer to help install infrared heating in your home, just fill in the form below and we will be in touch shortly!
Been using these infrared panels for years over boiler and radiators. Energy savings are huge, no maintenance. Definitely worth taking a look!
Hi Ted, thanks for your comment. These residential Infrared panels are relatively new to the UK, but as your comment suggests, when people get them installed they tend to never want to go back to their old heating systems!
Hi, would using this type of radiator be a solution for heating a glass roofed conservatory?
Hi Andy – yes, infrared works really will in conservatories. As always make sure you size the panel / infrared heater up correctly. Our friends at Infrared4Homes show you how to size up the room – http://infrared4homes.co.uk/pages/sizing-and-placing-your-infrared
Has anyone here experiences the benefits of infarared heaters with respiratory ailments? My husband and I both suffer from respiratory problems particularly when the air is humid and damp. We have tried everything to inprove our daily lives but nothing seems to have worked. Infrared heating panels are my last hope. Any insight would be greatly received.
I see this article was written in 2013, and now obviously a few years later I would expect you will have a lot more experienxe with whether infrared works well in the UK or not? I was offered these infrared panels.with a European plug, but on your website I read that you should always look for a UK plug. Can you tell me which ones I should go for? Also if I imported the infrared heaters from America would they work in the UK?
I am also interested in finding out more information on the health benefits of infrared heating panels.
I have a 3 bed semi, block built with cavity wall insulation. I have three 1.5 KW storage heaters downstairs and one 1.0kw upstairs on the landing. I am currently on Economy 7 automatic which switches on and off via a radio signal. It also provides me with hot water. I have low rate electric at night which heats storage heaters and water. Would infra red panels keep heat in the rooms all day or would they still have to come on and off to retain the room temperature like the storage heaters, therefore using the more expensive electric during the day.