Infrared panel heaters - any good?

[Tgeorge]

I plan to do a complete refurb of a 3-bed semi and wondering if can remove all plumbed radiators from upstairs bedrooms and replace them with wall-hung infrared panel heaters. The ground floor will be underfloor heated. So basically no more bulky and sometimes leaky and noisy radiators taking up space in the house and from what I have read, infrared panels are efficient as they heat objects and not air.

We don't tend to use upstairs heater much anyway except for about 3 months in the year usage will be for a couple of hours at most each night in a couple of bedrooms and a bathroom - so about 400 hours per year in total for a couple of 1000W heaters and a 500w one for the bathroom. I am thinking this setup perhaps will not be too expensive to run.

This is the kind I was looking at
www.herschel-infrared.co.uk/product/select-xls-white/

Does anyone have experience with infrared panel heaters? Good for bedrooms and bathrooms or one to avoid? Wondering if it's a gimmick as I have not heard much about them before and happened to come across it when searching for regular slim electric panel heaters.

 

[EddieM]

unless you are "in line of sight" of them, you'll be cold.

 

[Tgeorge]

unless you are "in line of sight" of them, you'll be cold.

Yes, plan to have them on the chimney breast which directly faces the bed in the bedrooms

 

[ianmcd]

unless you are "in line of sight" of them, you'll be cold.

Not true they are really good, especially good for certain ailments, we used to install a fair bit of them but had a batch that were catching fire so stopped fitting them , before the dodgy batch was very impressed with them, you can get anything you want printed on them to disguise that they are heaters, popular ones for bathrooms were make it into a mirror that will never steam up, lounges , fav family pic so many choices, no maintenance no noise and run off a standard 3 pin plug so no installation costs

 

[Tgeorge]

Not true they are really good, especially good for certain ailments, we used to install a fair bit of them but had a batch that were catching fire so stopped fitting them , before the dodgy batch was very impressed with them, you can get anything you want printed on them to disguise that they are heaters, popular ones for bathrooms were make it into a mirror that will never steam up, lounges , fav family pic so many choices, no maintenance no noise and run off a standard 3 pin plug so no installation costs

Thanks Ianmcd, those are all exact the reason I was interested. The fire issue however sounds a bit risky. How long back was this? (hoping techonlogy has improved ) and would you know good brands or retailers to go for? Thanks

 

[ianmcd]

Thanks Ianmcd, those are all exact the reason I was interested. The fire issue however sounds a bit risky. How long back was this? (hoping techonlogy has improved ) and would you know good brands or retailers to go for? Thanks

was way back about 8 years ago ,possibly longer, we installed loads and only had problems with a few , I still have one in my own home , hasnt put me off

 

[muggles]

Just be aware that electric heating costs about four times as much to run as gas-fired central heating. Radiators shouldn't be either noisy or leaky if correctly specified and installed. Underfloor heating is also an option if you're struggling for space, and underfloor heating throughout will be really cheap to run.

 

[oldbutnotdead]

If your underfloor heating is wet then you've already done most of the capex for putting rads upstairs (boiler, flue, control gear). As above a well designed and installed wet heating system is not intrusive.

 

[big-all]

can i make a suggestion

get a panel and try through a winter in the coldest room
remember apart from only really heating bodies it wont drive out the damp as the fabric may remain cold and damp and as said far far more expensive to heat a room than on gas

 

[ianmcd]

can i make a suggestion

get a panel and try through a winter in the coldest room
remember apart from only really heating bodies it wont drive out the damp as the fabric may remain cold and damp and as said far far more expensive to heat a room than on gas

quite the opposite, the OP is looking at IR heaters, they heat the fabric of the building, when they are on they are warm to touch but not hot, you are thinking of old style heaters, not the same thing