How Does a Radiant Tube Heater Work?
A radiant tube heater is a type of device also commonly referred to as an infrared heater. It is a long vertical tube typically housed in a metal frame that, when plugged into a wall outlet or filled with fuel, can be used to heat a large area like a garage in the winter. Radiant tube heaters work in a very specific way. Does this Spark an idea?
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Fuel Powered
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A fuel-powered radiant tube heater uses a fuel source, either gasoline or propane, to create heat through combustion. When turned on, the heater uses the fuel to heat up the tube on the inside of the unit. That tube then gets hot enough to heat the surrounding area. The tube is typically made from either a steel or ceramic material.
Electric Powered
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Electric powered radiant tube heaters have an attached power cable that plugs into a wall outlet or surge protector inside the area that you want to heat. Once plugged in, the electricity the heater is drawing is converted into heat, which warms up the tube on the inside of the unit that then heats the surrounding area.
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Heat level
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A radiant tube heater is specifically designed to start warming a room from the floor upwards, and not from the ceiling downwards. As heat is created by the unit, it is emitted outward toward reflectors at the top of the heater that send the energy down toward the floor.
Uses
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Depending on the size of the unit, a single radiant tube heater could be used to dramatically increase the temperature of a space like a garage during the winter months of the year. A few radiant tube heaters, when placed in strategic points around a large space like a warehouse or factory, could be used to increase the temperature of the entire area without relying on some kind of central heating system.
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