Infra red heaters

steamdave

Does anyone on this list have ceiling or wall mounted infra red heaters - the type that look like white panels?

Are they classed as some new fangled technology that companies are trying to peddle or do they actually give good warmth. They don't tend to be widely advertised - at least in Ireland

I've done some research on them and think they could be a good idea when powered by Solar pv electricity. I would use them to supplement my oil central heating potentially allowing me to shut off or shut in some radiators. A bathroom towel rail and bedroom wall mirror would be first consideration.

Dave

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058295512/infra-red-heaters

I have 1 mounted on a ceiling over my kitchen table and 1 mounted on an adapted tv wall bracket in my sitting room and find they work ok. I bought them on Amazon for about €90 each in the sales a 700w & 600w. A few on here use them and find they work well and a few didn't like them so try one and if you don't like it send it back.

They are mentioned a lot in threads so if you can search boards you might find the threads. I don't know if the more expensive brands are better though so you would need to ask someone who bought a brand name that.

If you google "infrared heating boards.ie" it gives some threads.

steamdave

Thanks for that suggestion, con747. I'll have a look.

Dave

DownByTheGarden

I was in a friends house the other day who got them put in. My god they are ugly. But like a bride asking you how her wedding was you have to lie and tell them you think they are great. Sure you wouldnt notice big rectangles on your ceilings at all. And sure dust and spider webs are never ever going to be lying between them an the ceilings. Beautiful job ... not.

Newtown90

Got one a few years ago when they were a lot more expensive, convinced myself it was great for a bit - it's since been removed to storage in the shed.

steamdave

Sounds like it's staying with the traditional water radiators of the central heating + a conventional bedroom mirror for me!

Dave

DC999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058295512/infra-red-heaters

I have one for the WFH office. 3x3m small but very cold (old windows and north facing). Used it all winter and only use 350w (I got a small one), so 3.5 / 4kWh a day max. It’s perfect, but was close beside me. Deffo recommend for that and will use it forever more. Room was Baltic before and really uncomfortable. 

Wife doesn’t like sitting on front of it, so WFH room is likely that’s the only place it’s practical. You need to be right in front of it so unless you roof mount it, or wall mount it it won’t work.

thatphil

I have a small 300w one mounted in the shed I use as a home gym. It's perfect in there as it creates a lovely warm zone I can stand in between sets. Had a small oil filled heater before but this vas very impractical as the shed is not insulated in any way so was impossible to heat with a traditional heater. The IF works great and uses a fraction of the energy so it's a win win.

DownByTheGarden

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120569301#Comment_120569301

I can picture you turning around like a hog on a spit trying to get warm LOL

I had an IR heater in my office. One side of me would be lovely and warm and the other side of me freezing. I used to swing around on the seat every few mins

denismc

I can't really see the benefit of these at all, from what I can see they all use a resistive heating element to generate the radiation, its just the delivery of the heat thats different, radiation vs convection/conduction. So I can't see any efficiency benefits compared to a traditional electric radiator.

graememk

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120572026#Comment_120572026

I don't have one, but I do "get" the working of them. But yeah they aren't

They heat the person(or things) not the air.

It's the same feeling as say direct sun through a window, or the direct heat from a blazing fire, that's all infrared heat.

that's what makes it very good for poorly insulated rooms where a normal resistive heater might not be even able to heat a room, or if it was could end up using a lot more energy.

But it's a love it or hate it scenario, some swear by it others can't stand it.

con747

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120572069#Comment_120572069

Fully agree, don't knock it till you try it. Mine are doing what I want them to do, others have different expectations and circumstances.

DC999

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120572069#Comment_120572069

Yep, that's my WFH room in a nutshell 'poorly insulated rooms where a normal resistive heater might not be even able to heat a room, or if it was could end up using a lot more energy.'

Cheaper and more comfortable I find. I got one to see could I use them elsewhere. But it's only room that it suits - which is fine. I don't turn on main rad in that room as only a small 3x3m space so it shoots up several degrees quickly otherwise and gets like a sauna. Then back to a freezer.

unkel

Same here, use them mainly for places where people stay in one small area of a room, typically at a desk. Working from home or studying. It means you don't have to heat the whole room, only the person.

But it all depends on your circumstances if these save money or not. Let's say your far IR panel uses a constant 500W. And to heat that same room to the same comfort level with gas / oil heating might use a constant 1500W. But if your electricity costs 50c and your gas / oil costs 15c, then it is actually more expensive to use the more efficient IR panels

For me it's the other way around. I use electricity either from my PV setup and / or from cheap night rate stored in my battery (this is cheaper than gas), so my savings using these are substantial. And of course I try burn as little (fossil fuel) as I can