Fact: Who discovered infrared?
In 1800 William Herschel discovered infrared. He did this by using a thermometer to measure the temperature of a spectrum of light shining through a prism.
He determined that the temperature in the red part of the spectrum was higher than in the blue part. In the part of the spectrum that was beyond the red, he measured an even higher temperature and he concluded that this part of the spectrum consists of light that is not visible to the human eye (source: Wikipedia). That new region of the electromagnetic spectrum is the infrared radiation.
What Is Infrared Heating?
Infrared heating works by providing electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between 780 nm and 1 mm that is invisible to the eye.
Heating by infrared rays has existed since the creation of the earth. Our biggest source of infrared heating is of course the sun, which can feel warm on your skin even in a freezing winter. Whether you feel warm or cold does not always depend on the temperature of the surrounding air. For example, snowboarders and skiers do not freeze even in extremely cold, but sunny, air.
The same principle applies to infrared heating for your home. Our infrared heaters radiate their heat onto all objects in the space in very much the same way the sun would. When infrared waves touch a surface, heat energy is released regardless of the surrounding air temperature. Most objects absorb infrared heat and then slowly release it back into the space. The same goes for people.
How does infrared heating work?
You might remember that infrared light isn’t visible because it’s beyond the spectrum we can see.
The heat is a product of light that is invisible to our eyes. The reason we get warm from an infrared heater is because our skin and clothes or other objects absorb the light. It’s like the difference between being directly in the sunlight versus sitting in the shade. You feel warm in the sun because the light that hits your clothes and skin keeps you warm, but when you’re in the shade, the light doesn’t reach you as well.
Why should I use infrared heating?
Infrared provides warm, non-drying heat. It is as close to the natural effect of the sun without the harmful UV rays.
It heats the objects and you in a highly energy-efficient manner. The heaters can provide heat when and where you need it in a zone, on an individual thermostat or controller.
They can also be used to heat your entire home. Zone heating is especially effective in limiting overall heating costs. There’s no need to heat an entire home if you only use a couple rooms at certain times of the day. Infrared heating designed by zone, allows you to heat the rooms you need.
- The operating costs for infrared heating are especially lower compared to other methods of home or space heating.
- The heaters can be a picture, a beautiful works of art or plain panels placed on walls or your ceiling.
- Icon Infrared heaters are very low maintenance with no filters or exhaust/ducts to keep clean.
- They are very durable with a filament life expectancy exceeding 15000 hours.
- The icon heaters can be controlled by remote controls.
The advantages of infrared heating
Infrared heating or IR heating is fast gaining ground as the heating system of choice for home or office. There are many advantages to infrared heating. To name just a few:
- Icon Infrared heaters are extremely energy efficient and they can reduce energy consumption by up to 50%.
- The cost of infrared heating is kept low because there are no hefty installation charges. A simple plug socket is enough to get you started.
- It is a very comfortable method of heating, which also has beneficial health effects.
- Icon Infrared heaters are very eco-friendly: besides the low energy costs, the heating panels are made of recycled material.
