skip to main content

The Kitchen Table

Anyone have an infrared heater?

11 years ago

I'm going to buy something for the back bedroom. It's freezing cold back there all the time. I bought a heated mattress pad the other day but I hate getting up out of bed into an ice cold room. There was an advertisement in the local paper for infrared heaters and wondering if they're any good.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (13)

susie53_gw
11 years ago
We have one and love it..
sushipup1
11 years ago
We had one about 15 years ago and it wasn't worth the money.
Related Discussions
Infrared Heaters Guide
Q
Comments (2)
Combi's tend to give plenty of heat if piped and pumped properly. It's the domestic hot water production that is limited. Any Baxi you would be looking at would have at least 1/2 the capacity of your TK1S.
...See More
Infrared Heaters for screen porch
Q
Comments (5)
I have a 15x30' covered porch. Initially I planned to do built-in natural gas heaters, but they just hung down too low (for clearance) for the ceiling height I had. I ended up installing some 220v infrared ones. Mine look very nice and blend in well, but due to the size of the units and the porch only being a 10' ceiling, I pretty much have to be directly under them for them to work well. So they're nice when they work, but they don't exactly heat the entire porch evenly... My advice is if you want to do heaters, it's all in the pre-planning. For electric infrared, you need significant breaker space in your panel and appropriate wiring. You can fully flush-mount some of these panels into your ceiling (I couldn't, since I planned for natural gas initially and botched that) if planned in the beginning. Then comes your furniture layout - do you put these directly over furniture? In the corner of the house/ceiling and angle them out? Will your furniture layout be permanent? Then after all of that when you get your $5000-7000 bid for the option... will the price be worth it to you?
...See More
Intratech (infrared heaters
Q
Comments (8)
I did. I actually called them this afternoon after I posted this. He just told me to go to there website under frequency asked questions. And based on my size I would need 6 heaters. This is their answer to how much heat to expect: At their Food Services Testing Center, Pacific Gas & Electric has determined that a good patio heat installation (gas or electric) will provide between 3-7° of perceived heat at 60° F ambient conditions. Test results determined that more than 7° is too warm to sit in for extended periods. Colder or draftier areas may require more heat; protected or warmer areas may require less. Every installation will vary, along with our customers’ expectations. I take this as if it’s 40 F the heaters would only increase the temp to a max of 47 F ? And like dan188& said above with nothing blocking the wind I probably won’t get much increase at all. I would love to sit out here and watch football and be semi comfortable. But this just seems like such an expense that I am not sure would help all that much. Anyone with real life experiences with this?
...See More
Builder installing conduit for future infrared heaters
Q
Comments (9)
So we thought we had done this in our build and then when we got around to it we didn’t have what we needed. $5k new money later we have an amazing set up but I’m so mad we didn’t just do it from start. Although that electrician may have been a fool so perhaps blessing in disguise. We have a control panel with a timer and heat control too. We have two infratech heaters. They required an additional box in garage attached to the electrical panel. Huge headache but we love the result.
...See More
Kathsgrdn
Original Author
11 years ago
Have you had it long, Susie?
susie53_gw
11 years ago
A couple years. It does well for us. We also have had one of the ones that looks like the old time radiators and we like it, too. Two of our kids have had them for several years and they like them, too.
nodakgal
11 years ago
We have 2 and love them both!

A Comfort Zone and a Dura Flame.

Here is a link that might be useful: Comfort Zone
alisande
11 years ago
I'm not familiar with infrared, but I use portable electric oil-filled radiators in my unheated bedrooms. They're silent, have thermostats and a choice of wattages, and do a great job. I paid under $50 apiece for them a few years ago.
nodakgal
11 years ago
We have one of those radiators too. Used it before the infrared. They work pretty good! We set a small fan behind the radiator on low to blow the heat out.
Hunter137
10 years ago
Use one occasionally, most important benefit is the safety e.g. compared to other ceramic heaters the outside of this one stays cool.

The energy consumption will be the same as any other heater with similar wattage.

Here is a link that might be useful: Infrared Heater DR-968
ravencajun Zone 8b TX
10 years ago
We had one for mom when she lived in her house, we wanted something safe including carbon monoxide safe, keep in mind some of those other types of portable heaters available can produce carbon monoxide. Years ago we had one of the portable ones that would set off the alarms, it went to the dump.
I would definitely check online reviews for any you are considering because there are some with really horrible reviews that I would stay away from.
Also be aware of the fact that they draw a lot of electricity to run and in some cases the plug and outlet can get very hot which can be dangerous.
Do your homework and check the various types and real reviews by owners.
linda_in_iowa
10 years ago
You are going to love your electric mattress pad. Turn it on high about 15 minutes before getting in bed. Be sure to turn it down once you get in bed. I forgot one night and woke up a couple of hours later all sweaty.
cheri2008
10 years ago
I have 2 of the duraflame heaters... have had them for about 5 years. We have been very happy with them. We have one in our bedroom, and one in the living room.
We have gas furnace, but have been able to turn the therostat lower, and use these heaters to just take off the chill in the room. We turn the one on in the living room when we are in the room, watching T.V. , or reading in the evenings, then a few mins. before bed time, I turn the one in our bedroom on. and of course the one in the living room is off for the night.
We have had no issues with them at all... it is important that you clean the filter, but that is simple.
cheri2008
10 years ago
Just to add... the duraflame use very little electricity...
angelaid
10 years ago
We have one on each of the lower three levels of the house. It really breaks the chill in the winter. We only have pellet heat and we're getting to old to haul a ton of pellets down two flights of stairs each month any more. And pellets were getting way more expensive than running those three electric heaters.

Related Stories

MUDROOMS The Cure for Houzz Envy: Mudroom Touches Anyone Can Do

By Becky Harris

Make a utilitarian mudroom snazzier and better organized with these cheap and easy ideas

LAUNDRY ROOMS The Cure for Houzz Envy: Laundry Room Touches Anyone Can Do

By Becky Harris

Make fluffing and folding more enjoyable by borrowing these ideas from beautifully designed laundry rooms

GREAT HOME PROJECTS How to Switch to a Tankless Water Heater

By Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

New project for a new year: Swap your conventional heater for an energy-saving model — and don’t be fooled by misinformation

GREAT HOME PROJECTS How to Add a Solar Water Heater

By Mariana Pickering (Emu Building Science)

Lower energy bills without a major renovation by putting the sun to work heating your home’s water

HOME TECH 3 Kitchen Contraptions You Won’t Believe

Pizza hot from the printer, anyone? These cooking gadgets harness imagination and high tech — and have price tags to match

FLOORS Floors Warm Up to Radiant Heat

By Lindsey M. Roberts

Toasty toes and money saved are just two benefits of radiant heat under your concrete, wood or tile floors

HOME TECH New Strategies for Hiding the TV

By Becky Harris

Its easy to be discreet when you've got cabinets, panels and high-tech TV hiders like these

ART Your Guide to Custom-Framing Photos and Art

By Karen Egly-Thompson

Get the lowdown on framing materials, methods and more

BATHROOM DESIGN Lovely Little Luxuries: Pamper Yourself With Towel Warmers

By Sheridan Interiors, Kitchens and Baths

Heat your robes, dry delicates and wet mittens — with these warmers around, toasty treats go beyond just towels

MOST POPULAR 20 Outstanding Outdoor Living Rooms

Why give up style and comfort just because you add fresh air? Turn any porch or patio into a sumptuous room by following these leads

Sponsored

More Discussions

Can we start a Chain Reaction Game - Part 4

90

Glenda has left us

77

I'll show you mine/you show me yours - W 4/24/24

23

Little bitty avocados

18

I'll show you mine/you show me yours - Th 4/25/24

15