How Infrared Heating Panels Will Benefit The Earth, Your Pocket, And Your Health

Living rurally on an old farm, I've relied on gas heaters to keep my home warm for as long as I can remember — occasionally, when it gets truly cold, supplementing with a little electric oil radiator to keep my water pipes from freezing over. As autumn was approaching this year, I realized that I had had my main heater for about 13 years, and I had bought it second-hand to start off with. I wasn't sure whether my chimney was doing its job any more either, and I've heard about enough cases of deadly carbon monoxide poisoning to be sincerely concerned. 

It was in those circumstances that I set out to find an alternative form of heating. My priorities? I wanted something "green"; something energy efficient that would reduce the size of my carbon foot print. I also wanted a heater that would cost me as little as possible on a monthly basis. I had heard of thermo-accumulative electric heaters before, so I decided to Google around to see what was on offer in terms of electric heaters. 

That's when I came across infrared heating panels. 

What!? If you've ever had a gas heater before, you know that — like a genuine fireplace — they take up an awful lot of space. Infrared heating panels are a completely different story, as you can see from the picture above (yes, that's my infrared heater!). Flat panels that you hang on the wall or ceiling and plug in, infrared heating panels look radically different to any heater I had ever seen before, but that's nothing compared to how they actually work. 

How Do Infrared Heating Panels Work?

How do infrared heaters work? Not like any other heater you've ever had before, that's for sure. While convection heaters (including central heating, gas heaters, electric radiators, and wood fireplaces) create warmth by heating the air around them, circulating hot air towards the ceiling in the process while keeping the space close to the floor relatively cold, infrared heaters do not heat the air at all. Rather, they heat the objects in the room. That includes the walls, ceiling, floor, furniture, and — you, the humans and perhaps pets inhabiting the space.

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As the infared rays get bounced around the room, they keep your walls and floors both warm and dry. As the objects receive heat, they in turn radiate heat into the air, providing a warmth that feels much like the outdoor world on a pleasant summer afternoon. 

Why Get An Infrared Heater?

Well, you certainly have plenty of reasons to choose from:

• You WILL save money. Infrared panel heaters are up to twice as energy efficient as other heating methods according to some sources, though my local energy company told me I would save 30 percent. Because the heat infrared heating panels provide is stored within the surrounding matter rather than in the air, you will not have a stone cold room the moment you open a door or window.
• You will save money. Yes, again. I bought one of the most pricey infrared heating panels on the market, and it was still cheaper than a gas heater. Infrared heating panels are also maintenance-free, meaning I was able to give up my fairly expensive gas fire maintenance contract without replacing it with another type of maintenance contract. 
• You will contribute towards saving the Earth. Because, energy efficient. Infrared heating panels direct heat where it's needed, rather than losing energy by circulating hot air to the top of the room, where it can't do much good.
• You will save space. The panels are completely flat. Some even come with pictures, giving you heat and art in one.

I've had my infrared heating panel for about a month now, and the autumn is just getting started. When I come home from work, and it's about 14 degrees Celsius indoors, I switch my panel on with a remote control, and as it hangs right above my couch, I feel the radiant heat directly on my back almost immediately. After about 20 minutes, my whole living room is nice and warm — about 19 or 20 degrees Celsius. I bought my heating panel together with a plug-in thermostat and the aforementioned remote control. You'll want to do that too, otherwise your heater will remain on all the time at full blast, until you unplug it. That won't be so energy efficient after all, plus you'll be boiling. 

But Won't They Fry Your Brain Or Something?

Nope. As the sun's rays don't fry your brain, the rays infrared heating panels emit will not fry your brain, or disintegrate the molecules in your body, or send a wave of aliens to your house, either. (Yes, conspiracy theories abound.) Looking for information about infrared heating panels before I made my purchase, I came across some comments that claimed that my TV remote control would stop working or start leading a life of its own. That made me giggle, as the thermostat itself came with a remote control. Both that and my TV remote work fine.

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Health Benefits Of Infrared Heating Panels

Not only will an infrared heating panel not fry your brain, it comes with numerous health benefits:

• Allergy-friendly: Infrared heating panels do not rely on circulating particle-laden air around the room, and you won't be inhaling nearly as much dust if you heat your home in this manner. By keeping your walls and ceilings dry, infrared panels also prevent mould-buildup.
• Help for chronic back pain: Remember those infrared heaters to treat chronic back pain? Well, this is basically the same thing, except it also heats your house.
• Hypertension-friendly: Just like blood pressure is generally slightly lower in hypertensives during the summer months, infrared heaters also serve to lower your blood pressure.
• Infrared heaters do not deplete the surrounding air of oxygen like some heaters.