Where did you get them Katie?
Thanks Susan, I have contacted them.
Right oh. Just writing a conference paper and needed a distraction, found that and chipped in. The two you have put up look like the ones we had at the University of Swansea. Now they did burn your head! They must have saved a fortune in power because people only put the bl**dy things on when it was desperately cold.
Brian I think James already got the message and passed on the details of the look of the panels as apposed to the old infra red lamp types.
These are in the different heat spectrum so interested to hear more.
My kinesitherapist's partner sells them for a company in the Netherlands. They have several in their house and in her home clinic. I would entirely disagree with what John is saying about heads getting cooked. They are really superb, the heat is great but they are rather expensive, at least these ones are. My OH had a good look, she is incredibly critical usually but was really convinced. The man selling them is doing it for a friend since he is a successful journalist/photographer who does not need to be a salesman, therefore would not recommend them unless he had been convinced and installed in their place before agreeing to sell them. So, I too am convinced all round. If we had the money spare I think we would have them.
We have foil behind our radiators and a convection fan behind the Rayburn but the infra-red radiators still win hands down. Although we don't have our own I would give the thumbs up.
Thanks for posting the link Susan, I can see they are indeed something different to the normal. They have a high surface temperature (85-100deg C )so maybe some care required there but would like to hear how they work out Katie.
I've just ordered for our new build well insulated house, ceiling ones for the bedrooms and decorated ones for our living room mirror, blackboard and a picture of the children.
This is the link to the company in Malta - but it gives a good description as to what they are all about. Will try and find the academic report as well
When I was considering moving to Gozo instead of France I looked very seriously at theese heaters as Gozo is very very humid in the winter. Although I don't have personal experience all the research I looked at - including an academic study from University of ? in Germany (will look it up later) where they did a comparison of two flats within the same building, one using infra red and one using fossil fuel heating. Infra-red costs were significantly lower. I haven't moved to France permanently yet, but was so impressed by these that I was going to try one out.
It doesn't matter how you choose to disguise them, still only a radiator and without some form of convection although they are efficient you'll not feel the comfort of being warmed unless you sit nearby.
I forgot James you are familiar with the effect of forced convection with your stove fan so you'll know the effect that has on your comfort factor.
I was going to ask about the same thing James. Presume you’re talking about the type that heat objects rather than air. They can look like mirrors, chalkboards or you can even have your own photo on them. Hope someone out there has some experience of them.
Aha, I see now, radiators only radiate a short distance so to get the heat effect you need to be reasonably close. Because they are very efficient energy wise if you can get a forced convection version you'll be impressed as the room will heat very quickly. Foil behind the radiator is very necessary to avoid heating the outside walls more than anything else.
On a standard wet radiator I made a low power forced convection fan experiment for my mum and she felt the room warm up in only a few minutes and at a distance of 1.5m which was normally undetectable prior to the forced convection.
Usually mounted high up so your head gets cooked the rest of you is cold.