Many people wonder what the difference between radiant and infrared heat is, but both
Infrared heaters are generally more environmentally friendly as they do not use combustion for heat generation, reducing carbon emissions. Radiant heaters, depending on their fuel source, may have a greater environmental impact—for example, if you use a combustion boiler to heat the water used in the system.
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.
Although radiant heaters do get very hot to the touch, when they heat up infrared light leaves the heater and transfers to the cooler objects around it, like how the sun warms the earth.
Electric heaters of any type are unsafe to leave running overnight because they carry a significant amount of risk. If a space heater falls over or becomes too hot from running for too long of a period of time, that can lead to a fast-moving fire that occurs while you are asleep and cannot act fast enough.
But don't worry, infrared heaters are incredibly efficient. They're designed to keep a space warm while using as little electricity as possible.
Oil filled radiator space heaters are some of the safest on the market. 1500W is all the juice an outlet will provide (Roughly 5,000 btus).
What type of heater puts out the most heat? The type of heater that puts out the most heat depends on various factors, but generally, infrared heaters (such as the radiant heaters in this article) are known for emitting a significant amount of heat.
On outside walls, above the windows.
The convection currents of heated air from the cove heater takes care of most of the heat loss first and then the radiant heat, heats objects in the room much like the sun. All in all, it is best to place the heaters above the windows pointing into the room.
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.
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).
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 good news is that modern infrared heaters are very safe to use even when left unattended during the night, even while you are sleeping.
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.
Example (you can use an electric heater running cost calculator below for different wattages/kWh prices): If we assume the price of electricity is $0.1319 per kWh, a 1,500-watt electric space heater will cost; $0.20 to run per hour. $4.80 to run per 24 hours (day). $11.20 to run per week (8h/day).
In other words, a 1,500-watt heater will be great for a 250-square-foot room with central heat. If that same room had no other source of heat, you'd need a 2,000-watt heater.
Generally speaking, Halogen heaters are one of the most inexpensive types of electric heater. They average around 1200W in terms of power output and because they provide instant-heat at close quarters, you shouldn't need to leave them on for long periods of time.
One primary disadvantage is the high installation cost, particularly in retrofitting an existing home. For new construction, radiant floor heating can be incorporated more easily, but for older homes, it requires lifting the floor to install the system, which can be time-consuming and costly.
Electric radiant floor heating systems are generally very efficient and use as much or less energy than other heating systems.
The major advantage of the radiant warmer is the easy access it provides to critically-ill infants without disturbing the thermal environment. Its major disadvantage is the increase in insensible water loss produced by the radiant warmer.
Q: Are Infrared Heaters Safe? A: The simple answer to this question is yes. They are 100% safe!
Oil heaters
They're often fitted with an automatic shutoff feature which means they'll turn off automatically if you leave the heater unattended. This makes an oil-filled heater relatively safe to leave on at night.
Vornado does not recommend unattended and unsupervised use of this heater.