Problems Heating Your Offices??

Infrared Heating Could Be The Solution!! 

 

Cold working environments
Open-plan office environments are mixed with closed offices and make it difficult to achieve well functioning ventilation, which affects heating. By using Infrared Heaters you are able to heat individual stations and desks in an office environment and in a reception it is possible to create different temperatures in different zones, despite the room temperature being the same throughout the entire premises.

Chill factor from windows
Chill factor is a phenomenon that occurs near most windows. In most buildings the chill factor is relieved using a convector placed under the window. Today, it is becoming more popular to fit windows all the way down to the floor and the convectors must be recessed in the floor to protrude up into the window.
Using a Thermoplus Infrared Heater located on the wall above the windows can make a big difference to the experienced temperature. A smart control system means that the Infrared Heater can be controlled so that it switches on as necessary.

Total heating
Office environments are places where many people need a pleasant working environment. Work is stationary, which places great demands on an even and comfortable indoor temperature meaning creating energy efficient heating becomes even more important.
Today there are good solutions for overall heating using Infrared Heaters. Installing Infrared Heating Cassettes in a suspended ceiling gives almost invisible heating. As Infrared does not have any moving parts it's silent and there's no air movement. The Cassettes can also be easily moved around the suspended ceiling if the premises are redesigned.

Expensive to keep warm all day
Premises used as offices are usually only populated at certain times during the day and not every day of the week. Having the heating on all day and all year can be expensive.
By installing Infrared Heaters and a programmable heating control different temperatures in different zones can be maintained. For example, areas where stationary work is not carried out can maintain a lower temperature, whilst a slightly higher temperature can be maintained in the office environment. A programmable control can also reduce the temperature during the nights, weekends and holidays.

Draught at the entrance
When an unprotected door is opened, cold air flows in at floor level and hot air flows out through the upper section of the door. Before cold air is heated, staff are exposed to drafts and low temperatures.
By installing an Air Curtain inside the entry the indoor climate can be significantly improved. Air curtains must always be equipped with heating if there are staff who work close to the entry so by combining an air curtain with Infrared Heaters you can create a pleasant working and welcoming environment.

Hot Yoga Design: Top 10 FAQs

The Top 10 FAQs On Hot Yoga Design

eurocontrols.co.uk 0870 770 1500

1. How much do the heating panels cost?

Between £240.00 and £300.00 per unit.  We’d do a heat loss calculation and recommend the right number of units are used in your studio to achieve a particular temperature.

 

2. Does it matter how high the room is?

Generally not, as long as the ceiling is flat, well insulated and has mounting points within the structure.  We haven’t come across any ceilings that have posed a real problem as yet.

3. How many studios have you supplied?

We started our first in February/March this year with The House of Yoga, and we have just supplied our 10^th studio.

  

 4. What temperatures can they go to?

We work on from heat loss calculation.  So long as the room is well insulated and has enough power supply, we can go up to 40⁰C.  

Following our site survey, we will enter the information such as dimensions, insulation type, building type, desired temperature, etc, and determine exactly how many infra red heaters are needed for the room.

  

 

5. What are the running costs?

For a 100m2 room, you would be looking to pay from 50p per hour to £2.60 per hour when the system is on.

 6. What colours do they come in?

The standard colours are white and graphite grey, however, we can have them painted to match the design of your studio at an additional cost.

7. Are they the same as FAR infrared?

Same technology, just different terminology – the heaters use infra red waves, the same as FAR infra red to heat the objects in the room.

8. What is the difference between using your heaters and a hot air system?

A hot air system will heat the air, meaning it has to be pumping out hot air constantly, the infra red heaters will heat the objects in the room, including the people representing a heat that is more comfortable for the body – it heats very much like the sun, is more cost effective, silent and requires very little maintenance. 

9. Why do you need a humidifier?

In the winter, the air humidity will drop, meaning it won’t feel as hot in the studio without the extra humidity – in order to get people sweating on dry days, it is important to add the humidity using a commercial humidifier.  They are cheap to run, and will only be used periodically through the year.

10. How long would it take to have it all up and running?

Within 2- 3 weeks usually – we need to organise diaries for the engineers, stock the products, design the layout, and perform a heat output calculation.

See you at The Yoga Show - Stand C5!

Contact: 0870 770 1500

Email: sales@eurocontrols.co.uk

www.eurocontrols.co.uk

The Benefits Of Hot Yoga

We stick to what we do best - that is supplying infra red heaters!

So let us tell what the professionals think about infra red heating for hot yoga......
 

 Here's why Infrared Yoga, in Vancouver love providing hot yoga:

Infrared Yoga - Vancouver - Sarah Webster

At Infrared Yoga, we have married the ancient science of yoga, with all of it’s miraculous benefits, with the modern technology of far infrared heat.

Unlike regular hot yoga studios, far infrared heat actually has numerous therapeutic benefits. The room is not oppressively hot when you enter, as far infrared heat works by using your body’s own energy to heat the room as you move through your practice. The room only gets hot when you do.

Far infrared heat removes toxins that are stored in the body, improves flexibility & joint mobility, promotes healing, reduces muscle stiffness and pain, decreases soreness & inflammation, increases circulation, improves skin tone (it will even heal sunburn), promotes weight loss, enhances heart function, lowers blood pressure, reduces stress, and speeds cancer recovery.

And here is what the team at Hot Yoga Experience have to say:

Detox  with  Far  Infrared

When you are in a traditional Hot Yoga studio or Sauna, you are in a room with very hot air. In our studio and saunas, the Far Infrared heaters warm your body primarily and not the air. The warming effect on your body stimulates your cardiovascular system, your immune system, and your lymphatic system. The body responds by sweating. In addition to the Infrared heat triggering a profuse sweat, the water in our bodies also resonates with Far Infrared heat and this also helps with the detoxification process.

Benefits  of  Far  Infrared

• Burns hundreds of calories in 20-30 minutes
• Reduces stress and fatigue
• Strengthens the cardiovascular system
• Heals injuries faster and more efficiently
• Relieves pain and migraine headaches
• Ease joint pain and stiffness 
• Relaxes muscles and increases flexibility
• Deep cleanse skin naturally
• Remove toxins and mineral waste
• Improves the immune system

 

Here is what the LIVESTRONG website says about the benefits of using infra red heating:

 
The invisible waves of heat energy provided by infrared rays have the ability to permeate all layers of the body, penetrating into tissues, muscles and bone. When used as a part of medical treatment, far infrared therapy elevates the surface temperature of the body, which is believed to enhance body functioning on multiple levels. Far infrared heat lamps are often used in saunas and in hot yoga studios.

An Ancient Tradition

In 1922, a Japanese Buddhist Monk named Mikao Usui developed a technique called palm healing or reiki, as a form of complementary oriental medicine. Reiki practitioners believe that they can use internal infrared heat to transfer healing energy from one person to another. However, in 2008, a systematic review of randomized clinical trials failed to come up with sufficient evidence to prove claims of benefit from Reiki for conditions such as depression, pain or anxiety.

Melting Away Chronic Illness

Modern day use of infrared heat includes the use of far infrared heat lamps. These lamps provide all the healing components of natural infrared light without any of the negative effects of sun exposure. The subtle heating of far infrared rays has been shown to offer support to the immune system by increasing white blood cells and killer T-cells. Penetrating into the body, these healing rays have been shown to provide optimal conditioning to the cardiovascular system and provide an energy boost to the metabolic system. Boosting metabolism breaks down fat, cellulite, waste and other toxic substances. One hour of far infrared therapy has been shown to burn up to 900 metabolic calories while the sweating induced from its heat is believed to help the excretion of modern pollution levels in the body. "The Journal of the American College of Cardiology" has done studies that indicate that infrared sauna therapy improves blood vessel functioning significantly in high-cholesterol, smoking and diabetes patients because of lowered blood pressure, increased circulation, reduced blood sugars and weight loss.

Benefits to the Blood

Through expansion of capillaries that carry life giving blood, far infrared therapy increases oxygenation and regeneration of blood for improved functioning of the body's major organs. This deep detoxification may allow hidden toxins in the body's tissues to be immobilized or dissolved; heavy metals, poisons and carcinogenic material is thereby believed to be released from the body to enable optimal health.

Theories and Benefits for Mental Health

 

The availability of far infrared heat in saunas, clubs and hot yoga studios allows people to access the benefits of infrared heat easily. Along with the physical and physiological benefits of infrared heat are claims that far infrared heat may reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression. Advocates believe that the reduction in mental health symptoms may be related to increased vitamin D production caused by regular exposure to far infrared heat which is beneficial in elevating and stabilizing the emotions, limbic and nervous system.

Considerations

Though infrared heat is being shown to have documented health benefits for many, caution should always be exercised when exposing the body to excessive heat during pregnancy, infancy, childhood and in the senior years to avoid dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and heat stroke. Contact your health care provider before beginning a regime of infrared exposure to assess if it is right for you.

 

And from one of our very own clients, The House of Yoga, Putney:

 

Some Benefits to practicing in the infrared environment:

·         Helps to improve your health from the inside out

·         Warming effect on your body that stimulates your immune, cardiovascular and lymphatic system

·         Effective healing towards old and existing injuries

·         Helps to flush toxins from the body, a cleanse from the inside out

·         Loosens muscles and stiff joints

·         Invigorates your mind and body and develops strength, focus, flexibility and balance

·         Boost levels of serotonin, the happy hormone

Infra Heating Will Stop You Sneezing!

 If you are having problems with sneezing in the house - check out the heating system.  A conventional hot air system will be kicking up all sorts of dust and other allergens that get up your nose and cause the sneezing to start!

Here is a useful article explaining why.....


http://top100opinions.com/2011/01/infrared-heaters-home-heat/comment-page-1/#comment-3805

Picture: PLOS Blogs

Interview With Phil Alcock, MD, FRICO UK - Infra Red Heating

In the previous article, we spoke about the types of application (from the weird and wonderful to bog standard installation), the logeivity of such a system and how to calculate the energy savings derived from using infra heating technology.  In this, the last portion of the interview with Phil Alcock, MD of FRICO UK , we discuss the affects of infra red waves on the skin, what sort of sun tan (!) you can expect and we take a brief look at the future of infra red heating....

With regard to the infra red rays won’t it harm the body?

Interesting question actually because apart from you I don’t think I’ve been asked that before.  The facts are that radiant heating is part of the electromagnetic spectrum and it’s infrared and that is not to be confused with ultraviolet which is on the electromagnetic spectrum, but it is a completely different part of the wave length and also it is not to be confused with X-rays and micro waves which are obviously very dangerous.

Picture: Health Veda

Infrared is entirely benign and in fact as humans we are designed to feel comfortable with infrared energy and as mentioned previously, any warm surface gives off infrared energy which is perfectly safe.  It is not ultraviolet which is the harmful component of being in the sunshine which is also on a completely different end of the spectrum, in fact conversely infrared is widely known for its health benefits some of which can be overstated, and it’s not a cure all, but the fact that the body is designed to feel comfortable in the infrared energy will indicate that infrared heating is very beneficial.

Most people know that if you sit in an environment you need the air to feel quite warm to feel comfortable.  The humidity has an affect if you are sitting in a damp room the damp has an effect that’s also unhealthy.  You don’t get this problem with radiant heating, as it will heat the structures and prevent the condensation build up.

Plus, there is another health benefit to using infrared energy - there is no air movement. If you have a convection system there is always air movement because you set up a convection pattern – as warm air rises cold air falls to the ground, and that means that dust moves around the room along with anything else unpleasant in the air.  With an infrared system there is no air movement and it is very clean and that is why it is very popular in hospitals – they use a lot of radiant heating because they are concealed, meaning there are zero kinds of radiators to collect the dirt or pipe work to clean or nooks and crannies making it a very healthy system. 

So I won’t get a suntan from it then?

I’m afraid not – you might get a warm glow but not a tan!

What is the future for infrared heating?

Our experience is that it is growing all the time, particularly the electric infrared heating systems in the UK, it’s been a gas and radiators market and that is down to tradition more than science. Most people know that fuel costs are rising and gas is rising faster than electricity, and no fuel is cheap nowadays, but well insulated building are favouring systems (if you look at the running costs of a system) that requires no maintenance and is very cheap and easy to install, such as infrared heating.

So in domestic situations there is a move towards this sort of heating - we are also finding more and more use in commercial situations and sports environments, and that is a fast growing market because as you know there is more interest in health and leisure activities right now.

Picture: Getty Images

So we find that the uses and applications are growing all the time and we are always going to need heating, certainly in this country, but what we also find is that we can use less heating – the typical house heating load is a fraction of what it was a few decades ago.  Because the products are very flexible and able to fit into many different types of applications, it means infrared heaters can be used absolutely anywhere.

So would you agree because of the advancement of building design and construction that has encouraged this growth in using infrared technology?

Yes absolutely - no system is perfect and there are things to be considered when designing radiant heating systems.  One of the things to consider particularly in a residential and office situation is that you still need enough heat in the building to cover the heat loss, and if the heat loss is very high i.e. in a badly built leaky building, that would mean using a lot of radiant heating.  The problem can then be that it can appear too hot because our bodies can directly absorb the infrared heat coming from a large number of power infrared heaters -  and that was the problem in the past with heating these old badly put together buildings such as warehouses and large halls.

That’s all changed and now building regulations have changed and radiant heating comes in to its own.  One of the things that we bring to the market is having the expertise in how to apply the product to design a radiant heating system.  We have found that you have to be careful not to oversize it rather than undersize it, it is more often the case the system has been oversized and getting too warm than not warm enough. 

So it is important as part of the whole heating package that there is a controls system to make sure the system doesn’t get too hot, and again you need a bit of expertise and experience to design the system and to design it correctly so that it is working as perfectly as a heating system can. 

Thanks for your time Phil. 

Hot And Sweaty Again - But Will It Last?

"Temperatures this week are likely to top that figure with 30C possible across parts of south-east England between Tuesday and Thursday.

Absolutely loving the weather at the moment, check out the latest from SKY Weather - it gets better (apart from Scotland and Cumbria - sorry!):

http://news.sky.com/story/963734/weather-hot-week-forecast-for-parts-of-uk

How To Heat The Flagship Apple Store

Large Apple Greenhouse - New York

I expect the guys at Apple real estate have the heating system pretty well wrapped up, but a building of this type will come with plenty of heating, cooling and ventilation issues, if not properly managed.

For one, we had a green house in the back garden that looked a little like this (well OK,it wasn't quite as big, and we obviously weren't growing apples inside) and it was south facing....so in the morning, on a damp spring day you could see the condensation building up on the windows, slowly turning into thin streams of water, trickling down the window pains and onto to shelving.

OK, so who's really that interested in my parent's greenhouse?  - just to prove a point though, buildings with so much glass and exposure to sunlight will suffer from the above without a well planned out heating and ventilation system.

Underfloor heating that is programmed to switch on a couple of hours before anyone sets foot in the building, and certainly before sunrise will help to alleviate the damp conditions and should eradicate all condensation on the glass surfaces once the glass has begun to absorb the infra red electromagnetic waves.

Once the doors fling open for the mad frenzy of Apple Enthusiasts - condensation will be no more.

I Have Become An Infra Red Heating Geek....

.....I am thinking of changing the name of this blog to theinfraredheatinggeek.com

Underfloor heating, domestic heating, radiators

Underfloor heating – which is still infra red heating – is capable of heating a whole house without popping the wood  floor up or destroying the laminate.  In fact underfloor heating is the most efficient type of heating because of the minimal heart stratification experienced when turning the system on – in a nutshell you get more consistent heat spread in the room compared to using a conventional gas heated radiator system.

We do rant on about infra red heating being far superior in terms of comfort, energy savings and ease of installation, but in all fairness you may quite like having old style radiators on the wall, perhaps boxed in with a decorative wooden panel.

Infra red heaters aren’t exactly much to look at, in fact you barely notice them at all, however it is the 'discreet-ness' that makes them so appealing to home owners, office landlords.  They can go behind the plaster board in the ceiling in between the rafters, they can be mounted on the wall with a picture design (insert picture) emitting heat, or as mentioned they can go right under your feet in the floor.  It just means you can reduce the amount of heaters attached to the wall, provide a comfortable spread of heat and not worry about the boiler breaking down in the winter – as long as your electricity supply is OK, you will have heating.  No bleeding of radiators, no service call out, just plain on..and off.

One of my goals is to build a house in Berkshire, right out in the sticks, and guess what I shall be using – yep, infra red ceiling and floor heating throughout....

Am I a bit of an infra red heater geek? – perhaps.

It just made total sense when learning about the benefits over using radiators that when the house is going through the design stages, I shall be accounting for the use of infra heaters.  Either the manufacturers have done a great sales job on me, or I am seriously on to something.  I want to keep my bills low, use the heating on demand at the flick of a switch and not have to worry about the boiler (except for hot water for my morning shower of course!).

Infrared Heating - Discussion With Phil Alcock, MD, FRICO

Contd....Part 2 of Discussion With Phil Alcock, MD, FRICO UK.

Thanks Phil – infrared is becoming more and more popular in yoga studios, gymnasiums, sports halls; do you see any other growth areas where infrared heating can be used?

Infrared heating will provide heat in large areas such as warehouses, churches, sports halls, gymnasiums, which have very large air volume structures and traditional buildings like a warehouse, which is not usually well insulated.  Trying to heat the air space in those buildings is almost impossible or certainly very expensive to do, so radiant heating is better because you don’t have to heat such a huge air space. 

Radiant heating has not been the most obvious option to use, but now with very well insulated properties and at the other end of the scale, living rooms, domestic rooms, offices, yoga studios, most new buildings are now very well insulated - so radiant heating is a very, very effective solution.  Part of the reason for this is that the heat requirement in a well insulated environment is very low.  One of the benefits of using radiant heating is that you can very precisely match the heat loss of the room to the power needed - so in theory if the heat loss is 700W you install 700W of radiant heating.  You precisely match the heat load for that the room.  

Again, the advantage of radiant heating is that you don’t need to preheat the air or to provide a more powerful unit to provide a fast warm up, so you can very precisely match the heat loss.  If the heat loss is low, and for a small room typically it may only be few 100W which is the sort of heat contribution you would get from a couple of light bulbs - a small amount of radiant heating can provide a similar amount of radiant energy and because of that you can hide the radiant heating in parts of the structure.  You can put it in the floor, you can put them in the ceiling or on the wall as decorative panels, so there is a huge amount of possibilities but the main advantage is that you can directly match the heat loss and hide them in the structures very discreetly.

So what with better building standards – the use of infrared heating looks to be a far better alternative to gas central heating?

Yes exactly, and if you class under floor heating systems as radiant heating (which they are) there are an awful lot of new homes using this method of heating, and under floor is a very successful heating system – wet or electric – it is popular mainly because it is very easy to connect to a heat pump.  

Heat pumps are very energy efficient but they are very high capital costs and if you look at domestic radiant heating, it is very low capital costs and absolute zero maintenance.  In fact a lot of radiant heating systems we supply are intended to be largely DIY installed type products, so there is not such a huge level of skill required to install electric radiant heating system  - so it has a low capital cost and it has a low running cost which are just more examples of the advantages of using infrared heating systems – so, the fact is that when placed in a well insulated modern building we can provide heat with very low energy without the maintenance worries and costs.

Managing a sports centre?  Looking for ways to save energy?  Why not try installing infrared heating panels............visit our site:  Euro Controls UK Ltd 

Infrared Heating - Interview With Phil Alcock, MD Of FRICO UK.

Interview with Phil Alcock, UK Managing Director of FRICO.

Phil thanks for coming in to talk about infrared heating and this developing market.

Let’s get straight into it - how do you go about proving or calculating the energy savings of using infrared heating?

We have a few a case studies where we have been using infrared heating in portable homes, small offices and commercial buildings where they have measured the energy savings using radiant heating versus using conventional convection heating.  We’ve also asked our clients to measure the savings, and we can clearly demonstrate a 25% savings across the heating use, and we can show the savings by making calculations and the saving is made mainly because the input loading of the heating system is lower using a radiant heating system - you install smaller lower energy appliances to do the same job as a warm air system.

Is that because you run the temperatures at different levels?

Yes that’s correct – there are several reasons why infrared heating uses lower energy compared to conventional warm air systems, and the main reason is exactly as you mention – that you can run the radiant heating system at a lower temperature and get the same heating affect as a hot air system.  Plus, it is not just what we say but it is enshrined in the European standards that tell us how we are to design heating systems correctly - because the body can directly absorb the radiant heat energy you therefore feel the warmth long before the room air temperature has risen.  

You actually feel warmer at lower air temperatures than you would with a conventional system. So, for example to feel comfortable in a typical living room or office situation traditionally you would assume you need an air temperature between 21⁰C and 23⁰C deg C for people sitting in their shirt sleeves to feel comfortable.  If you use a radiant heating system, because of the radiant heating contribution the comfort that people feel is the same as an air temperature of around 18⁰C – which is between 3⁰C and 5⁰C lower - you still feel the same comfort if you have a direct radiant heating source and that’s the physics of radiant heating.  

As it is directly absorbed by the body there’s no need to surround yourself with a jacket of very warm air to feel comfortable.  The radiant heating contributes directly to your heating so what you have with the radiant heating system is you are able to have a lower air temperature meaning overall you pay for less energy to heat the air and the system will concentrate on heating the objects in the room.

That makes sense – the comfort level though, is that based on studies that have been carried out or through the experience of supplying the heating system - how have you come to the above conclusion?

It is based on the experience of a number of infrared heatingsystems - thousands that would be installed in Europe and United States where it is a common form of heating, but it is also based on some empirical science. 

 One of the studies to look at, done in America Massachusetts Institute of Technology did some studies measuring people and comfort levels with different air temperatures and measuring the comfort levels when the sole source was hot air heating and measuring comfort levels when temperatures were lower but where there was infrared radiant heating contribution and in summary those tests showed that you could have a 3⁰C - 5⁰C  lower air temperature and the occupants will feel the same level of comfort.

To be contd.........

Hot Yoga - What To Expect

With the rise in popularity of hot yoga and in particular Bikram Yoga, it would seem that many other yoga studio operators are looking to jump on the back of the latest wellness buzz and get stuck in to performing poses under hot conditions.

Bikram Yoga operators use a hot air system that works in the same way as an air conditioning system, heating the air up to around 40⁰C. However, infrared is being touted as the latest and most practical way to heat the room ready for yogis.

There is a distinct difference between the two types of system, and it is important to clarify the difference in the results you get from a purely technical point of view.

Firstly, when the studio uses an air conditioning system, expect to feel the heat in the air.  The floor will not necessarily be that hot, but you will certainly feel the raised air temperature as you take part in the yoga class.

Picture Source:  White Ibiza Blog

The air you breathe will feel hot, and there will be background noise from the air conditioning system. 

Secondly, when the studio is heated using infrared heating - expect a different result (and feeling).  

When you walk in to the studio the air temperature will not feel as hot as though you were walking in to a hot air studio.

The reason for this is that it works by the heaters - placed along the ceiling - emitting a type of infrared heat wave (much like the sun but on a smaller scale) that is absorbed by the body, reflected off the  floor, and absorbed by the walls and other objects.

The body absorbs the infrared waves, and the body will over time get warmer and warmer - this, coupled with the action of the different yoga poses will further heat the body, making you feel hot.

I am told that as the body is at a higher temperature because of this absorbtion of heat, there is greater detoxification, and a better result from the class - I would think it depends on preference.

You will sweat, it will feel hot, but don't expect to be hit by a blast of hot air when you enter the room.

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

Hot Yoga - The Problem With Infrared Heating

My Infrared Heating Is Not Working!

Having read various blogs, forums, studies and websites proclaiming both the marvellous benefits of using infrared heating for a hot yoga studio and the pitfalls of using such system - it is clear that a point is being missed.

I read about a hot yoga studio owner who had a bad experience using the heaters as they did not provide enough heat, claiming they were a waste of money.  I cannot say for sure, but, I would ask if a comprehensive heat loss calculation had been made prior to the installation being made?

FRICO Thermocassette 600W Infrared Heater

This is a must before ordering any type of infrared heating, and especially when sourcing heaters for a hot yoga studio because of the high heat demand.

We take into consideration the age of the building, the type of insulation present, the number of people that will be in the room, the window sizes, the type of windows, the type of flooring, the number of external walls, average outdoor temp, indoor temp, the coldest day of the year, etc, etc.

If You Don't Assess - You Are Taking A Guess!

By performing a heat loss calculation, you can identify the amount of power (kW) that needs to be put back in the room to firstly overcome the heat loss and then to heat to the desired temperature.

If you have any questions, contact us, and we can walk you through the heat output calculation.

sales@eurocontrols.co.uk

Link to our Infrared Heaters page

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

Installing Infrared Heaters - False Ceiling

Installing Infrared Heaters Into A False Ceiling - Guide

Sometimes it is not as simple as just hanging or placing the heaters in to a modular ceiling - mainly because depending on the total weight of the heaters, which can be anywhere from 80 to 150 kgs, it is worth checking a few things out before-hand:

Firstly, the design of the FRICO Thermocassette HP is so that they fit any standard modular ceiling much like what you would find in an office.  Because the larger heaters weight 10kg, it is well worth contacting the manufacturer to check if there are any constraints on extra weight being added to the ceiling.

If so, then you will need to check the ceiling above the false ceiling is capable of taking the extra weight of the heaters (it should be as it is probably made out of concrete!).  The Thermocassette infrared heater can be hung from the ceiling using the mounting brackets on the reverse of the unit.

Secondly, check there is enough space for extra cabling (you will need to connect the infrared heaters together to form a continuous electrical circuit).

And finally, remove any of the brackets that will be in the way of laying the infrared heaters.  Most of the cells of the modular ceiling will be 600x600mm, and the heaters are double this in length.  By removing one of the brackets the heater will slot in perfectly and blend in with the rest of the ceiling.

Key points regarding installation:

1. Ensure you have enough power supply available for the controller and the heaters combined, in Amps.
2. Check the status and the capability of the modular ceiling
3. Insulate the ceiling void to keep the heat where it should be - in the room
4. Remove any unwanted brackets
5. Support the heaters from the ceiling above the void
6. Make room for connector cables to go from one heater to the next
7. Space the heaters out along the ceiling in a uniform manner
8. Place the controller/thermostat out of direct sunlight

In addition to the above, you will need to specify the number of infrared heaters for the size of the room, the temperature you wish to achieve, and your geographical location.

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

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.