How does infrared heating work?...P3

Installing the heaters

Using a qualified electrician to install the infrared heaters is incredibly important, as it could mean the difference between a quality installation where you need not tamper with the equipment or mess around with the controls and weeks of agony trying desperately to get the installer back in to finish the job properly!

Ask the installer to show you how the controllers work, and what sort of heat settings you can expect.  Make sure you know how to do the basics, and don't take for granted that you can switch the infrared heating system on with one click of a button.  Most of the controllers we supply have program settings within the system, which means they function best when set up to run on automatic settings and not

The installer will most likely need to add each of the units to the electrical wiring loop, and use 'contactors' or breakers where necessary, to avoid over burdening the controller.  The heaters should also come with brackets so make sure when ordering you ask about brackets and how much extra cost is involved.

I need more power!

Ensure there is enough power being supplied to the infrared heaters - once the total Amperage is added up, you may find that there is very little power available from the main power board.  The last think you need is to add extra power to the building power board, as this can provide very costly and will sky rocket your capital costs.  Obviously, check whether the units run on a single phase power supply or a three phase supply.  Most small offices, small shops and spaces will run on single phase power, however the larger commercial and industrial spaces will run on three phase power supply, and some companies will have their own power grid to provide ample amperage!

So, to recap, here are some of the many benefits of installing electric infrared heaters:

• Low running costs
• Provide comfortable heating - much like the heat from the sun
• Easy to install
• No maintenance

Plus, when buying the heaters, ask the following questions:

• How much power supply is available on the power board?
• Do the heaters need mounting brackets?
• What sort of controls will you need?

Finally, when installing the heaters, remember the following:

• Hire a certified electrician
• Use breakers where necessary
• Ask the installer to show you how the controls work before leaving site
• Ask the installer to program the system before leaving site

How does infrared heating work?....P2

Part 2 of "How does infrared heating work?"

We have found the best way to heat a room is to use infrared heating mainly because of the short heat-up time, and the low energy use.  The reason the infrared heaters use less energy is because the energy is absorbed by the walls and the surfaces, causing them to feel warm and to radiate heat into the room rather than rely on reheating the air that can often be lost through the walls, windows, flooring and ceiling.  Once the walls and surfaces are warm they will retain the heat.  If a door is opened suddenly, the heat that is stored in the hard surfaces will not rush out of the room like hot air would.  Naturally some heat will be lost if the door is opened, however, the amount is minimal, and therefore it will take a small amount of energy from the heaters to heat the room back up to the required temperature.

The heaters manufactured by FRICO have been designed so that they are pleasant to look at when in a domestic or office environment.  The principle is that you should not notice that they are in the room, and FRICO have produced a ceiling tile that is heated that will fit snugly in to a modular ceiling, giving off up to 75 Watts of heat per tile to an office space without even know it was there.

The infrared rays themselves are totally harmless.  The structure of the heater will contain either a heating element such as a solid metal bar, or an aluminium foil that is encased in a heat resistant plastic casing, and both are then covered with the appropriate shell that is usually made from a reflective material such as aluminium so that the energy is transferred quickly from the heating foil or bar straight in to the room on to the objects.

FRICO Thermocassette Infrared Heater

When an electrical current is passed through the heating foil or the metal bar, it will emit a specific amount of ratdiation in the form of infrared waves.  These infrared waves, which are as previously stated, totally harmless and will not affect the person standing under the heater.  The infrared energy moves from the heater to all of the surfaces of the room or the space it is trying to heat, and the surfaces will both absorb and reflect the infrared waves, creating a warm environment.  The way this works is that when the infrared energy is absorbed in to the structures, let's say the walls and the floor,  the walls and the flooor will become warm and give off thermal or heat energy and start to warm the air up in the room. Second to this, they waill also relect the infrared waves of energy and begin bouncing around the room heating the rest of the surfaces, the machinery, computers and of course the people.

When standing in the room with radiant heating, you will notice that it feels warmer than convection heating, because of the direct heating affect coming from the infrared heating.  What this means (and this is where another energy saving comes in) is that you can set the room temperature lower than you would with a normal convection heating system and it will feel just as warm.

 There will be an all round comfortable feeling when occupying a room with infrared heating.  The feedback received regarding the infrared heating system is that clients love the type of heat being supplied by the heaters - the reason for this is that it is the closest you will get to standing under the sun, it feels the same as the heat coming from the sun.

Also, in industrial, commercial and retails applications, when an air curtain is strategically placed over the entrance doors, even more energy is saved from keeping the warm air in, and an even temperature is maintained throughout the space being heated.  Couple this with an advanced control system such as the SIRe controller from FRICO, and the TFP12 thermostatic controller, you can run a very sophisticated heating system that will self regulate and maintain comfortable heating within the room you are trying to heat.

The recent installation in to the hot yoga studio in London is a great example of how the aesthetics and control played a big part in the HP Thermocassettes being selected for the project.  Sleek looking, white finished infrared heaters were placed alongside the skylights, in uniform manner giving the room a modern look and feel.  Once the programmable controller (TFP12) had been set up and programmed according to the class timetable, the owners and instructors could leave the system running without having to tamper with the controls each day.  This frees up time for the owners to concentrate on their business, on bringing in more clients and on focussing on their business without having to worru about the inside temperatures.

The heaters provide a spread of heat over the whole of the studio, warming the floor, the walls and the people inside the room to create the perfect atmosphere for those wishing to practice hot yoga.

How does infrared heating work?...P1

Firstly, it is imperative we outline a few of the benefits of using infrared heating:

• Energy saving - up to 30% compared to convection heating
• Comfortable heating - heats like the Sun, warm comfortable heating feels natural to the body
• Easy installation - units delivered complete with mounting brackets
• Zero maintenance - once installed there is no need to replace parts.

What is infrared heating?

Infrared heating or radiant heating as it is known throughout the rest of Europe is a different type of heating solution that is not so commonly used by the domestic market in the UK. Traditional central heating systems rely on heating the air within the home, office, warehouse or sports-hall.  Think back to school and 'conection currents' - hot air rising, cooling and falling only to be reheated to go through the same cycle - the same principle applies to your central heating system - hot air rises to the top of the space and then drops down once the heat has been lost through the ceiling or windows, it then drops to the floor as it cools (as cool air is heavier than warm air) and is then passed over the radiator to be heated back up again, and to go through the same cycle of heating and cooling.

Are you wasting money?

Now, you may be thinking: "Well, surely then, with all of the hot air rising to the top, the heat is not going where it should (i.e. on the people below) and it is going to be much hotter at ceiling level, which must mean we are heating too much and wasting money on the constant heating of the air.  Then, of course, when the door or window is opened, especially in a public building that doesn't have an air curtain on the doorway, the heated air (which has cost a lot of money to heat) is lost to the outside air and cooler air rushes in only to be heated up back up again".

 Effects of convection heating  /    Effects of discreet radiant heating

Heating war!

This is the constant battle owners and operators of large commercial/private buildings face when it comes to heat control.  The final heating bill may be the last straw before looking at alternative means to heating the space - and this is of course is where Euro Controls UK Ltd can lend a hand in specifying quality heating equipment that is energy saving, easy to install and provides comfortable heating.

One of the key things to remember when using a traditional convection heating system is that it can take hours to heat a large industrial space, wasting energy in the process.  With infrared heating, the system will transfer heat to the walls, the floor and any other solid objects (such as people!) immediately, which means you get instant heat on demand.

How do I look?

Infrared heating technology and the aesthetics of the heater has naturally improved because of demand, and customers can now purchase infrared heaters that do not glow or burn people's heads, but instead give comfortable heating with a matt/gloss white finish to blend in with the structures of the build being heated.  Most of the infrared heaters supplied by Euro Controls UK Ltd are of the type that do not glow, however, we also supply industrial infrared heaters that do.  Think large warehouse, factory or processing plant with high ceilings - these types of spaces need larger heaters, meaning more power, and more glow.  The heaters are kept well away from the tops of heads, and any highly flammable material of course.




This article is continued on P2 of How does infrared heating work?

The House of Yoga - Hot Yoga Room

I made the trip to London yesterday to check on the heating system recently installed in to The House of Yoga, and I must say the engineers have done a great job of installing the equipment of the ceiling of the studio of the new hot yoga venture.

We experienced a couple of teething problems to begin with, however, Jason and Jo Pooley have received pleasing comments about the infrared heating system, and are making plans to open more studios in the future.

Clients are feeding back to Jason and Jo that they "love the heat" in the studio!

Here are some of the pictures of the main studio of the infrared heaters we supplied:

Frico HP Thermocassette - HP605 infrared heater (ceiling)

The Frico range of infrared heaters can be supplied with timer controls, so that the operator needn't worry about turning the units on or off.  A simple timer setting will allow night time, daytime, comfort heating and frost protection settings - giving peace of mind an full attention to the class.

Euro Controls UK Ltd have recently supplied infrared heating to various zoos, offices, yoga rooms, indoor tennis courts, and many more applications.

Contact us for a quote and site survey.

Owner of a yoga studio? Looking for another commercial edge?  Why not try installing infrared heating panels............visit our site:  Euro Controls UK Ltd