- Infrared heating as a whole house heating solution using 7-day programmable thermostats to efficiently heat the home.
- The flexibility of the system and the speed at which the heating reacts to demand was key to the Anderson family's decision.
During the summer months, Mr Anderson decided that enough was enough and it was time to replace their old storage heaters. Instead of directly replacing them with new storage heaters they wanted to consider other heating solutions that might be available to them considering they didn’t have access to mains gas.
What about the property?
The flat itself was ground floor with 2 bedrooms and built in the 1970’s – with cavity walls that have since been insulated by injecting them. The heat demand of the property therefore is not nearly as big as an equivalent solid wall property and since the house was ‘mid-terrace’ there is very little heat loss with their neighbours and likewise through the ceiling because there is another flat above, however the heat demand is far higher than a house built today to building regulations.
Since the house didn’t have access to mains gas, a new central heating system was not possible, therefore efficient heating options were limited – in our opinion there were 3 options, an air source heat pump (which would of allowed them access to the Renewable Heat incentive), infrared heating or fan assisted storage heaters.
Why install Infrared in the home?
Mr Anderson was extremely keen to go down the infrared heating route for a number of reasons – firstly the panels are thin and therefore don’t steal space in a room (they stick out just over 2.5cm from the wall once installed), secondly the warmth they can produce can be felt far quicker than traditional heating systems and therefore are more cost effective since the heating doesn’t need to be on as long. Lastly the panels look rather slick compared to other types of heating system.
How did he go about the change to Infrared?
We received the floor plan through from Mr Anderson so we could accurately size the panels based on his specific requirements. We recommended 4 panels, one for each bedroom, one for the lounge and a final one in the corridor, each with their own thermostat (to create heating zones in the home).
In addition to supplying the panels, we were also able to get one of our approved electrician partners to carry out the install in the home, which took just 1 day. His new infrared heating system cost just over £1000 and he now has a cost effective way to heat his home as and when he needs it, with the added benefit of being maintenance free unlike a wet central heating system. He also has the piece of mind that our select range of infrared heating comes with a 5 year warranty and our Inspire range, built in Germany, comes with a 10 year warranty should an issue arise.
We are getting more and more customers who don’t simply want to use infrared to supplement the heating in their home, they want to take advantage of infrared heating as a whole home heating system.
I like this solution. I have circulation problems, which is why my flat needs to be warm at all times. Have struggled recently with the kitchen and diner as they simply don’t get enough heat, could these panels therefore be installed in these areas? Would you recommend them on the walls or the ceilings?
Hi Anders, they will be absolutely fine for the kitchen and a kitchen diner installation. We recommend you install them at the ceiling level in the kitchen, particularly if you are moving about. If however you are sitting at a table, then it’s best to put on the wall as with the ceiling installations you won’t get the benefit of the warm rays at feet level. So, just consider what sort of activities you are doing to whether it is a ceiling or a wall installation. You may also plug it in as a floor heater and have it close to your legs when you are dining – this will increase circulation. Hope this helps.
WE have a old detached cottage circa 1860 – no access to natural gas currently heated by storage heaters ( on economy7 rates ) it is single story 2 bedrooms living room and dining kitchen . Would infrared heating be suitable for this ?, are there any grants available ? If i forwarded a plan of the building could you give me a rough price please ??
Hi Bob,
There are currently no government grants for infrared heating, I’m afraid.
Many thanks,
Harriet