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Infrared Panel Heater

GolfNut33

Just looking for some opinions on these type of heaters.

I recently got one installed in a bedroom and it doesn't seem to work very well at all. The room is an average size bedroom and the heater is installed on the wall (normal radiator height). I understand they work differently than other type of heaters as they heat objects by radiant heat rather than convection but it just doesn't seem to work well at all.

For example, today I turned the stat to 20C (room was 14c) and shut the door. Came back two hours later and it was only at 17c. Room felt warmer but not what you'd expect. I'll add that the room is very well insulated and no leaky windows etc. I even got the next size up than what was necessary for the room size.

Any advice?

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thefizz

I also got one recently and found it to be less than satisfactory.

2011

GolfNut33 wrote: »

Just looking for some opinions on these type of heaters.

Have you a link to the heater?

For example, today I turned the stat to 20C (room was 14c) and shut the door.

I’m not trying be smart but the stat will only measure the temperature at the precise point that it is installed. Where is the stat located ? Close to the heater ? If so this will see a higher temperature than the average room temperature which is what I assume you want to control.
Also as this is an uncalibrated stat it could be very inaccurate.

Came back two hours later and it was only at 17c.

How did you determine the room temperature? Where did you take this measurement? Did you use a calibrated instrument to determine this?

Any advice?

Yes, turn up the stat and consider measuring the room temperature at the same place that the stat is located. Also to determine the room temperature accurately use a calibrated instrument. It may be possible to do a 2 point check on a thermometer yourself by immersing it in melting ice (0 degrees C) and boiling water (100 degrees C). Remember a stat will only provide on/off control which can be quite crude and can result in the temperature oscillating quite a bit.

fritzelly

Difference between the two is infrared heats objects not the air, so the thermostat, unless it's in front of the panel, isn't going to give an accurate reading.
I have one in the bedroom and think they work great when in the room, pretty much instant heat.

GolfNut33

Thanks lads. I'm out at the minute so I will supply more details later. It's a plusheat panel and the stat is one that shows current temp and called for temp. Its situated switch height about 4m away on an adjacent wall.

2011

I found this link to the heaters.

I feel that it is a very deceiving website as all electric heaters are practically 100% efficient yet they promote these heaters as being "energy saving" and "the future". The problem with electric heaters isn't the efficiency, it is the cost per unit of electricity!
It has gone through the roof compared to most alternatives (such as gas or oil).

Electric heaters simply "energy save" by producing less heat output!

It seems to me that the reality is that electric heaters are not new and these particular heaters are no more efficient than electric heaters from the 1960's.

They look nice, but cheap they are not!

4068ac1elhodqr

A cheaper method of 'infra-red' heater bulb usage would be the simple (and cheap) NIR-A Near Infrared Bulb ( 850nm or thereabouts) with lamp, for 20 notes.
These however get very hot so could be a fire hazard, and should not be directed towards eyes (welder's burn).

GolfNut33

2011 wrote: »

I found this link to the heaters.

I feel that it is a very deceiving website as all electric heaters are practically 100% efficient yet they promote these heaters as being "energy saving" and "the future". The problem with electric heaters isn't the efficiency, it is the cost per unit of electricity!
It has gone through the roof compared to most alternatives (such as gas or oil).

Electric heaters simply "energy save" by producing less heat output!

It seems to me that the reality is that electric heaters are not new and these particular heaters are no more efficient than electric heaters from the 1960's.

They look nice, but cheap they are not!

Thanks 2011. The room doesn't really get too cold normally but during a really cold snap we wanted a heater to warm up the room so it wont be on all that much.

I understand the stat won't be super accurate but surly it must be some what accurate and be functional?

I don't think the stat is the issue TBH as its calling for heat as it shows the current temp and desired temp but the room just doesn't seem to get up to that temp. I'm going to leave it on for longer tomorrow and see how it goes but I didn't envisage having to have it on for hours to warm a relatively small room.

2011

GolfNut33 wrote: »

I understand the stat won't be super accurate but surly it must be some what accurate and be functional?

To a point, yes.

I don't think the stat is the issue TBH as its calling for heat as it shows the current temp and desired temp but the room just doesn't seem to get up to that temp. I'm going to leave it on for longer tomorrow and see how it goes but I didn't envisage having to have it on for hours to warm a relatively small room.

Turn up the stat fully, leave the heater on for longer and if the room doesn't heat sufficiently I would conclude that the heater is too small for the room. A larger heater (higher kW rating) will provide a higher heat output by consuming more energy but at least you will be warm.

TheBully

I was looking at an infrared heater also but couldn’t get much info on it.
It was for a downstairs bathroom, only a small room but was freezing, I ended up putting in a small 150w heated towel rail and it does the job nicely. The room doesn’t be boiling now obviously but it’s much cosier than it was before.
I used a fused socket spur and put it on a timer that I have set for 8 hours a day, I didn’t put a stat because the room is never gonna get too hot anyway being only 150watt.

Would this be an option for you?

cruizer101

My understanding on infrared heaters was that they are not designed to heat the room but rather to heat you when you are in the room.
So you install them in such a way that when you are in the room the infra red rays hit you, so for example I've seen them installed on ceiling over a sofa. That means the heater is just heating you and not the whole room and that is why it is efficient.
One place they are often used is factories which have openings/loading bays, so you can't actually heat the air as it is always changing so by using infrared heaters which heat the people and not the air inbetween you can keep people warm very economically.

I'd guess they are being mis-sold in a way, they are efficient in specific circumstances as they should be able to keep you warm without heating the whole room, but if people don't understand this limitation then they will not be anymore efficient that any other electric heater.

2011

Efficiency always causes confusion.

The basic formula for efficiency is a ratio of output to input expressed as a percentage: efficiency = (output / input) 100

If we take for example an electrical heater (any type) that has a rating of 1kW it will consume 1kJ of electrical energy per second. As it is almost 100% efficient this will produce 1kJ of heat per second.

If we were to use a gas boiler as an energy source 1kJ of heat could be generated for a fraction of the cost despite the fact that the gas boiler may only be 80% efficient.

So it may be better to discuss what is a more “cost effective” heating solution rather than what is more “efficient” because what we really care about is how much we have to fork out to heat our homes.

cruizer101

I'd agree there can be a lot of confusion, efficiency is often consider synonymous with cost effective which is often not the case.
The specific situation has to be considered too.
Electric heating is efficient but generally not cost effective however it can be if for example you wanted to just heat a single room instead of the whole house and couldn't zone your heating.

Good comparison here from SEAI with estimates on cost per kWh of heat of various heat sources.
https://www.seai.ie/publications/Domestic-Fuel-Cost-Comparison.pdf

2011

cruizer101 wrote: »

The specific situation has to be considered too.

Yes, you are right. The capital cost of installing an electric heater can be significantly less. I also has the advantage that each heater is a standalone unit. I just find it annoying the way some manufacturers of electrical heaters very deliberately try to mislead people.

Bruthal

cruizer101 wrote: »

Electric heating is efficient but generally not cost effective.

Thats because taking electric heating as 100% efficient is ignoring the expensive part of the process and only considering the final conversion of electricity to heat. And we pay for the parts of the process which are a long way from 100% efficient.

Bruthal

I know the point about electric heating being 100% efficient can be with regard to showing 1 heater is the same as another in terms of efficiency claims by sellers etc.

Nayane Morais

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/111978648#Comment_111978648

We got from Helvetic heating, couldn't fault them, just checked and they now called infrared heating Ireland.

Arianasouza

They're not meant to heat rooms but the people in them, from what I've read.

Don't put it on much in advance of being in the room, like a radiator. Just put it on when you are there, it will heat you and your bed/walls.

That's why they are so efficient.

If you are moving around a room a lot they won't work so well.

SharkMX

My brother got a high profile company to install IR heating panels in his house 2 years ago.

Its awful. He is glad now that he didnt do as they suggested and get rid of the oil burner because that was used instead of the IR.

I knew something was up when the SIL sent me a link to the company facebook page where the owner was outside a house in June where he was installing IR and saying that the 4 solar panels on the roof were currently supplying all the heat the house needed. It was June FFS. Those 4 panels wouldnt run a hairdryer in winter never mind heat the whole house for the winter.

Anyway the electricity bills in the brothers house were huge when it was cold. When you walked into the house it was freezing unless you sat under one of the heaters if it was on.

Dont fall for it would be my advice. If you do get it installed ask the company director how much your electricity bill will be. Then ask him if it goes over double what he says will he guarantee and pay it for you. Watch him squirm.