Infrared (IR) heaters work by producing infrared radiation that directly warms objects and people, rather than just heating the air. Here’s how they operate:
- Heat Generation
- The heater uses an electric element (like tungsten, carbon fiber, or quartz) or gas burner that gets very hot when powered.
- This hot element emits infrared radiation in the far-infrared or near-infrared range.
- Radiation Emission
- The IR radiation travels in straight lines, similar to sunlight.
- It does not need a medium to travel, so it works effectively even outdoors.
- Direct Heating
- When IR radiation hits a surface—your skin, clothes, furniture—it is absorbed and converted into heat.
- This warms objects and people directly, instead of relying on convection to heat air like traditional heaters.
- Efficiency
- Since energy is used to heat specific targets, infrared heaters are often more efficient in open spaces.
- Applications
- Home and patio heating, saunas, industrial drying, and therapeutic heat lamps.