If you want to buy a heater for your home, then you have quite a few options. One of the many options available to you is radiant heating. To help you make a better informed decision about how to provide heat for your building, here is an explanation of what a radiant heater is and how it can be of use to you:

What is a radiant heater?

In general, heaters come in two main varieties: convection and radiant. Convection heaters work by heating up air through convection and then blowing that air throughout a room. Radiant heaters work by distributing heat via radiation, which means that the heat is transferred directly to objects in the room. Ultimately, this means that the main distinction between the two types is that convection heaters are good at heating rooms and specific areas, while radiant heaters are good for heating up individuals inside the room. To understand why this is the case, we have to look at exactly how radiation works.

How do radiation heaters work?

In terms of heaters, radiation essentially means that the heat is transferred via one of the three main methods of energy transfer: radiation. While convection refers to the transfer of heat via air and conduction refers to the transfer of heat via touching, radiation refers to a transfer of heat that is independent of intermediary materials. In radiant heating, the heat is transferred directly from the heat source to the target. This means that people in the same area as a radiant heat source can feel warmth without the air being warm.

In other words, radiant heating can work effectively without the actual room being heated. In some ways this is beneficial, while in others it is detrimental. On the plus side, radiant heaters are quite effective on the short-term scale, since they can make you feel warm long before the room is actually warm. On the other hand, if you want to heat up a room, then a radiant heater is not a particularly good option.

Therefore, you should decide whether you want a convection heater or a radiant heater based on your needs. If you want to heat up a room for a long period of time, then your best bet is to get a convection heater. However, if you want to just heat up the people in a room for a short term, then you should opt for a radiant heater. To learn more, speak with a company like Summerstep.

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