What is infrared heat?
Infrared radiation was discovered as long ago as 1800, when an English astronomer discovered the existence of infrared energy beyond the red end of the visible light spectrum. Wavelengths found in both the near and far infrared area of the spectrum will create the energy required for atoms within an object to start vibrating. Vibrating atoms in an object will cause it to heat up. We use far infrared energy in our panels, the electricity is used to provide heat only and no light. Short wave infrared used in our Heatstar products provide heat and light in the form of a gentle orange glow, this is particularly useful for evening patio use. Infrared is purely a heating effect on objects and people without the need to heat up the air in between. When infrared rays touch a surface they will cause it to heat up, the most common example of this is sitting in the sun. The suns infrared rays will provide healthy warmth on the skin irrelevant of the outside temperature, you may even be enjoying the sunshine whilst in the snow on a skiing holiday. A warm sunny wall is also the result of the suns infrared rays this time heating the stonework which in turn radiates the heat back. Every object that is warmed will radiate some electromagnetic heat radiation back, the intensity of the radiation increases as the vibration of the atoms in the object increases.
Infrared radiation firstly creates a healthy warmth on the skin, by stimulating the blood circulation the heat will permeate deeply around the body. People can feel warmer at lower temperatures depending on the intensity of the radiation. Body temperature is maintained by the insulating effect of the surrounding air which will then rise in temperature too. Heat can move around the body by encouraging optimum blood circulation.
If we compare the old convection heaters with infrared heating we find that convection heaters rely on the movement of air, as cold air comes along in front of the heater it is warmed and moved upwards and across the room, with this constant movement of air, energy is wasted in the heating of air which will go cold when it rises into the roof of the conservatory. The infrared heater will directly heat people and objects, such as the floor and solid house walls, without moving the air, these will radiate heat back into the room. This naturally happens in the summer when solar radiation heats the floor during the day to radiate it back in the evening.