Infrared Heating Questions and Answers..

Infrared, infrared radiation, IR - electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between visible light and microwaves. This means a range from 780 nanometers to 1 millimeter. The energy of infrared photons ranges from 0.001 eV to 1.6 eV, and the vibration frequency ranges from 300 GHz to 400 THz. Each body with a temperature greater than absolute zero emits thermal radiation. Already at a temperature of a few kelvins, bodies emit electromagnetic radiation in the FAR infrared range, bodies at room temperature emit the most radiation with a wavelength of 10 μm. Objects with a higher temperature emit more radiation and have a shorter wavelength, which allows them to be easily detected.

Infrared radiation transmits heat in the form of an invisible heat wave.

In buildings with traditional heating, warm air, being lighter than cold, rises upwards, while cold air falls downwards. This phenomenon is called convection current and can create cold spots in the room and condensation on the windows. However, in the case of iHelios infrared heating, the infrared rays pass through the air and gently warm the contents of the room to provide an almost perfectly even heat throughout the room.

Have you ever touched a surface warmed by the sun on an early spring day and felt a pleasant warmth, even when a thermometer indicates cold?

The principal behind Infrared heating lies in understanding how the sun rays work. They are a mixture of electromagnetic waves ranging from infrared (IR) to ultraviolet rays (UV) which travel through the atmosphere without the need of air or any other medium to carry them. When sunrays reach the object, heat it from the inside leaving it warm without heating the air around it. Infrared rays are just under the visible light range in the electromagnetic spectrum.

Infrared heating works by directly heating walls, floors, things located in a room and a human body, instead of heating the air. Then heated objects release their heat into the environment. Infrared heating creates the surroundings where the floor is warmer than the ceiling. Such a method of heating is more pleasant to a human body than the convectional heating that heats the air and relies on air currents to spread the heat in the room.

In comparison to conventional heating, Infrared heating minimises the difference between floor and ceiling temperatures. It may significantly reduce heating costs, as it heats the surface instead of heating volume. The Infrared heating acts directly and that means it does not require any contact such as air currents to carry the heat. Therefore, the temperature in the room may be easily maintained and restored if needed. The heat is accumulated by the structure of a building and things in the room and then slowly released into the air.

Infrared heating is a great way of heating domestic, industrial, commercial or any other environments, as it does not create air currents that raise dust particles in the heating area.

Infrared heating products operate in the far infrared spectrum producing sun-like heat tuned between 9-14 micronmeters. This specific narrow range ensures safe and healthy heating. The electromagnetic waves cause molecules to oscillate and release energy within the heated environment. This phenomenon causes us to feel warm. They lock the heat in the objects, slowly releasing pleasant warmth into the air. Infrared heaters work in a similar way to which the sun heats the earth. Invisible heat rays travel through the air bouncing off the surfaces of objects and that is how everything around us absorbs the heat.

Traditional heating systems use vast amounts of money to heat the air in a room, just to allow this warm air to rise and gather at the ceiling. We offer you Infrared heating solutions that are up to 50% more energy efficient than most commonly used heating systems.

Infrared is very healthy for our body. The best generator of infrared waves is the Sun. Infrared waves give people not only warmth, but also physical and mental well-being. It helps cure ailments such as: acne, arthritis, lumbago, rheumatism, spine pain, muscle pain, muscle acidification. Infrared heat activates circulation and metabolism, excretes poisons and waste substances, mobilizes the body's defense forces, and strengthens the body's immune system. Heat treatment is used in many diseases to reduce pain, improving local blood circulation, faster wound healing, and even therapy for some inflammations, occurring both locally and generally.

Infrared heating does not emit waves that are dangerous to people with pacemakers or ICD’s.

This is the complete opposite.  FAR Infrared rays gently warm the surface of objects and the infrastructure of each room.  This gentle warming of the wall or floor surface keeps the top 1cm or so dry and hence makes it much harder for mold to develop.  iHelios is a perfect solution to rooms like basements or poorly insulated rooms when the root cause of damp has not been solved.

No, iHelios film never gets hotter than 55 degrees and is behind plaster or drywall.  The FAR Infrared rays warm the plaster/drywall slightly but most of the rays pass through and directly warm the objects in the room.  If the film was to be exposed it can only be directly felt from about 8 inches away and thus is not noticeable for people in a room with 7ft plus ceilings.  The rays themselves feel somewhat like a weak sun on your face in winter where you feel slightly warmed versus being in the shade.

One of the benefits of iHelios flooring heating is that it does feel warm on your feet.  When installed in the floor the film will not get warmer than 35C° which feels comfortably warm to your feet even when the room itself is still cold.  As a comparison your body temperature is 36.6C° and a hot tub is usually 39-40C°.The 35C° will only be felt when the film is switched on by the thermostat.  iHelios heating in the floor is ideal for basements, tiled floors or bathrooms where traditionally heating systems leave the floor feeling cold.

The heating film heats up as much as four times faster than traditional radiator based hot water heating systems. The unique infrared rays can be felt right away as if you are in weak sunlight on a winter’s day helping you feel warm even before the room has fully heated up.  The time taken to bring everything to the required temperature depends in part on the size of the room, the quality of the insulation and the outside temperature. On average, while you will feel the heat right away, raising the temperature in a room from 16-21 degrees takes about an hour while the heat is already felts within the first few minutes if the insulation level rating is good or above.

Yes, the iHelios thermostats can be configured to work with any smart home system.

Heating film is not intended for outdoor use.

The warranty for the heating film is 20-years for manufacturing defects, excluding installation damage, provided the installation has been certified by an authorized installer and registered with iHelios.

The heating film is 1 m, 50 cm and 30 cm wide.

To connect the heating film, use a cable with increased fire resistance that is double insulated and with a cross-section of at least 1.5 mm.

The core is carbon paste protected on both sides with 10 layers of PET film, copper electrode with silver paste and PTC layer.

We set the temperature using the
thermostat and we can get a maximum of 55⁰C for ceiling and wall
mounted films, while floor heating film is set at 35⁰C

Electricity consumption depends on four factors: building volume (m³), desired temperature, external temperature and building insulation.

iHelios heating films are powered by 230 V.

The weight of 1 m² of film is between 0.46-0.52 kg depending on the type of film.

The heating film may only be operated in conjunction with a suitable thermostat, which ensures thermal monitoring by means of an external sensor and also enables the temperature to be limited to the maximum temperature specified.

The film can be shortened to the
required length by cutting in a straight line across the film.
Please remember that only installations certified by our authorized installers may be registered for the 20-year warranty.

Each film has differing power usage and the configurator will track all of this for the installer. In houses the existing 13 amp circuit will be sufficient to handle most rooms. Your
authorized dealer can provide any additional assistance necessary.

Almost any type of flooring can be installed over infrared heating film including tile, laminate,
engineered hardwood. The only non-suitable floor is backed
rubber carpet, vinyl and nailed-down hardwood.

Of course. Infrared floor heating is a completely standard way of economically and ecologically heating buildings. We will be happy to provide a price quotation for your project.

No iHelios film is designed to operate through regular gypsum/drywall sheets, wood floors, engineered floors, tile floors, plywood and carpet.  iHelios film is installed with an insulated backing to direct all the heat into the room whether floor or ceiling mounted.  The FAR Infrared rays mostly pass through the covering(plaster/gypsum/tile/wood etc.) and warm all the objects in the room.  This includes the floor or ceiling which will be brought up to the temperature set on the
thermostat.  When the thermostat switches on the film and it is providing heat, the floor or ceiling in which it is installed will feel slightly warm.  In floor-based systems this will feel very comfortable
as the max heat is 35C°making it perfect for bathrooms or entrance tiles where it can feel cold. The advantage with iHelios ceiling installations is that even though the film is in the ceiling it will bring the surface of the floor to the temperature set on the thermostat so a tiled floor over a concrete base will not feel cold on your feet.

FAR Infrared panels use the same heating mechanism as iHelios film but they are generally quite small,
(~2*4ft or 3*6ft), and hence have to run very hot (around 90C deg) to heat a room.  This means they can’t be used safely where people or children can make contact with them.  As a result, they generally need to be high on a wall or on the ceiling. 
Also, they are quite directional so if you are not in their line of
sight you don't get the benefit.  For example, if you have one
in the centre of your office but your desk is against a wall it will take a long time before the warmth reaches you.

The weight of a 50 m² roll of iHelios film is 38-42 kg due to its high content of carbon material making it one of the most efficient films on the market.

No, the system does not consume any electricity in the Standby mode or when unused.

iHelios heating films are a perfect complement to the photovoltaic solar panels. Our authorized Installers and Distributors throughout the country can provide you
the exact requirements after taking into account all the factors involved in your installation. Many customers match their iHelios systems with either solar panels or battery storage to minimize or
eliminate their electricity bill and associated carbon emissions. You can also send us an inquiry at info@ihelios.co.uk

Yes, we can use the film on floors and ceilings according to the installation instructions and
manufacturer's recommendations available at
iHelios Installation

We have an online quote tool that will provide you with an estimate from the overall building size and insulation quality or you can build it up room by room to tell you
exactly how much film is needed. Please follow this link
Get a Quote.
The amount of film needed is based on the expected energy demand of the building. In practice this usually means the coverage is 50-60% of ceilings and 70-80% of floors. The amount of film used does not affect electricity consumption, so the quote is designed to provide
enough peak power to bring the room up to the desired temperature reasonably quickly.

It is possible to install the film
yourself but it is not recommended. iHelios offer a 20-year warranty when the installation work is undertaken by an authorized installer whereas we can only offer a 2-year warranty if you do it yourself. All the installation info you can find at https://iheliosliving.co.uk/pages/installation

The film strips must be connected in parallel, see assembly instructions at
iHelios installation.
Please remember that only installations certified by our
authorized installers may be registered of the 20-year warranty.