Film infrared heating systems: flow of beneficial heat at the touch of a button

In conditions where it is problematic to install bulky water radiators in the house, a film infrared heating system will help, which will provide a simpler and more comfortable heating mode. Many of us do not yet have an idea what the advantages of an electric-saving film heating can have. This article will help you figure out how to convert electricity energy into heat radiation and at the same time reduce financial costs.

How infrared heating works

Heating a home with infrared (IR) radiation can be compared to the warming effect of ordinary sunlight. Rays of thermal energy penetrate the air and act directly on all surfaces of objects in the room, including the human body.

By absorbing the heat radiated by the film heating system, walls, floors and pieces of furniture are heated, and then the temperature is transferred from them to the surrounding air. At the same time, it becomes warmest on the floor, and near the ceiling, the air is slightly cooler. According to users of infrared film heating, normal conditions for life are created in the room in just a few minutes.

Heating a room with infrared film heating, you can achieve a more uniform temperature distribution than from conventional radiators.

Infrared heaters device

The heating element in infrared film heating devices is a metal-graphite alloy resistive capable of converting electricity into thermal radiation. It is sandwiched in narrow strips between two layers of polyester films. The aluminum foil covering the heating element contributes to a more uniform radiation. Contacts are brought out for connection to the mains.

This design is a self-contained heat-emitting circuit that can be controlled using a temperature sensor and a control unit. After heating the room to the set temperature, the power supply is automatically turned off. The emitter itself heats up during operation to no more than 45-50 ° C.

Depending on the manufacturer of film heating systems, their dimensions vary from 30 to 120 cm in width and from 1 to 5 meters in length. The weight of one film element is only 0.3–0.5 kg. The power consumption of IR heating films is in the range of 80–350 W. The most popular are PLEN and Zebra film heating systems.

It is useful to know that each of these infrared film heating systems can be safely left on for any length of time.

The plant of film heating systems "PSO" produces heating elements in a reinforced moisture-resistant design. Due to additional protection and the ability to connect grounding, Zebra film heating is recommended for use in wet rooms. The mode of its operation in conditions of unstable voltage in the network has also been improved.

Benefits of infrared heating

Film infrared heating has received many positive reviews.And this recognition is well deserved, because the system has the following advantages:

• the film IR heating system is easy to install and easy to use;
• higher efficiency in comparison with other heating systems;
• environmental and fire safety, no risk of carbon monoxide poisoning;
• heat is not dissipated in vain, but heats up objects in the home;
• you can either heat the whole room at once, or only the necessary areas;
• air circulation during the operation of IR devices is minimal, there are no drafts;
• oxygen in the heated room is not "burned";
• film heating PLEN is completely silent.

An additional convenience of infrared heating film ceiling can be considered that this system is almost invisible in the house. It can be easily installed on the ceiling and covered with any finishing material that matches the style of the interior. The usable space does not decrease, which means that there are no restrictions in the way of arranging furniture and interior objects.

It is better to use film heating systems as not the main, but an additional way of heating the house, since their performance depends on the uninterrupted supply of electricity.

Calculation of the efficiency of infrared heating

For an accurate calculation of the infrared film heating system, you will need information on the following parameters:

• the total area of ​​the house and each room where the system is supposed to be installed;
• the number of window openings and their sizes;
• method of thermal insulation of the foundation and walls;
• what electrical power is allocated to the building.

If we talk about an approximate determination of the required power, we can take as a basis the statement that for heating a well-insulated house outside, 50 W / h is enough for each meter of the area heated by ceiling infrared elements. But this figure is average.

In fact, to warm up a cold room to + 20 ° C, at the initial stage, a power of up to 180 W / h per square meter is required. m. In the future, the automatics will switch to the mode of maintaining a constant temperature and will consume no more than 15 W / h. This once again demonstrates that it is not for nothing that film heating is called electricity-saving..

Ceiling heaters produced by the factories of film heating systems, as a rule, have a power of 125 W and 150 W (per 1 m² of film surface). If we take a power of 150 W / m² for calculations, then with an average consumption of 50 W / h, we get that 1 m² of the heat radiator can heat 3 m² of the room.

Although the ceiling-mounted version of infrared foil heating uses less electricity than floor-standing infrared heaters, it is imperative that peak loads do not exceed the capacity of the home power grid.

The table shows the permissible wiring loads:

Installation method of film heating

When infrared film heating is located on the ceiling, it shows the greatest efficiency. With this method of heating, the heat rays are directed downward, and the air that has had time to heat up rises towards them. Foil elements can cover about 50% of the entire surface of the ceiling, leaving space for the installation of lamps. In this case, the space of the room will warm up evenly. But you can limit yourself to heating only certain zones, for example, in the area of ​​external walls and windows. With local heating, energy costs will accordingly decrease.

The infrared heating system is quite easy to install, but it is better to time this process with the overhaul of the premises. The fact is that PLEN film heating elements are not installed on an unprepared ceiling.

First, you have to do the preparatory work:

• lay a vapor barrier on the ceiling surface;
• build a frame from longitudinal wooden beams;
• lay insulation between the rows of beams;
• the resulting "cake" is desirable to cover with a heat-reflecting screen.

After that, you can proceed to the installation of the films themselves. The roll is gradually unfolded and fixed along the edges with a stapler to the lower planes of the bars.

The film should be tightly, without voids, pressed against the insulation layer. The outer decorative cladding will later also need to be tightly pressed against the surface of the film elements.

To install thermostats and connect film elements to the network, you will need to lay wiring. Each room with infrared heating requires one thermostat. It is mounted on the wall and supplied with power. It is recommended to pack the wire leading to the ceiling in a corrugated hose and hide it under the wall cladding. The cross-section of the wiring must correspond to the design load, therefore a wire thickness of 1.5 mm² may not be enough, it is better to use a thicker 2.5 mm².

For safety reasons, it is prescribed to connect the Zebra film heating only on a separate line with an automatic switch and grounding.

Infrared Heating Tips

Practical advice based on feedback from those who already use infrared film heating:

• What to do if the house is supplied with only 3 kW and periodically "knocks out" the machine? Indeed, this capacity is only enough for 60 m² of area. At first, it is possible to heat only living quarters, and in the future, change the wiring;
• If it seems to you that your infrared ceiling heating film is using more electricity than promised, check your home with a thermal imager. Then it will be possible to detect the "sins" of poor insulation and take measures to reduce consumption;
• Leave the IR heating system on in your country house, even if you come there only on weekends in winter. Let the minimum temperature (10 degrees) be maintained in your absence. Overall costs for the season will be less than if the system had to periodically turn on to the maximum mode to heat a cold house.

To summarize what has been said, we note that an electric-saving film heating system built on infrared PLEN elements can really become an acceptable alternative for you to traditional types of heating.

A video clip will tell you about the advantages and methods of installing the PLEN heating system: