- Three 850 watt carbon fibre infrared heating panels installed in the ceiling
- Installed with a wireless programmer and thermostat
- Heaters provide a comfortable heating solution in a home office space
- Heaters work extremely well when the fabric of the property is well insulated
Infrared heating panel – background to the challenge
With ever rising home working in the UK, demands for home office space is increasing – this is why the Muspratts wanted to convert their garden room into a fully functioning office. Initially the room was retrofitted with insulation, in the roof space, walls and floors to bring the heat demand of the property down. Insulation should always be the first step for homes and businesses before heating systems are looked at. Insulation reduces draughts and increases the heat retention of the property.
Having completely refurbished the garden room, the Muspratts came to TheGreenAge to talk a little bit more about infrared heating. Initially infrared heating appealed very much because it is easy to install, it can be installed on the ceilings, therefore blending unnoticed in the environment and the heat is drying and low cost to run.
The infrared heating panel solution
Having shared the floor plans of the property, the team helped the Muspratts size the panels appropriately so as not to be disappointed in the heating output. It is very important to size them correctly, because if you go too low then the heating output will not be adequate enough and you may be disappointed. The solution in this case was sized to accommodate heating of 50 watts per m2, which is fine because the property is well insulated. If you have uninsulated solid walls or unfilled cavities, then you many need to accommodate 100 – 150 watts per m2.
The Muspratts went for three 850watt carbon fibre panels to heat an area of approximately 40m2. Although they were slightly oversized, it is not a bad thing because the room would get to target temperature much quicker and therefore reduce the frequent thirst for electricity to power it.
Installation of the heaters
The heaters themselves were installed as part of the general retrofit of the property. This is a good thing because it further makes the installation process easier to administer, as this can allow for a nice and tidy wiring job with minimal trunken. The panels were wired to a wireless thermostat to allow the Muspratts maximum temperature and time control.
We had Herscel panels installed on our ceiling to help supplement the gas central heating. It has worked a charm, so much so we don’t put the mains heating on anymore in our workshop.