Testing Infrared Heating Panels: Are They Actually Worth It?

----------

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So here goes, my 1st product review, a 350 Watt, infrared panel, sold by Surya Heating.

The panel I chose was from the NXT gen range and over the last few weeks I have been trying it out.

I had been a bit sceptical about IR panels before, but I can see a place in moving away from gas heating, and using an IR panel to heat individual rooms. If we could turn a boiler down, or off, and heat with an IR panel, that could be a good step forward.

What do you think? Could a panel like this help you use less gas?

[philipbroggio]

I have been using a 220w IR panel in our office and a 500w in our living room. We found that they consumed very little energy. In 21/22 we reduced gas usage by running our rads at 40⁰c and saved about 42% of our gas . The IR panels were used mainly in the lounge in evenings and study during the day. This experience led to getting rid of gas in 2022 and we now use a heat pump . We still use the IR panels a bit to delay the switching on of the heating in autumn and as you say as a "treat". I too wouldn't want to only have IR panels for the reasons you mentioned.

[wardtipping]

I have a Herschel infrared towel panel in the en-suite, replacing a traditional radiator. The original radiator would only heat when the whole house (gas) heating was on, so of no use in the summer for helping to dry/warm towels. I have a smart button that we can use to give just an hour of heating when needed.

We used to have a problem with damp and mould in the en-suite, but since having the IR panel, this has not been a problem at all. The surfaces are being heated rather than the air, so even the mirror doesn’t mist up as much after a shower!

Graham

[stevept]

Very broadly speaking: 350W electricity input to your IR panel gives 350W heat energy to raise your room temperature. 350W heat derived from gas is probably cheaper financially but not so good for the planet. 350W heat from your heat pump using substantially less than 350W of electricity seems the best bet.
Infra-red panels do have their niche uses (I have one to heat my shed) but are not otherwise competitive I think.

[edwardpickering]

Interesting to see it in action Tom. I do something similar in my office with a Dyson Airblade, but interestingly haven't needed it much this year. So how hot is the actual surface of it, can you put your hand close? Thinking of maybe getting one for the garage...

[AndyJHiscock]

Interesting video. In unused rooms, couldn't you keep the panel at a low temp, like you would leave a rad on a low setting? Its looks to be something worth researching for those who are unable to get a heat pump.

[StefNoci]

Looking at the sun on a sunny day in winter, your face warms up, but the back of your head (to the touch) is colder. Is this true of the IR heater?

[Group]

Aren’t you meant to leave the radiators on with a heat pumo? Maybe one could keep the pump on set back when working at home and just have IR in the office to top up. Ah you said that. I think Heat Geek suggested something like that. But it’s it just 300w or nothing if topping up? Will have to rewind and see if you answered that. Just 850w per day? So it’s on off rather than constant?

[owenwall]

How do they compare to oil filled electric heaters and things like that? Or storage heaters..

[jezlawrence]

I can still see this with a heat pump. Using the heat pump to only heat to 15c and infrared panels when you use a space wpuld be probably very efficient when you consider how often the little used rooms would ever need topping up for any length of time, your heat pump is never going to have to ramp up ever and run at ridiculous efficiency the whole winter.

Plus im told ir panels at 18c *feel* more like 20 if theyre pointed at you rather than trying to maintain the room itself, which would be why when it said your room was at 19, you felt fine already.

[Lewis_Standing]

Rather use my heated blankets on the sofa tbh

Edit
But I think the flow temperatures that ASHP run at, particularly on the lowest one's will mostly heat the room via IR than convection. I don't think you get the same strong convection currents at 35c that you do at 70c.

[ejbh]

If you have a suitable roof for solar PV and batteries (which have both come down in price considerably in recent years) then PV with batteries and using flexible tariffs plus IR heating, is probably considerably cheaper than installing a CH heat pump system to replace gas... and then adding PV & batteries to that. The high cost of the heat pump hardware makes IR a much better choice when coupled to PV & batteries imo. It's probably cheaper now to put in a 4kw PV array with 5-10kwh of batteries, than to install a heat pump.
At today's prices, a PV battery system pays for itself out of saving on bills, within about 5 years. After that you've basically got free electricity each year based on the size of your array. Sure most of that will be produced in summer, but with flexible tariffs and feeding from battery into the grid at times of high demand, means you leverage your batteries to make money, which offsets your higher heating costs in winter. You can also get a thing called an i-boost if you already have an immersion tank, and that senses when you're feeding into the grid & diverts it to the hot water tank, giving you a secondary way to store surpluses from your PV. You can setup the system to prioritise batteries and in-house use first & when batteries are full to then start heating the water. It is a variable system which only uses the surplus which would have gone into the grid, without needing to draw from the grid to make up the full power of the water heating element.

[jayp]

Hello. I thought an IR heater heated objects like people, pets, walls etc., and not the air. So I wouldn’t expect the room to heat to 21 degrees C. Or is that bad logic on my part?

[hicobra]

What type of heat pump have you got as the are ones that cheat and use heating element or the equivalent of a fan heater.
if you have a true heat pump that is not cheating then a 580w or bigger IR panel will help in winter I am talking about on
the nights it's below winter below zero outside (you can get 160w-350w for small rooms and hallways)

Also the are solar panels / deep cycle batteries / IR panel solutions where you get free heating
the is a setup cost but it pays for it's self in the first 4-6 years and then the only part you need to replace
is the deep cycle batteries at about 8-12 years and these batteries will pay for them self's in the first year or two.
but by then we will have batteries that will last 15-25 years before they deteriorate.

[martynsmith]

@tom you measured air temp, but IR doesn't heat air. Did the air temp rise come from as radiation from your body? is: IR to human, then human to air.

[kirkby]

Best up higher on the wall, or even better, on the ceiling... Heating people & objects.... Sat on the floor, it's not as good 👍

[jezlawrence]

Im not really interested in any appliance loke this unless it comes with an app. Not cos i cant manage without butbbecause i refuse to go back to remote controls all over the place all needing batteries, storage, getting damaged over time and having to be replaced and recycled...

[TheAtticusFinch]

This is garbage, the human equivalent of a turtle heat lamp, without the light tho, so its much, much worst 😂😂