What Is An Infrared Heater? Here’s Why They Are Popular

what is an infrared heater and are they cheaper to heat rooms with

What Is An Infrared Heater And How Do They Work?

An quality infrared space heater is one of the many portable heating options on the market and extremely energy efficient with proven savings as much as 50% compared to other conventional heating systems.

Far infrared heating, unlike harmful UV rays,  is perfectly natural and 100% safe for our bodies, our children and pets. The feeling of gentle warmth from infrared heat is particularly comforting, especially as the human body is designed to accept and emit infrared rays.

The reason why infrared heat feels so good is because the far infrared rays offer the same comforting heat sensation you feel from walking in bare feet on the sun warmed earth, rocks or sand, or like walking past a window the sun is shining through.

Did you know infrared heaters can be powered by electricity, natural gas or propane gas?

These heaters can be used indoors and outdoors for residential and commercial purposes for a wide range of situations. Here’s an interesting fact. Did you know infrared heaters can be powered by electricity, natural gas or propane gas? If you are considering propane gas heaters for either the home or garage, here are some safe and popular propane heaters for indoor use.

Infrared heat is generated from light rays which warms everything directly in its direct path. Infrared heaters are very popular for use in homes, offices and garages as they are cost efficient, safe and available in a range of sizes.

These safe heaters are available in long column styles, square formats which can double as a side table, Amish looking heaters, rectangular- fixed to the wall options, as well as small square, or circle heaters which can sit on the desk.

Almost Instant Heat

As they heat almost instantly, they are considered energy efficient. In fact, when compared to other heaters such as gas and electric heaters, infrared heaters have proven to be an ideal heating solution for many.

Infrared heat provides comfortable, warm, non-drying heat in a highly energy efficient manner. The many styles of portable heaters can provide heat when and where you need it with a thermostat or controller.

Can Infrared Heaters Heat A House?

Can infrared heaters heat a house? Yes, but you would need a lot of them. The most effective way to heat your house is by implementing zone heating This is called zone heating which is effective in reducing heating costs. The US Department Of Energy says roughly $1200 a year is spent on heating and cooling.

If you only use a couple of rooms over the colder months, then it stands to reason there’s no need to heat an entire home. If you want to heat a bedroom, then by all means the heater can be switched on earlier in the day for comfort. They are the ideal solution in letting you heat the rooms you need.

How Safe Is An Infrared Heater

If safety is a concern, you might be asking how safe is an infrared heater? These heaters are very safe to use anywhere. Nearly all infrared heaters feature cool to touch cabinets in attractive finishes, dispersing heat with a fan.

Auto Shutoff And Emergency Tip Over

Most models are available with automatic shut-off and emergency tip-over switch for added safety. It is difficult to draw generalizations about infrared heaters because there are so many different specifications across the ever increasing range of models on the market.

Ranging from large room heaters, slimline columns to tiny desktop heaters, the maximum heat output levels, controls and designs vary widely. Infrared heaters are not only powered by electricity, many models are powered by natural gas or propane.

Because the light rays emitted by infrared heaters are absorbed by the items nearby, such as our skin, clothing, chairs, carpeting and bedding, the temperature of an area near an infrared heater increases, making a room or specific area warmer. Other kinds of heaters can’t do this.

Benefits Of Using An Infrared Heater

  • Instant Heat: Infrared heat is instant. As soon as the heater is switched on they start emitting light, warming nearby objects, sofas, walls, rugs and bodies which hold the heat. These heaters do not warm the air.
  • Efficient: These heaters use minimal energy, 1500 watts which is as much power as a hairdryer uses. They warm what is directly in front of them, not whole rooms or areas.
  • Environmentally Friendly: Infrared heaters don’t burn wood. They are a clean heat source as they don’t release pollutants into the environment.

how much electricity does an infrared heater use?

What makes an infrared heater the best choice, aside from the fact they are an inexpensive heating option, portable, relatively silent and environmentally friendly?

An infrared heater does not use carbon combustion, open flames or fuel. They do not produce toxic by-products or pollutants. An infrared heater produces direct heat which means there is no wasted energy being used to warm an area larger than what you are using the heater for.

Plus, since these heaters generate heat from the moment you turn them on, you don’t need to heat up a room in advance. The efficiency of infrared heat doesn’t end there, either.

Low Cost Efficiency And Heat Output

Close to 100% of the heat produced by the infrared heater are emitted to the area it is facing. They are a low-cost, highly-efficient heating source. Infrared heaters are easy to maintain as there are no moving parts, and they come in many different designs and styles meant to compliment any décor.

They use up to 1500watts of power which is as much power as a hairdryer uses. Some of the more modern infrared heaters claim to reduce power usage by as much as 65%. Make sure you read the manufactures guidelines to find out how many watts the heater uses

Cool To Touch Casing

The heat coils in an infrared heater are encased in a cool-to-touch design with automatic switch off mechanisms that are activated if the heater is knocked over. This makes these heaters extremely safe for children and pets and more importantly, won’t catch fire if accidentally knocked over as many other heaters can do.

Different Types Of Heaters

An electric portable heater, for example, is effective for heating smaller areas and usually has a fan that moves the heated air around a room or in the case of oil-filled electric heaters, the air around the heater warms which eventually heats up the space it is in. Electric heaters cost much more to operate than infrared heaters which are generally quieter to operate as opposed to a fan-operated electric heaters.

Garage Heaters

Large heaters known as garage heaters are designed to be used in poorly insulated areas such as an outdoor shop or warehouse building. What they do is heat up an area by blowing a warm blast of air into the space meant to be heated. The blasts are sent out on a cycle, usually regulated by a temperature control. While these kinds of heaters can warm much larger spaces, they are not very efficient and are expensive to operate as electricity is required to drive the heating coils and blast fans.

Baseboard Heaters

Another heating option used by many is the baseboard heater. They are also available in a portable style and both are popular because they can be used to heat up specific areas such as bedrooms and hallways. They are powered by electricity while baseboard heaters are effective, they are often the most expensive of the heating options due to the sheer amount of power they draw during colder months.

Fireplace Heaters

There is also the fireplace heater which is another popular choice. This style of heater is used primarily because they are designed to be part of the overall decor of a room or home.

Some even have been designed to look and mimic an actual wood-burning fireplace without the chimney, logs and smoke. These operate with electricity or natural gas and work by heating the air near the unit when in operation.

These 7 infrared fireplace heaters look great, bringing the ambiance of a wood fire to the home and are inexpensive to run.

What Are The Downsides Of Infrared Heaters?

If you are looking for a heater to warm up much more than a specific area, an infrared heater may not be exactly what you are looking for. Because the direct course of the heating pattern they only heat what is directly in front of them.

Another drawback is as soon as the infrared heater stops, the heat output vanishes the instant it is turned off. This also means that since it isn’t actually heating the air in front of the unit (remember, infrared heat is heat from light rays) the area will cool quickly after the heater is turned off. This may not suit your needs, nor how you want to use the heater. Having said that, this does happen with all heaters, infrared or not.

What’s To Like About Infrared Heaters?

A lot actually. Infrared heaters are beneficial for those with health concerns such as allergies and cost issues. The gentle heat isn’t drying and they are not dust producing. Because they provide a concentrated and fast source of heat with minimal power usage, remember we mentioned they us a small 1500w same as a hair dryer uses, an infrared heater may be your perfect choice for keeping warm.

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