You can choose and buy infrared heaters yourself in the corresponding catalog. Below we will talk about what is important to pay attention to when choosing a device.

Principle of operation and advantages

Infrared heaters, which are sometimes called simply "reflectors", give long heat rays (infrared radiation), which do not heat the air, but people and objects surrounding them. That is, it heats according to the same principle as the Sun. And one should not believe idle conversations when they claim that such heaters are harmful to health, the word "radiation" in this case should not frighten.

It is thanks to this that energy savings are provided, which can reach 50%. So, convection and oil models spend too much energy on heating the air, which is not very effective. In addition, the heated air rises to the ceiling, as a result, until the room is completely warmed up, there is too much temperature difference in it. And this is not too good for health. In addition, infrared heaters do not dry the air in the room and do not burn oxygen.

 

Most modern models of infrared heaters have a quartz heating element. In this case, the spiral (usually tungsten) is placed in a quartz tube from which the air is pumped out. This type is the simplest, but at the same time quite effective. Other, more efficient and economical solutions can be found on the market. However, their cost will be higher.

Infrared models also have such advantages as low weight, they are completely silent in operation and do not emit any unpleasant odours. And the high heating speed will allow you to warm up immediately, without waiting for the heater itself to warm up. The latter is especially pleasant in cases when you have just returned from the street, where you are very cold.

At the same time, infrared heaters do not just heat the surface of the skin, but are able to warm up the human body. This means that they can serve as an excellent tool for the prevention of colds and inflammation. Although it should be noted here that after a long stay under the warming rays, you need to be careful when going out into the cold.

And finally, it should be noted that infrared heaters differ in directional action. That is, thanks to them, only a small area of the room can be heated without wasting energy. For example, such a device will be an excellent solution when you need to heat only one corner in a large warehouse. It is these heaters that are used to heat open verandas.

Features of installation and operation

The infrared heater can be used as efficiently as possible only when it is installed on the ceiling. However, models with floor and wall mounting are also available.

Floor models are considered the least effective, they are not suitable for heating large rooms. But they are much more convenient, they are easy to carry from place to place (large models are often equipped with wheels).

When installing, it should be remembered that there should be some distance from the heater to the object heated by it. Too close location can cause a fire. The minimum distance is usually indicated in the instructions for the device.

A good model must be equipped with overheating protection. This is simply necessary in order to ensure decent security of the device. If you plan to use the heater in a room with high humidity, it is advisable to purchase a model with water protection. And for the floor heater, the function of disconnecting when falling will not be superfluous at all. But even if it is available, be sure to make sure that the heater is stable enough!

If you want to maintain a constant temperature in the room, then choose a model with a thermostat. A heater with such a device will automatically turn off when the set temperature is reached and turn on when it drops by several degrees.

Some models can be equipped with useful additions such as a timer, a remote control and even a display that can display the operating time and temperature. They are convenient, but they affect the cost of the device. Here you will need to decide how important these additions are for you, whether it is worth overpaying.

It should be remembered that infrared heaters are devices that are sensitive enough to voltage reduction. With a noticeable decrease, the efficiency of work also decreases.

Infrared heater power

 

When choosing an infrared heater, special attention should be paid to power. It is considered that when heating a room with an area of up to 20 sq. metres and a ceiling height of 2.5 metres, it is necessary to proceed from the calculation of 100 watts per 1 m². area. That is, for a room of 10 sq . m . metres will be quite enough for a device with a power of 1000-1200 watts. For colder rooms (for example, cottages), it is advisable to choose a device based on the calculation of 130-150 watts per 1 m². area.

Heaters with a capacity of 2500-3000 watts can also be found on the market. They are designed for fairly large rooms. However, if it is necessary to heat a really significant area, it is more efficient to install several less powerful heaters at once, evenly placing them around the perimeter. So, two well-positioned devices of 1500 watts may be preferable when warming up a room of 30 sq. m. metres, rather than one per 3000 watts.

Low-power heaters are good for "spot" heating and are not suitable for heating the entire room. They can also be used for heating hallways, bathrooms, utility rooms, etc.

What to choose

When choosing a heater, you need to pay some attention to the brand. Devices manufactured by AEG, Polaris, Scarlett, and UFO are widely used in our country. At the same time, it should be noted that the quality of products from east european manufacturers is not much lower than that of Western ones. But anyway, it is absolutely not superfluous to familiarize yourself with the reviews beforehand.