The lowdown on infrared heating

Are you thinking about adding infrared heating to your home? The experts at Kiasa explain how an infrared heating system works, and how it can lead to a warm and energy-efficient future.

What is infrared heat?

When you feel the sun on your body, the warmth coming your way is radiant heat. You can’t see infrared radiation, but the sun, a heater or even a person can emit or absorb it. The infrared rays pass through the air and heat individuals or objects that they reach.

How is infrared used for heating a home?

Effective infrared heaters, powered by electricity, come in the form of panels or bars. The radiant heat they produce reaches the temperature you need rapidly, reducing warm-up periods. And because infrared radiation warms objects and people, rather than just heating the air of the entire room, it’s not wasting energy. The panels and bars can top up your existing heating system or be part of a larger plan to heat your whole home.

How does infrared heating compare with conventional radiators?

Infrared heating is much more efficient than the convection heating supplied by conventional radiators and oil or gas central heating systems. Convected heat warms the air only, which circulates around the room. Instead of warming the air, direct radiated heat warms everything it touches, from your body to the walls.

What are the benefits of infrared heaters?

They warm up fast, so you’ll benefit from the heat straight away. And you won’t have to put up with any annual maintenance or servicing costs. Infrared heating panels are easy to install. These heaters have no fan or convection to circulate dust, so they can benefit anyone who suffers from allergies and asthma. They are completely silent, too.

What are infrared panel heaters?

These slim panels can be freestanding or wall-mounted, so they won’t take up valuable space. Classic white panels from Kiasa are a great space-saving solution and give a clean, modern look to any room. If you want more control, choose infrared heating from the Smart+ Range and you can control your heaters from your smart phone and create a weekly heating schedule for different rooms by setting a target temperature. With WiFi connectivity the heaters will obey your Alexa or Google Home commands.

Can I have glass or mirrored panels?

Infrared heaters don’t need to blend into the background. Choose a glass panel infrared heater in a chic frost colour, or in black to make a statement in a living room or kitchen. For the bathroom, a mirror panel heater works as both a steam free mirror and a heater, and it comes with an IP65 water resistance rating.

What are heater bars?

If you’re after a discreet look, infrared heater bars could be the solution. They’re the ideal way to bring a spot of warmth to a chilly room, conservatory, office or garden shed. Select one with a simple on/off switch or choose a smart version with built-in WiFi with smart phone control. The aluminium infrared heating bars come with easy-fix mounting brackets. Though you could ask an electrician to wire them in, they can simply be plugged into a nearby electric socket if you prefer.

How can I heat the patio?

It feels great to prolong the time you spend out on the patio when the evenings start to get chilly. Halogen outdoor heaters such as the Smart WiFi Blade infrared patio bar are an energy-efficient way to warm up, providing instant radiant heat. Complete with a wireless remote control, the heaters can be controlled them from anywhere, and they come with a watertight protection cover, too.

Find out more

Visit kiasa.co.uk or call 0116 488 5150 for expert advice on the infrared heating options for your home. Find even more useful information on the Kiasa blog.