Buy a Radiant Heater
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If you have an open or semi-open area that you need to heat, a radiant heater might be your best bet. This is true of garages, workshops, and any outdoor areas like patios, decks, or gardens.
What is a radiant heater, and how does it work?
Before you can understand how a radiant heater works, you need to know a little about radiant heat itself. Fire is man’s oldest form of heat, and it’s an example of radiant heat. Radiant heat transfers warmth to people and objects instead of warming the air around them. The radiant heat source and the objects it warms are not in physical contact with each other. Unlike a radiant heater, forced air heating systems warm the air instead of warming people and objects.
A radiant heater has a tube through which hot gases travel by either a positive pressure or by a vacuum. Above these tubes are reflectors that point the heat to the floor. The warm floor and other fixtures that have absorbed the heat from the radiant heater passes on the heat to the air in a building.
A radiant heater is often the best way to heat large buildings with a lot of floor space, especially if the floor is made of concrete. Radiant heat is the number one choice for warehouses, airplane hangars, and large commercial garages. They’re also very effective for heating residential garages, carports, workshops, and patios and other putdoor living areas.
Which type of radiant heater is best for you?
If you’re trying to heat a large area, the most popular and efficient form of radiant heater is the hydronic floor system. Water is heated in a boiler and passes through a grid of tubes located beneath the floor. This type of radiant heat works best with concrete floors and ceramic tile because both are good heat conductors.
Radiant heat panels are another choice in radiant heaters. These are generally constructed of aluminum and can be attached to walls or ceilings. The panels can be heated either by hot water or by electricity.
Radiant space heaters are a great choice for any area where you need quick heat for a small space. For example, if you and a few friends want to be warm on a chilly night on your patio, you can gather ‘round a radiant heater and be nice and toasty. In fact, if you’re going to be in a space for a relatively short period, a radiant heater is provides the quickest and the most efficient heat available, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Be sure to find a radiant heater that includes a low noise level, an overheat protection feature, and one that has a tip-over safety switch.
Your best choice for home use might be a portable radiant heater. These can be moved from place to place, so you can use it to heat your workshop or your basement during the day, then move it outdoors to heat your patio at night.
Where to get the best deal on a radiant heater
To see the largest selection of heating options and to find the right radiant heater for your situation, search online.
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