In the year 1800, Sir William Herschel discovered the existence of infrared by performing a simple experiment. Herschel passed sunlight through a prism. As sunlight passes through the prism, the prism divides it into a rainbow of colours called a spectrum. A spectrum contains all of the colours which make up sunlight. Herschel was interested in measuring the amount of heat in each colour. To do this he used thermometers with blackened bulbs and measured the temperature of the different colours of the spectrum.

He noticed that the temperature increased from the blue to the red part of the spectrum. Then he placed a thermometer just past the red part of the spectrum in a region where there was no visible light and found that the temperature there was even higher. Herschel realised that there must be another type of light which we cannot see in this region. This light was called infrared.

Simply put, no Infrared radiant heating does not harm you or anyone around you. Everything absorbs or emits infrared. It is the way the sun keeps us warm on earth. There are no UV’s or other nasties. In fact feeling warm on a cold day is probably the best health benefit there could be.

Infrared Radiant Heaters use the oldest form of heating known to man. Just as the sun’s rays heat the earth, so infrared radiant heaters use this same method of heating. Objects, people and buildings are warmed directly rather than the air between them.

Infrared radiant heaters transmit infrared energy which converts into heat when absorbed by objects.

It is the infrared heater surface temperature and the emissivity value of the surface coating that determines how much infrared is transmitted and its wavelength, nothing else.

Because the energy is only turned into heat as it comes into contact with solid objects, the heat provided is highly efficient as very little is lost into the atmosphere. As everything absorbs infrared and everything emits infrared so the infrared heat from the panel is absorbed into the fabric of the room, walls, floors, objects and people, they warm up and in turn emit infrared back into the room. Traditional methods of heating, such as gas central heating, storage heaters, blown air and numerous other convection heaters rely on warming the air, warm up times are expensive and lost air means yet another warm-up time.

Using Infrared Radiant heating to warm objects and people directly rather than warming up the air will use about half the energy over a sustained period. We all know that energy is energy so how come? There’s a simple answer, air leaks, escapes through open doors and windows, warm air rises above your head were you can’t feel it and there’s lots of it in a room, so there’s a constant requirement to keep warming it up. Infrared Radiant heating puts heat into solid objects, walls and floors then gently releases it back into the room, when the room gets warm it stays warm for longer.

Simply by warming the fabric of the room there are no longer any cold surfaces for moisture in the air to condensate onto, they are also great at drying out damp walls and objects. Natural movement of air when entering or leaving the room lets the moisture out.