The background and benefits of infrared for our environment and bodies.
How long have we known about infrared and its benefits?
Infrared radiation was discovered in 1800 by Sir Frederick William Herschel. Herschel, born in Hanover, Germany. It was Herschel who found that light passed through a glass prism would spread into a rainbow of colours. Most intriguingly, he found a curious reading when the thermometer bulb was placed just beyond the red portion of the visible spectrum. He had discovered thermal radiation, which has come to be known as infrared.
What is infrared and how does it effect us?
Infrared heats us and objects in our environment directly obviating the need for inefficient air heating systems, such as domestic central heating. Natures naturally occurring infrared rays warm the skin, the heat is then passed by the blood circulation around the body.
Infrared radiant heat cause a beautiful, clean, green and health giving comfortable warmth. Whilst heating us in the natural and cost effective way the rays are also heating the objects that surround us and even the walls of the room we occupy.
Infrared is from nature – that’s how we know its good for us:
Infrared has always existed and has always been around us. Herschel discovered and pointed out their existence but human beings have been enjoying the benefits of Infrared heat since the planet was first formed.
Mining and exploiting fossil fuels has been mans way of artificially heating his environment for thousands of years.
Our planet can only give up these valuable resources for so long and, as well as destroying our planet, the mining of fuels such as oil, gas, coal and wood is very inefficient and the resource is finite. This drives up the cost as well as the impact on the planet.
Not only that but the burning of these fuels works against our ecosystem and causes damage to the air we breath.
Radiant heat mimics the way the sun heats the world around us. This makes it cheaper and greener to run.
Positive effects of infrared on our bodies:
Infrared heating has clear health benefits for us over convection heating. The movement of heat around the body through optimum blood circulation this creates deep warmth throughout the whole body and is not limited to the surface as with convection heaters.
Infrared heating does not cause air currents or movement of dust which can cause problems for people with asthma or bronchial ailments. Still and dust free air is far more pleasant for users of contact lenses and people suffering with rheumatic pain will find the homogenous humidity may reduce their pains. Air that is humidity stable and dust free combined with the silent operation of these heaters will all work together to provide a generally better working or living atmosphere.
Ventilation is essential for a healthy and comfortable working atmosphere, any new heating system must take into account the financial costs of heat loss through ventilation. Convection heaters work with higher air temperatures and rely on the movement of air causing a significant waste of money in heating air to be lost through an open window, however infrared heating is directly heating the people and objects combined with no movement of air the losses will be far less. Infrared outdoor heaters, often used outside pubs or restaurants, are an energy efficient way of heating people outside because the heat is felt directly on the skin even though the outside air may be very cold.
