Herschel infrared panel heaters
Herschel Infrared Panel Heaters | FAQ
How do Herschel infrared panel heaters work ?
Herschel Inspire Panel heaters are made from a stainless steel filament woven into an insulating material.
Herschel Select XLS Panels & Select ceiling panels are made from Carbon Fibre elements.
Both panel types convert electricity to emit radiant heat called ‘far infrared’. Panels are designed to gently warm people and buildings. Infrared panels have an average surface temperature of 100 degrees centigrade. Far Infrared emitters emit in the spectral range of 3 – 10 microns with no light at all.
Herschel space heaters such as the Herschel Advantage and Herschel Aspect models utilise ceramic plate emitters containing nickel wire cores. Surface temperatures of around 400 degrees centigrade, with a higher throw and spread than panels.
How long does it take to warm up a room with Herschel infrared panel heaters?
This depends on the ambient temperature and the levels of insulation of your building. Infrared panel heaters work by warming up the thermal mass of the room. Initially, it may take several hours and in some cases days to bring the temperature up. This time period depends on the area to be heated. A damp basement room without insulation will take longer to get up to temperature than a well insulated modern apartment. It is very important to go through this warming phase of the thermal mass of the room. When all of the surfaces in the room are at the same comfortable temperature they will start radiating the heat back.
We recommend leaving the heaters on constantly until the room reaches the desired temperature. The temperature is then ‘topped up’ using a thermostat control, or a timer, or a combination of both.
How long do the panels take to order ?
We offer next day delivery to mainland UK on all of our standard stock items.
Inspire glass or Inspire picture panels, which are a bespoke design, take approximately 4 weeks from order to delivery.
You will be advised at the time of ordering if there are any changes to lead times.
How easy is it to install the panels ?
Panels are simple to install.
All you need to consider when installing infrared is:
• Provision of an electrical source;
• Ensuring enough strength exists in the wall / ceiling where you are going to hang it.
This makes Infrared significantly easier to install than oil or gas boilers, heat pumps, underfloor heating etc and minor disruption.
As they are electric we do recommend they are fitted by a qualified electrician.
Can we install the heaters ourselves ?
It depends on the product. Many of Herschel products come with a plug and can simply be plugged in. However, we recommend that they are properly installed and hardwired to the mains in which case installation should be carried out by a competent person or a qualified electrician according to national regulations.
How close to a heater can furniture be placed ?
Panels should be sited to maximise the throw and spread of the far infrared heat without obstruction. The panels radiate heat in all directions and any obstructions will interfere with the performance of the panels. Furniture should not be placed directly in the path of the panel. A panel sited on a wall ABOVE a sofa would warm the room and the sofa = Effective heating. A panel located low, behind the sofa, heats the back of the sofa and not the room = Ineffective heating. This is very different to conventional ‘radiators’ which heat the air and are often sited behind furniture.
Where is the best place to mount the panels ?
Infrared panels radiate far infrared heat through the air which is then absorbed by objects and surfaces of the room. The most effective place for you to mount your panels is usually higher up on the walls or on the ceiling.
The heaters will be less effective if they are mounted directly opposite a window or door as there will be no thermal mass to absorb the energy.
You will feel heat from the panels to a distance of around 2.5-3m, so if you want to have the feeling of the warmth from the panels try to mount them within 3m of where you are normally located within the room.
Can I paint the panels ?
Yes BUT heat resistant paints such as radiator paint. Normal emulsion doesn’t bond very well and easily scratches.
What splash protection do I need in a bathroom ?
Electrical Safety in bathrooms divides into four zones.
‘Zone 0’ within in the sink bowl, bath tub or shower cubicle any electrical appliance must be direct current and low voltage.
‘Zone 1’ is any zone above a bath or sink or around an unenclosed shower that is prone to splashing. Any electric appliance operated in this zone must have a protection rating of IP44 or higher.
‘Zone 2’ is a 60cm safe zone outside zone 1 to which the same IP44 minimum rule also applies.
‘No Zone’ is any other area in which theoretically no ingress protection need be applied.
All electrical appliances in a bathroom should be protected with a 30 ma RCD (Residual Circuit Device).
This means that any Herschel panel heater may be installed within zones 1 or 2 (or ‘no zone’). If you are seeking to install an Advantage or Aspect space heater, please seek the advice of your Herschel Installer, since IP ratings vary.
Are Herschel infrared panels safe to touch ?
There is a risk of injury from touching any form of heater and infrared panels are no different. However, a key benefit of infrared panels, unlike conventional heaters, is that they can be mounted higher up on walls or ceilings – reducing the likelihood of accidentally touching them or falling against them. We always advise this, especially in areas where young children or the elderly are present.
Herschel Inspire and Select Panel Heaters have surface temperatures of around 100 degrees centigrade. If you do touch one of these panels you will perceive this as hot on initial contact but, provided you do not continue to touch the panel, are unlikely to scald or burn.
The reason that you can touch Herschel panels without immediately injuring yourself is because a Herschel infrared panel typically has a heat energy or ‘watt density’ of 0.09 watts per cm2 – an energy level that the skin can absorb and conduct away from the area of contact.
It is not the temperature that does the damage but the heat energy in the object.
A kettle, for example, typically has a watt density of between 15 – 30 watts per cm2. The skin cannot absorb and conduct away this level of energy and consequently scalds on the area of contact. Yet, both the Herschel infrared panel and the kettle are at 100C.
Safety Warning:
Please note that prolonged contact with any heater will result in injury. Please also note that the infrared space heating ranges (Sorrento Ceramic, Eclipse, Advantage, Aspect, Thermodry and IPR4) all utilise Ceramic elements which run at far higher temperatures and would cause immediate injury if touched. These heaters must always be mounted in accordance with manufacturers instructions & never be touched when switched on or for 30 minutes after use.
Will the wiring make my house look messy ?
The wires can be chased into the wall and completely hidden or else discretely fitted within cable trunking, in much the same way as you would do when installing any electrical device (i.e. a wall mounted flatscreen TV). Please consult your electrician or a Herschel Accredited installer for more advice.
FAQ’s Infrared heaters. How do I control the heating Panel ?
We do not build thermostats into our heaters because far infrared works by heating the fabric of the building which then radiates heat back. Therefore, it is the temperature of the room which is important, not the temperature of the panel. Built in thermostats are not fully effective because the close proximity of the thermostat to the heater means that it is impossible to correctly measure the room temperature.
In order to emit far infrared at the right waveband, our heaters are either ‘ON’ or ‘OFF’ (it is not possible to vary the temperature of the heater itself). Our heaters can simply be switched on or off at the plug/power source. However, to control the panel and the required heat within the room we recommend the use of a Thermostat. For whole building control and for maximum flexibility we strongly recommend using our Herschel IQ controls system – especially designed to control Infrared heaters.
In addition to our Herschel IQ system we have an extensive range of thermostats from simple plug in, timer control, wired in and wireless. For more information please see our full range of heater controls.
Are there servicing and maintenance costs ?
No, just keep them clean with a soft, dry cloth.
What does Lot 20, mean & how do I comply ?
New Eco design legislation from the EU 2015/1188 (otherwise known as Lot 20) means that re-sellers and installers of electric space heaters will need to be sure that the heaters they are selling or installing comply with Lot 20 from 1 January 2018.
Heaters that fail to comply will not be able to be supplied or installed in EU member states, so it is vital for re-sellers and installers to be aware of the new legislation.
The EU commission has recognised for a number of years that local space heating represents a high proportion of energy usage and therefore is a key area for carbon emission reductions. The new legislation is designed to reduce energy consumption. For electric space heaters, this will be achieved by only permitting their use when operated by advanced controls, improving their effective use and minimising wasted energy.
Herschel infrared panel heaters together with either the Herschel iQ Single Zone starter pack, T1, or WH1 Central Control Unit are fully compliant with EC Directive 2009/125/EC for Eco design of local space heaters. When the legislation comes into place, Herschel will be supplying its heating panels and the iQ controls as part of a compliant product combination. Herschel outlines that these iQ features not only make the product set Lot 20 compliant, but also best in class.
What Standards are Herschel infrared panel heaters tested to ?
Our panels are tested and verified by the German research establishment TÜV and the tests include verification (Geprufte Sicherheit – or “Proven Safety and Health”) and Electromagnetic compatibility with current world standards for human health and electrical appliances. They are also RoHS and REACH Compliant.
Click here for more detailed information.
Quality Components
We manufacture ou rHerschel infrared panel heaters using the highest quality materials and components with strict processes in place to ensure quality compliance. Quality is fundamental and intrinsic to Herschel and the way in which the organisation is managed.
Our heaters are certified to appropriate country standards, as well as rigorous testing by TÜV or equivalent bodies.
Quality Construction
We guarantee our Herschel infrared panel heaters for up to 10 years. Made of the highest quality components, our heaters are built to last. Unlike other forms of heating we utilise solid state emitters and minimise the use of integrated control components. This maximises the lifetime of the heaters. All panels are fully certified by the leading German Testing laboratory (TÜV) to GS Standards and are RoHS and REACH Compliant.
Our detailed quality certifications
Gepruft Sicherheit – GS
GS mark is a certification mark used in German speaking countries and stands for “Geprüfte Scherheit” or “Proven Safety”. GS testing comprises testing products for Electrical and Construction safety (IEC 60335-1 and 60335-2-30), absence of certain hydrocarbons in rubber components (if any) as well as a commitment to factory inspections & regular surveillance of products and their components. The TUV is a German testing laboratory certified to conduct GS testing.
Herschel’s Inspire and Select panel ranges are GS accredited.
IEC 60335 Conformity
IEC 60335-1 and IEC 60335-2-30 are the two electrical safety standards to which household electrical appliances and heaters must be tested in order to qualify for CE.
Herschel’s Space Heating Aspect, IRP4 and Pulsar models have been certified as IEC60335 compliant by Intertek, which is a UKAS certified testing laboratory.
IEC 60335 Conformity
Herschel’s Space Heating Advantage Range has been tested as conforming with IEC60335 by Compliance Engineering Ireland Ltd, which is an ISO17025 testing laboratory.
Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) compliance
RoHS compliance is mandatory for products claiming CE approval as well as for manufacturers with Waste Electronic and Electrical (WEEE) compliance. ROHS compliance means a manufacturer verifies that a product does not contain harmful levels of substances such as lead, mercury PBBs and others.
EMC certification (Electromagnetic)
Herschel Inspire and Select panel heaters have been certified by the TUV testing laboratory as compliant with EMC emissions requirements.
Ingress Protection (IP) Rating
Herschel products have been assessed for particle and water ingress. These limits differ for each product type, enabling only certain products to be installed where water splashing may occur. Each product is clearly marked with its own IP rating. It is the responsibility of the installer of a product to ensure it is located correctly.
Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Registered
Herschel Infrared is a registered Electrical and Electronic Equipment Producer. EEE Producer Registration Number: WEE/MM9416AA.
For more information on how infrared works go to Wikipedia Infrared