How Does an Infrared Gas Heater Work?
Gas infrared heaters are often preferred over more conventional heating systems because they are considered more direct and energy efficient. Infrared heaters heat objects and people at floor level, rather than heating the air which results in the loss of warmth and a waste of energy. Does this Spark an idea?
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Infrared Heat
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Infrared heat is produced by infrared light, which is invisible to the eye. Infrared heat is absorbed by clothes and skin, thereby generating body warmth.
Heating Method
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Gas-fired infrared heaters use gas combustion, using either natural or propane gas. This transmits heat directly to a steel tube or ceramic surface, which consequently produces infrared heat. Essentially, gas infrared heaters employ two elements to create heat: infrared light bulbs, and a heat exchanger. The infrared light bulbs emit infrared light and a heat exchanger generates the heat.
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Efficiency
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Infrared heaters produce two types of heat: radiant heat and convection heat. Infrared radiant heat warms people as well as objects within range. Convection heat rises and is lost as hot air will gather beneath the ceiling and offer little benefit to keeping a person warm. This is why infrared radiant heaters will heat quicker and more economically than conventional heating systems.
Instant Heat
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Gas-fired infrared heaters release heat instantly, producing immediate warmth to the skin, as long as the individual remains within range of the heating bulbs. Fan forced infrared heaters will increase the overall room temperature, but this also means it will take more time to feel the warmth.
Safety
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Infrared heaters fall into the "medium temperature energy" source category. This means there is no danger from exposure to harmful UV rays and this renders them safer to use.
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References
- Photo Credit warming hands image by Brett Mulcahy from Fotolia.com
