The higher the watt output rating, the more heat the infrared heater produces. If the heater serves as the room's primary source of warmth, you'll want a higher watt rating (closer to 1,500 watts) for bigger rooms.
Good infrared panels should have at least one layer of insulation to the back to allow for a lower back temperature. Without insulation, you get 50% of heat out the back and 50% out the front.
Potential Cons of Infrared Heating
One of the biggest concerns is that this type of heating may not provide enough warmth for homes with high ceilings. This means supplementary heat sources may be required to supplement the infrared heaters, making it less cost-effective than originally anticipated.
We understand why people look at infrared heating—it sounds energy efficient. But in reality, infrared heaters need to stay on longer to maintain warmth, and because they only heat what they directly touch, they often end up using more energy than expected.
IR-A radiation with its excessive heat can cause irreversible damage (such as burns) to the retina and cloud the lens, which can lead to a cataract (also known as glassblower's cataract or infrared cataract). IR-B radiation can damage the blood vessels down to the fatty tissue.
To give you the quick answer, the majority of good infrared heating panels are designed with safety and efficiency in mind, allowing them to be left on throughout the day without major safety issues or costing you a small fortune.
So the 1500 watt will usually heat up to 150 square feet.
But don't worry, infrared heaters are incredibly efficient. They're designed to keep a space warm while using as little electricity as possible. This makes them much cheaper to run than central heating, space heating, and air source heat pumps.
Far infrared energy has the longest wavelength of the infrared spectrum. This allows it to penetrate the body most deeply, affecting soft tissue and the cellular activity of those tissues. This is the type of infrared that is most associated with infrared saunas.
The deep, penetrative effects of Near and Mid-infrared in the short term are beneficial, but over time leads to headaches and dry-skin.
In the bedroom, it's better to place a panel on the wall opposite your bed, or to the side, rather than immediately behind your head. This will allow the infrared heat to disperse across your whole bed and gently warm you.
A: The 1500W model that puts out the most heat is the DR-999.
Lifespan of infrared panels vs traditional heating
When considering heating options, longevity is a crucial factor. Infrared panels are known for their durability and should last around 20 years, but depending on the quality of the panel, this could be anywhere from 10 to 30 years.
The first technique is to simply figure the square footage of the space you want to heat. In warmer climates, multiply this number by 10 - 15. In more moderate climates, multiply by 20 - 30. And in cold climates multiply the square foot number by 30 - 40.
150 square feet could be approximately a 10-foot wide by 15-foot long or an eight-foot wide by 18.75 long space or any combination that gives you 150 square feet.
● Long Lifetime with 80,000 Hours of Operation
Rest assured, you can use Dr. Infrared Heater winter after winter for years. It's built to last up to 80,000 hours in operation.
Near IR can be harmful to the eyes because it penetrates as far as the cornea (Voke, 1999). Uncontrolled, frequent, or long-term exposure to Near Infrared can also cause thermal burns and ageing effects such as “Bakers Arms” or “Glassblowers Face” (Cho & others, 2009).
Quartz infrared heaters offer very fast heat-up and cool down times. Ceramic heaters, however, require more time to heat circulating air and warm up the room via convection. Quartz heaters can be used to create quieter heating equipment as in most cases air movement from noisy convection blowers is not needed.
They often heat empty spaces. Rooms are heated on the basis that they may be used. Not always the case. Infrared heat is felt almost instantly.
In older, draughty homes, infrared panels alone may not be enough to keep rooms warm. Rooms will feel nice and comfortable when they are on, but without good insulation, the room temperature will quickly cool down when the panels are switched off. Infrared heating works best in modern, highly insulated buildings.
Results: Detrimental effects such as thermal burns, photocarcinogenesis, and photoaging have been reported, though evidence suggests that these may be due to the thermal effects produced secondary to IR exposure rather than the isolated effect of IR.
The precise surface temperature of panels can vary depending on the specific product, but it's safe to say they'll feel hot to touch. However, because IR panels have lower 'watt densities' than equivalent heaters, you won't burn yourself from quick touches and glances by.