Essentials of Infrared Heating

The electric heating system with Luxor ceramic infrared heaters is DYI friendly and does not need professional installation. These heaters are convenient and efficient which makes them an excellent alternative to conventional space heaters and even gas heating.

Why infrared heaters?

  • The task of the heating system is NOT to warm up the room or increase its temperature, rather it is to ensure that people will FEEL WARM and comfortable. We truly believe that infrared systems are the winners among other types of heating.
  • The source of heat and its characteristics play an important role in the heating system. For example, hydronic heating systems boil water to the appropriate temperatures and then send the water through pipes to radiators and baseboard heaters. Baseboard heaters heat up the air, and finally the latter warms up the people. In this case there are two mediators – water and air, which increases the heat loss. There can be one mediator – air, too, in case duct furnaces.
  • The surface of the material that gives the heat is essential. The emissive properties of an object are determined by the properties of the material and the surface finish. Luxor infrared space heaters have a highly reflective ceramic surface. Its composition of such elements as clay, kaolin, sand, dolomite, zirconium allows the higher emissivity. That means that more energy is transferred to external environment.
  • Emissivity is defined as the ratio of the energy radiated from a material’s surface to that radiated from a perfect emitter. It’s known as a blackbody, at the same temperature and wavelength and under the same viewing conditions. Emissivity values can range from 0 to 1. A blackbody has an emissivity of 1. The Sun radiates like a perfect black body. Ceramic heaters’ emissivity is 0.95.  Here are other materials’ examples: cold rolled steel –  0.4-0.6; glass – 0.85, sand 0.95.
  • Thermal radiation is a type of electromagnetic radiation, specifically one that transfers heat often in the form of infrared waves: from heating surface directly to objects and people. Absolutely all objects produce heat waves be it people or objects. A human body is also electromagnetic vibrating system that creates heat wave and also tends to lose heat through breathing or sweating. Thus, the loss of heat needs to be replenished, and out bodies react best to the heat   replenished by a similar type of thermal radiation.

Therefore, the comfortable heating system for our bodies is not when the air is hot. But when objects are warm or hot and they softly reflect heat to our bodies in a form  of thermal radiation. After all, if a person is surrounded by cold walls and cold objects, the human body will give them their warmth, and  not vice versa.