There are many claims out on the internet regarding infrared and its health properties. Some are true, some are unproven, and some are completely false. In this blog we are going to take a look at some of the claims, and hopefully clear up some of the confusion.
Near vs Far Infrared
The crucial point when discussing health impacts is to differentiate between near and far infrared. Whilst these two types of heating are close together on the electromagnetic spectrum, they produce very different types of heat.
Near infrared heaters glow, and produce a more intense heat that penetrates deeper into the skin. This deeper penetration can be bad news, with extended exposure potentially causing burns and damage to the eyes. Some heaters tone down the intensity of the heater, but all this is doing is shifting some of the heat from near to far infrared. Why not go the whole hog and get yourself a proper balanced far infrared system!
Far infrared is safer
Fortunately all our heaters operate on the far infrared part of the spectrum. This means that the heaters do not glow, and the heat given off is less intense – quite literally skin deep. Far infrared doesn’t penetrate nearly as deep into the skin as near infrared.
Far infrared gets you warmer quicker
The great quirk of far infrared is that the heat given off is at a wavelength that is especially good at heating water. The human body is predominantly made of water, so it is actually a really efficient way of heating. It sounds a little scary, but it is perfectly safe, and you are effectively using your own body to help get you warm!
Even though near infrared may get heat deeper, the wavelength of the heat is not as effective at heating the water in the body. It is this gentler, more even heating of an area that makes far infrared such a great way to heat your home and you.
Infrared is Hypoallergenic
We may have mentioned this before, but because infrared heats surfaces rather than the air in between, there is less dust being moved around the room and as such tends to be much better at preventing the flair up of allergies than a traditional convection heating system.
Some claims are unfounded
There are plenty of health claims made about infrared, especially near infrared. Helping to generate vitamin D, which is false; that infrared has medical benefits for muscles, which it does not – because even near infrared doesn’t penetrate that deep into the body’s tissues.
So whilst there are plenty of great reasons to get far infrared panels for your home, you can’t believe everything you hear.
Do any of you have any experience or advice on using infrared heating underfloor film? As the film can be distributed over a much larger space than panels but with lower power, it appears to be a much cost effective option than having panels installed. I’m struggling to find any real reviews so any help would be much appreciated. .