Radiant Heat is the Most Basic Form of Heating Known to Man

Infrared heaters work by converting electricity into radiant heat. Infrared is part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The heat is the same feeling of warmth as the winter sun on your face and the heat from a coal fire.

Infrared is the direct transfer of heat from the heater to the object (you and the room around you) without heating the air in between. It’s the same heat we feel from an environment warmed by the sun, and the wavelength most efficiently absorbed by the body.

Today, new technology, in the form of our 100% energy efficient, Herschel Infrared heating, allows us to use infrared radiant heating in a stylish, comfortable and highly controllable way.

Watch our video to understand how infrared heaters work

There are three different types of heat transfer: Conduction, Convection, Radiation

Far Infrared is Radiant Heat

Heating Diagram - Conduction

Conduction

Heat transfer through contact between objects

Heating Diagram - Convection

Convection

Heat transfer through the heating of the air

Heating Diagram - Radiant

Radiation

Heat transfer through direct warming of the environment and thermal mass

Make your room a 360° radiator

Radiant heat is invisible light.  In the same way that lights are sited to light a room, Herschel Infrared heaters emit heat to directly warm the walls, floor and ceiling of a building (the ‘thermal mass’). Once the thermal mass is warm, the building itself retains the heat for a period of time, so the heater only needs to be on to top up.

Most of other forms of heaters are convection heaters which primarily heat volumes of air, which then has to transfer its heat to the building in order to warm the thermal mass. The problem is that hot air rises to the ceiling (where you don’t want it) and easily escapes with draughts and open doors. The direct transfer of heat to the building is why Herschel is more efficient and saves energy compared to convection heating.

It also more comfortable because you don’t have cold floors and stuffy air.

Radiant Infrared Heating Enhances Comfort and the Health of the Indoor Environment

Explaining how do infrared heaters work? Occupier comfort is optimised using infrared heat.

Heat we were designed for

Infrared is completely safe and is, in fact, the same wavelength that our bodies absorb and emit. Humans are radiant objects.
More than 60% of our sense of comfort or discomfort is governed by our radiant heat gain or loss. Only 15% of our sense of comfort is governed by air temperature and movement.

This means we usually feel warm if we’re absorbing heat from our environment and often feel cold if we’re radiating out our own body heat to the outside world.

For most people, if the environment around us is more than 26C or less than 16C, we feel discomfort, because we are either gaining or losing too much body heat.

So, if we warm the walls, ceiling and floor of the room we are in (not the air) to at least 17c and ideally to around 22c, our bodies will stop perceiving that we are losing heat and we will feel warm and comfortable.

This is the objective of infrared heating: to build up “thermal mass” in an environment and let it keep you warm.

The Discovery & Science of Infrared Heat

Robert Fosbury, Astronomer and Professor of Ophthalmology, explains how William Herschel made his discovery of infrared back in 1800. Herschel made his incredible discovery using a prism to study the heating effect of different colours of light. Watch as Robert uses a prism to produce a spectrum of colours on the wall of William Herschel’s very own home – the very home from which William Herschel also discovered the planet Uranus in March 1781 (now The Herschel Museum of Astronomy).

Is Infrared Heating Efficient?

Infrared Heat Pump Comparison

Air is an unnecessary link in the chain

Convective heat sources only heat the air and not the environment. Air has a lower ability to transfer thermal energy to a surface and warm the environment, radiant heat has a higher rate of heat transfer per kilowatt than convection, so you need less of it. This results in a lower kW requirement and lower running times and is why infrared heating saves energy.

Our latest testing at Salford University Energy House has carried out an identical test comparing a Herschel Infrared panel to both an air source heat pump and a standard electric convector heater.

The results highlight how infrared can offer high levels of thermal comfort at lower air temperatures. When total costs of ownership are also considered over the lifetime of the heating (purchase, installation, running, maintenance, replacement) infrared presents a very compelling picture.  Full details are on the below link.

Find out more on our test results

Choose your Infrared Heaters – Helping Deliver Sustainable Buildings for the Future

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Infrared heating Panels

  • Select XLS White

    Select XLS – White Frameless Infrared Panel Heater

    (24 reviews)
    5 Year Warranty
    5 Sizes
    FROM £238.00
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  • Herschel Comfort white

    Comfort – white infrared heating panel

    10 Year Warranty
    8 Sizes
    FROM £309.00
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  • Easy DIY

    Select XLS – Easy DIY heater & control combination

    (2 reviews)
    5 Year Warranty
    4 Sizes
    FROM £319.00
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  • Herschel Select XLS - Round Infrared panel heater

    Select XLS – Round

    5 Year Warranty
    2 Sizes
    FROM £319.00
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  • XLS Mirror

    Select XLS – Mirror Infrared Heater

    (7 reviews)
    5 Year Warranty
    3 Sizes
    FROM £378.00
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  • Glass Towel heater with integrated controls

    Select XLS – White Infrared Towel Heater With Integrated Controls

    (9 reviews)
    5 Year Warranty
    2 Sizes
    FROM £449.00
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  • Select XLS – Black Infrared Towel Heater With Integrated Controls

    5 Year Warranty
    2 Sizes
    FROM £449.00
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  • Krystal Black

    Krystal Black 600 – 1000W

    5 Year Warranty
    2 Sizes
    FROM £659.00
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  • Krystal White

    Krystal White 600 – 1000W

    (1 review)
    5 Year Warranty
    2 Sizes
    FROM £659.00
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  • Inspire – White Frameless Infrared Panel Heater

    (11 reviews)
    10 Year Warranty
    9 Sizes
    FROM £379.00
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  • Inspire – Mirror Infrared Heater

    (8 reviews)
    10 Year Warranty
    7 Sizes
    FROM £515.00
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  • Inspire – Infrared Picture Panel

    (6 reviews)
    10 Year Warranty
    7 Sizes
    FROM £539.00
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Commercial ceiling heaters

  • Select Ceiling Grid

    Select – Infrared Ceiling Tile Heaters

    (2 reviews)
    5 Year Warranty
    1 Size
    FROM £179.00
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Patio heaters

  • Malibu freestanding patio heater

    Malibu 2000W ON SALE

    2 Year Warranty
    1 Size
    FROM £379.00£299.00
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  • Florida freestanding patio heater

    Florida 2000W ON SALE

    (13 reviews)
    2 Year Warranty
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    FROM £345.00£199.00
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  • Hawaii Wave patio heater

    Hawaii Wave 2000W ON SALE

    (3 reviews)
    2 Year Warranty
    1 Size
    FROM £599.00£399.00
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  • Herschel Colorado outdoor heater

    Colorado 2500W Old Model ON SALE

    2 Year Warranty
    1 Size
    FROM £378.00£278.00
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  • Colorado 2500 Heater with honeycomb grill

    Colorado 2500W

    (11 reviews)
    2 Year Warranty
    1 Size
    FROM £378.00
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  • Colorado on Black Adjustable Stand Integrated Cable

    Colorado Remote 2500W & Stand ON SALE

    (2 reviews)
    2 Year Warranty
    3 Sizes
    FROM £478.00£399.00
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  • Manhattan patio heater

    Manhattan 3000W

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    2 Year Warranty
    1 Size
    FROM £439.00
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  • Hawaii Patio Heater

    Hawaii 2000W ON SALE

    (5 reviews)
    2 Year Warranty
    1 Size
    FROM £249.00£199.00
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  • Havana portable patio heater

    Havana 800W ON SALE

    (3 reviews)
    2 Year Warranty
    1 Size
    FROM £149.00£99.00
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  • California Black

    California Black 2000W ON SALE

    (6 reviews)
    2 Year Warranty
    1 Size
    FROM £319.00£299.00
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  • California Black 2000W & Stand ON SALE

    2 Year Warranty
    3 Sizes
    FROM £419.00£329.00
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  • California Gold 2000W ON SALE

    (7 reviews)
    2 Year Warranty
    1 Size
    FROM £319.00£299.00
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Zero light heaters

  • Summit White

    Summit White 2600W

    (2 reviews)
    2 Year Warranty
    2 Sizes
    FROM £549.00
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  • Summit Black

    Summit 2600W

    (8 reviews)
    2 Year Warranty
    2 Sizes
    FROM £519.00
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  • Aspect XL3

    Aspect XL 1300W / 1950W

    (2 reviews)
    5 Year Warranty
    2 Sizes
    FROM £429.00
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  • Pulsar Black and White

    Pulsar 1800 / 2400 Watts

    (4 reviews)
    1 Year Warranty
    2 Sizes
    FROM £1,679.00
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Industrial heaters

  • Advantage IR3 White and Black

    Advantage IR 1300 / 1950 Watts

    (3 reviews)
    5 Year Warranty
    4 Sizes
    FROM £346.00
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  • Power 4 Industrial Heater

    Power 3.2 – 6.4kW Workshop Heater

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    5 Year Warranty
    3 Sizes
    FROM £839.00
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  • Herschel Vulcan 12kW

    Vulcan 6 -12 kW Warehouse Heater

    2 Year Warranty
    4 Sizes
    FROM £1,049.00
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