So yeah, heating your house with gas (as we all do here in The Netherlands) has become something only the rich can afford. Fortunately we are having the warmest october/november ever recorded so I haven't had to turn on the heating yet. But it's getting colder rapidly. Right now, the temperature inside the house is 62°F which is just about bearable wearing a thick sweater. But temperatures are about to fall rapidly.

I've read that infrared panels can save up to 50% on your total electricity/gas bill. So I'm looking into buying them. Now I don't want to heat my entire house with infrared panels, since we (me and the kids) spend most our times behind our desks. So what I actually want to do is hang an infrared panel above each desk and call it a day. I'll keep the rest of the house at around 60°F using conventional heating. Maybe even lower. This will save me thousands of Euros each year.

But I have no idea how powerful such an infrared panel needs to be. I've read that a 700W IR panel can heat up an entire (small) room. But since I don't need it to heat up the entire room, I'm looking at lower power panels.

So my question is actually, how much wattage is enough if the panel is located directly above the desk (at the ceiling)? 300W?

I don't know about panels but I've used some 1500W infrared heaters before that did a pretty good job in a 13'x14' bedroom. From what I could calculate, depending on what you pay per KWH, it will cost about $5 USD per 24 hours to use one.
The downside to them is that they 'seem' to do better heating people and objects via direct heat but air, not so much.

quote Originally posted by Cliff Pennock: ...if the panel is located directly above the desk (at the ceiling)?

I'm not familiar with how infrared panels are supposed to work... but from what you're saying, I assume that heat rising is not a factor in regards to panel placement?

quote Originally posted by Patrick: I assume that heat rising is not a factor in regards to panel placement?

Correct. It's different from conventional convection heating. Convection heating heats the air. Radiation heating heats whatever object is in its radiation path, much like the sun heats things. Supposedly, its efficiency is near 100%.

quote Originally posted by Cliff Pennock: Correct. It's different from conventional convection heating. Convection heating heats the air. Radiation heating heats whatever object is in its radiation path, much like the sun heats things. Supposedly, its efficiency is near 100%.

Wait a sec...

At your desk ?

Wont that heat up the computer...screens....printer ?

Gonna play royal hell with the CURA settings if you pour heat on that object and filament.

We've used ultra-violet heat previously when my daughter had baby chicks, worked like a charm but, I can't honestly say I looked at anything other than to check for live versus dead chicks on a daily basis. Wish I could help more but, I can say those heaters did a good job of keeping the chicks warm.

Rams

[This message has been edited by blackrams (edited 11-06-2022).]

Old Pentium 4 computers playing video files make great space heaters

⚠️ Warning: Many claim BS to sell portable heaters of all types to start with but now is on "steroids" for people think will save money. Often will cost More using them.

I've used IR heating in home and business...

In very short, IR heats most things it "lights up" them. IOW You sit/work in one spot and IR heats you. Move out of "light" patch and quickly gets cold as rest of room.
Example: I kept several places cold to 68°F/20°C or lower and IR to heat me. I did Not save much money on small to mid size places but kept warmer to work on whatever.
IR does work better when have big Doors open often like car repair shops because IR doesn't care about drafts and light wind. (Enough wind and have Wind Chill etc trying to override IR heating.)

Related: ANYTHING blocking IR creates a shadow and blocks heating things in that shadow. Same reason your car has very thin metal Heat Shields to stop Exhaust IR heating the Distributor etc.

Confusing issue is IR heaters often puts out Convention Heating too. Quarts Rod IR units puts out a lot of both types...

And depending on setup any heater can be a fire hazard in several ways.
Examples:
Many outlets and other parts for building wire often can't handle long use of any heaters. Some have trouble when parts are new out of box but many outlets and switches wear and have more problems. If a outlet, switches, consumer box parts, get warm to hot then unplug the heater and call electrician.
Many heaters are made poorly and soon burn up. Plug/cable to them to whole unit can burn up.
That's skipping Any thing gets in/on heaters can burn and fast.

Note that IR heating can make IR Remote/Devices Not working. The heater can bury signal from the remote, flood the receiver or both depending where the "light" shines on things.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave

Amish Heat Surge.




(I never realized they had Amish in China)

quote Originally posted by maryjane: Amish Heat Surge. (I never realized they had Amish in China)

Most things "Amish Made" is a scam but this isn't a Politics/Religion thread...