Film heater - principle of operation, pros and cons

Heater of film type is a heating device that spreads heat using infrared rays. The device has the form of a thin film of different sizes with a heating element and a foil inside. By the principle of execution are divided into: wall, ceiling and floor. Such a device is suitable for any room, as it can work even at a temperature of -30 degrees. The main advantage of such a heater is that it can be purchased not only as a monochromatic film, but also to depict different illustrations on it that will complement the interior of any room.

Device and principle of operation

This device for heating is made of two heat-resistant films, between which there is a heating element. As well as most models are equipped with a thermostat that allows you to control the temperature of the device and special sensors that will turn off the device if the room temperature is reached.

The principle of operation of heaters on infrared radiation is that infrared rays do not heat the air itself, but the objects and surfaces they encounter, and these objects, in turn, already distribute heat around the room. By the same principle, the sun warms the planet.

Types of infrared heaters

By way of installation, a flexible film heater for a home can be floor, ceiling and wall. The latter type of heater is recommended to use more as a decoration or as an additional source of heat, rather than as a full-fledged heating device, since the radiated heat will quickly go to the ceiling, which is not very efficient. Therefore, if you have to purchase the device specifically for space heating, then you need to choose the ceiling or floor option.

Ceiling

Buyers often stop their choice on this type of film heater, as it most effectively spreads heat around the room. This happens because infrared rays quickly reach the floor, give off heat to other objects and air, and then go up again, which gives the effect of volume heating. However, it is worth considering that, despite all its advantages, if the ceilings are above three meters in the room, infrared rays cannot reach the floor, which, accordingly, makes it meaningless to install on the ceiling, and it is worth considering the floor option.

Floor

A film heater in the floor version has even more advantages over the ceiling view of such a device. Here, the height of the ceiling is not important, because few buyers are interested in a warm ceiling, but the warm floor always adds comfort to the room. But still, it is risky to put a film heater on the floor if you plan to furnish the room with too heavy furniture or appliances - there is a high risk of the device breaking under their weight.

Advantages and disadvantages of the film infrared heater

The main advantage of the film heater over other types of heating devices is that it does not heat up to high temperatures, therefore, you can not be afraid of accidental burns or fires. Other benefits include:

• long life;
• energy efficiency;
• ease of installation;
• noiseless operation;
• is made from environmentally friendly components;
• device does not pollute and does not dry the air.

Customers also note that the presence of a heater under infrared rays gives the same relaxing effect as being under the Sun.

The device is still not perfect and has several drawbacks: the

• room will quickly cool down after turning off the device;
• not too strong heating - the room will be comfortable, but not warm;
• ceiling models can overheat household appliances;
• wall heater is not effectively used as a full heating device.

Installation of an infrared film heater

Film heater is installed in a slightly different way than other types of heaters, however, it can be done independently, without necessarily resorting to the help of specialists. The main thing to remember is that the heater cannot be turned on while the film is in a collapsed state, the distance between the films must be no more than 4 mm and the film can be cut only along the lines left by the manufacturer. To install the heater, you need to adhere to the following sequence of actions:

1. Fixing the reflecting screen.
2. Installation of the film.
3. Gluing aluminum glued foil.
4. Installation of heating elements.
5. Turn on the device.

And also, all manufacturers of film heaters prohibit fixing the device with nails and screws. To fix the device you need only a construction stapler.