As the weather changes, many people turn to portable and installed infrared heaters to keep their business or household warm. Infrared heaters come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and not only can be used to heat your home, but can also be used in other heat applications, such as with infrared saunas.
Types
Infrared heaters come in a variety of types and materials. Infrared heaters can be fueled by electric, propane or natural gas. They also come in a variety of materials, including steel, carbon fiber and ceramic. Some infrared heaters are designed to be permanently installed, while others (especially for the home) are designed to be portable for use in multiple rooms.
Radiation
Infrared heaters work using electromagnetic radiation. Much like the sun rays warm you on a summer's day, infrared heaters work by directing radiation directly at objects and using their infrared light to warm up the objects the light comes into contact with. Just as you get cooler when you move out of the sun and into the shade, infrared heaters also only heat objects that are in direct contact with the light.
Process
Most infrared heaters work using an internal heating element. For example, quartz infrared heaters use a tungsten or copper wire contained in a quartz crystal tube. As electricity is passed into the wire, the wire generates large amounts of heat. The heat gets contained inside the quartz tube, causing the temperature to rise even higher. As the heat rises, infrared heat begins to emit from the heating element into the room.
Warmth
How far the heat from infrared heaters travel, directly depends on how much infrared heat the units can produce. If an object is within the heater range, the object (such as a person) will absorb some of the energy. The closer the object gets to the heaters, the more energy the object can absorb. Because the infrared heaters do not heat the air, they make perfect devices for heating areas that cannot contain warm air (such as outdoors or in a drafty room).
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