Shade:
Infrared heat is actually light rays — like the sun. It therefore has shaded areas.
Imagine your heater is a light. The shadow areas will not receive direct heat, although
it receives a lower level of “scattered” light. The more heaters you install in an area,
the higher the “scattered heat” will be. If you use more than one heater in a specific
area, try and position them either in a zig-zag pattern or opposite each other.
Direction:
At 12 o’clock (noon) the sun shines almost directly from above and is warmer
than during early morning, because there are less shadow areas. This is the same with
Infrared. The larger the angle (when wall mounted) the more shade is introduced.
Sensor and dimmer units must not face downwards.
Height vs wattage:
The higher the installation, the less heat reaches the target. The
ideal height for a 1500 watt heater is between 1,8 m and 2,5 m. If installation is only
possible higher than 3 m, then consider the 3000 watt heater. Sometimes it is more
economical in terms of cost to rather use a 3000 watt heater at a height of 3,5 m to
cover an area, than 2 x 1500 watt heaters at the same height.
Current available:
Each 1500 watt heater draws about 8 ampere, while a 3000 watt
heater draws about 16 ampere. A typical residential “trip switch” can accommodate 2 x
1500 watt heaters or 1 x 3000 watt heater. If you require more than that, you will have
to run a separate supply
from the distribution box. Industrial clients must ensure that
they have sufficient amperes available for larger installations.
To be legally complaint,
all installations must be done by an electrician.
Location:
Always keep the area that you are living in or the positioning of the
installation (e.g., south) in mind. You will have to compensate for this. You can either
install more heaters by moving them closer together, or use the double element units.
If you stand beneath the heater the effective heating area will be:
• Single element heaters: 4 metre to the front and 2 metres to each side of the
heater
• Double element heaters: 5 - 6 metres to the front and 2.5 to 3 metres to each side
Position the heater according to this heat spread.
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