The first winter frosts have hit and it's time to think about choosing a good heater. But this is not so easy to do, given the huge range that is offered today. How to choose the safest heater so as not to harm your health and the health of your children? Today we will help you understand this difficult issue.

Oil cooler

Oil heaters are one of the most popular and best-selling electrical heating devices. The operating principle of such a heater is simple and clear: the heating element heats the oil, which in turn heats the radiator housing. Lightweight, mobile and affordable - it would seem ideal! But it's not that simple. The fact is that such a radiator becomes very hot during operation. It should not be placed next to furniture, it should not be touched with bare skin, that is, it is not suitable for heating rooms in which there are small children. Care must be taken to ensure that the heater does not lie on its side, because in this case the hot oil can rupture the heater and cause a fire.

Another disadvantage of such a radiator is dry air and low humidity in the heated room, which can cause problems for people with respiratory diseases or those prone to them.

Electric convector

One of the safest devices and a worthy competitor in its field. The convector draws in cold air, heats it and takes it outside, it is impossible for them to get burned, it uses electricity sparingly. What could be simpler and more reliable? However, this type of heater also has its disadvantages. For example, in a room heated by an electric convector, it is necessary to install special humidifiers air, because such a heater also dries out the air and carries dust around the room with the air flow. This can provoke allergic reactions and respiratory diseases.

Fan heater

Thanks to his small size and considerable power, fan heaters are popular and sold. They quickly warm up the room, are non-bulky and affordable. What should we remember when buying such a heater? Fan heaters dry out the air very strongly, have a rather unpleasant odor when heated and spread dust throughout the heated room. They are also noisy, and the heated room cools down immediately after you turn off the device. It is worth remembering that there are two types of such heaters: more affordable spiral heaters and higher quality heating elements. We recommend choosing the latter, they are less harmful, safer and dry the air less.

Infrared heater

Infrared heaters, first of all, like a lamp, heat all the objects they are directed at. And then the air warms up from the heated objects. That is, such a heater does not dry out the air and does not spread dust with the air flow. Does this mean it is completely safe? Not everything is so simple. For example, if the device is incorrectly selected in accordance with the square footage of the heated room, you can get banal overheating with all the ensuing consequences. When you are under a running radiator for a long time, you need to change your body position more often, because if you stay in one position for a long time, you can dry out your skin or even get a slight burn. If the device is too close to a person, it can cause headaches and damage to the retina.

Inverter air conditioners

We are familiar with air conditioners that have the function of heating and maintaining a certain temperature in the room. There is also harm from such devices, although not as great. For example, if you do not change the filters on time, the air conditioner will draw in air, pass it through a dirty filter and release it out along with accumulated harmful substances. Most often, the owners of such devices forget that the filters need to be replaced, since with an old filter the air conditioner will not cool or heat worse. But if you want to avoid harm to your health, remember that filters must be changed on time.

Warm floor

IN lately heated floors are becoming increasingly popular. And this is not surprising, because they are comfortable, maintain the desired air temperature in the room, it is pleasant to walk on them barefoot even in winter, and they are practically irreplaceable in families with small children. But when installing heated floors, you need to remember a few simple rules. The installation of such a system must be approached with all responsibility; you should not cover the heated floor with low-quality materials or materials that emit harmful substances when heated. It is also worth remembering that the temperature must be chosen so that you do not feel overheating and discomfort.

How to choose a heater for your home: pros and cons of each type, 5.0 out of 5 based on 4 ratings

During the off-season, when it is not yet completely cold, but not warm, almost everyone uses heaters different types. Fan heaters, oil radiators, and electric spiral devices have been familiar to consumers for a long time. Today, equipment manufacturers note the high efficiency of infrared heaters and recommend using only such devices. Performance characteristics are attractive, but we would like to know whether an infrared heater is harmful or not before purchasing one for our family.

1. Harm can be eliminated

A little about infrared radiation

Any type of heating device used by humans emits infrared rays (IR) of varying wavelengths and intensities. Who doesn't love to bask in the warm rays of the sun? However, prolonged exposure to the sun can harm the skin. The positive and negative effects of infrared rays on a person are determined by the depth of penetration of the radiation into the skin.

Let's look at how an infrared heater works and what makes it different from other heating devices. The uniqueness lies in the fact that energy is transferred to the surface of the object with virtually no losses. The higher the temperature of the device, the hotter the heating object gets hotter. Maximum heating of the plane occurs when it appears in large quantities short waves, which is observed when heating the heater itself. If during operation of the device mainly short waves are transmitted to the heated object, the benefit parameter drops to zero, and the harm from the infrared heater increases.

There are 3 types of heaters on sale today:

1. Devices heating up to 300 degrees with a wavelength of 50-200 microns.
2. Devices heating up to 600 degrees with a wavelength of 2.5–50 microns.
3. Devices heating up to more than 800 degrees with wavelengths of 0.7–2.5 microns.

Infrared rays with wavelengths less than 3 microns penetrate through top layer skin and can cause harm to human health.

Are infrared heaters harmful?

If you install the device in a room and sit directly in front of it on long time, a burn may occur on the skin facing the heater. This happens from rapid heating and evaporation of moisture from the top layer of skin under the influence of infrared.

The effects of infrared radiation on the human body have been studied for a long time. In medicine, infrared rays are used during physiotherapeutic procedures. Treatment sessions are strictly limited in time. Doctors consider the production of heaters with constant infrared radiation to be harmful. Under strong exposure to rays, changes may begin in the inner layers of the skin.

Prolonged exposure to infrared rays on the eyes should not be allowed to avoid burns to the lens and retina. After such a burn, there is a risk of cataracts.

A device attached low to the ceiling will constantly exert a strong force on the head. Ceiling models It is necessary to hang it as high as possible and point it at an angle, which will significantly reduce the harm from the infrared heater.

Are infrared rays beneficial?

The human body also emits radiation waves of 3–50 microns. Natural infrared radiation has a length of 7–14 microns. In these parameters, the body perceives radiation as much as possible. Using infrared waves of a certain length in therapeutic procedures, doctors keep the patient’s body in good shape and help him recover. The number and duration of sessions is strictly limited so as not to cause harm.

Long infrared waves do not cause any harm to the body. With their help, a person can increase the body's immunity.

Are infrared heaters harmful to health? We can say that when making the right choice and installation of the device, the harmfulness is reduced to almost zero.

When choosing an IR heater model, you should pay attention to its technical specifications and find out the wavelength range of the radiation. To prevent it from harming you, this parameter should be in the range of 3–10 microns.

Harm can be eliminated

Positive Feedback specialists on the use of infrared heaters in everyday life are based on compliance with the following rules:

1. The power of the device you purchase must correspond to the parameters of the room or be adjustable.
2. The radiation from the heater should be directed towards the wall or floor, and not towards the person.
3. Try not to let infrared rays hit your head.
4. Do not install IR heaters in a child's room.
5. Using infrared devices outdoors is not harmful.

Numerous reviews from users of household electric infrared heaters note the effectiveness of their use in the country, when in a short time it is necessary to warm up a house in damp weather or create a comfortable relaxation area in an open gazebo.

Video about infrared heaters

With the onset of cold days, we begin to wrap ourselves in warm clothes and think about buying an infrared heater. However, around this modern device There are so many rumors about the dangers of its effect on health that one becomes afraid for the safety of one’s loved ones. Today we will tell you the whole truth about how dangerous this device is to your health.

Infrared heaters are a heating device that causes a huge amount of controversy. Some believe that its rays are akin to radiation waves, others claim that it is almost healing properties. Today we will try to dispel all the myths and bring the truth to light.

Do not confuse IR and UV radiation. The latter really has negative impact on human health, but we still have to understand the influence of the former.

Manufacturers assure that the rays of an infrared heater are indistinguishable from exposure to the sun. However, many people know that not all solar radiation is harmless to health.

First of all, it is worth considering that there are three types of infrared heating. Their harmfulness is at at different levels and not all of them are dangerous to health.

What types of IF batteries are there:

• Shortwave;
• Medium wave;
• Long wave.

The first and second options can heat up to 800 degrees Celsius. Such devices, UFOs, are used only for short-term heating of outdoor premises. When such devices are operating, you should not be near them.

It is short and medium waves that penetrate the skin as quickly as possible. They are harmful to health and are used only for special purposes. The shorter the wave, the more harm it causes, and the higher the heating temperature, the shorter the waves.

Harm of an infrared heater

Infrared heaters can be harmful if used incorrectly. Also negative impact Such devices happen due to poor quality assembly.

Unfortunately, infrared heaters really not very healthy. However, all the harm that we will describe can only be caused by such devices with prolonged exposure to the skin.

Harm from infrared emitters:

1. Such heating can dry out the skin. The fact is that with prolonged exposure to IF waves on the skin, it begins to dry out at such a speed that sweat does not have time to be produced. Thus, you risk getting dry and lifeless skin.
2. With prolonged exposure to IF, cells begin to deform. The membrane loses permeability. The protein is denatured. However, such an influence is only possible if you are exposed to a powerful short-wave device.
3. With direct exposure to If on the eyes, there is a risk of burns to the retina and lens. Such a burn can lead to the development of cataracts.
4. If you installed ceiling infrared heaters incorrectly, you risk developing headaches. This is possible if the rays directly affect a person’s head.

As you can see, infrared heating does pose some danger. However, such negative consequences most often occur due to incorrect installation or selection of a low-quality device.

However, one should not rush to conclusions. Such a lamp also has a positive effect on health, and the negative consequences can be eliminated with the help of simple manipulations.

The benefits and harms of infrared radiation for humans

Infrared heaters also have their “light” sides. However, this only applies to long-wave models. Since it is long-wave radiation that is as close as possible to natural radiation.

Long-wave infrared radiation is used for warming procedures. As you can see, it is also used for medical purposes.

Such waves penetrate only the upper layers of human skin and are completely absorbed by them. At correct use they will only have a beneficial effect on your body.

Benefits of IR radiation for humans:

1. Infrared radiation, at correct installation and choosing a device. Can be used in residential premises for quite a long time.
2. Short-term exposure to long wavelength IF is beneficial for older people. This effect also has a positive effect on the immune system.
3. Such waves are used in medicine, for example, in surgery and dentistry. They are also taken in the form of IF baths.
4. Using small doses infrared radiation You can improve blood circulation, which will have a positive effect on skin color.
5. Such devices nullify the radiation of microwave ovens and computers. Such heating also cleanses your home of negative waves.
6. Unlike other heaters, quartz and laser heating do not drive dust around the house, do not make noise or emit unpleasant odor. It also does not burn oxygen.
7. Short-term exposure to IF has a positive effect on the nervous system. Thanks to it, you will sleep better.
8. Increases the release of melatonin. This fact will help you get rid of winter depression.
9. Increases insulin production. This is especially important for diabetics.
10. Improves joint function in arthritis and radiculitis.
11. Japanese doctors have proven that long-wavelength IF rays suppress the growth of cancer cells. This conclusion is not actively used in medicine, but provides a platform for further advancement. Perhaps soon the harmful radiation used in the treatment of cancer will be replaced by IF waves.
12. Using an IF heater, you can disinfect the air in your home. The fact is that such radiation kills some pathogenic microbes.

Despite the wide range of beneficial effects, you should not think that this is a panacea for all diseases. Without a doctor's permission, such treatment cannot be used.

Ceiling infrared heaters: the whole truth and myths

So, having looked at the lists of advantages and disadvantages of infrared heaters. And after analyzing the new knowledge, we can confidently debunk all the myths regarding the use of IF heaters.

The whole truth and myths about IF heaters:

1. IF radiation is similar to radiation - you've heard this myth quite often. However, unlike radioactive waves, infrared radiation does not lead to irreversible consequences after short-term exposure.
2. You can get cancer from IF heaters - this fact has not been proven at all. Of course, with prolonged exposure, IF has negative influence on the skin, but some doctors even note the suppression of the development of malignant cells with long-wave infrared irradiation.
3. With the help of IF heaters, you can be cured of many diseases - this conclusion cannot be called true either. Yes, when used correctly, IF rays have some positive effects on human body, but it cannot be used as a cure for serious diseases.
4. The safety of IF heaters is 100%. Unfortunately, this statement cannot be called true. The red “coal” inside the lamp, emitting infrared waves, can cause a lot of harm if used incorrectly.

Thus, by dispelling all the myths, you can understand whether you need an infrared heater. When used correctly, it will significantly improve the comfort in your home.

Infrared heaters: how to make them harmless

Infrared heaters can be used to heat your apartment. However, in order to minimize the negative impact of such devices, several conditions must be met.

How to reduce the negative impact of IF heaters:

1. Try to stay as far away from it as possible while the device is operating. The closer you are to the source of infrared radiation, the greater its influence on you.
2. Do not abuse IF heating. You should not turn it on all night in a room where people sleep.
3. Choose models with a rotation function. Such devices have minimal impact on the same area.
4. Do not install infrared heaters in children's rooms. The skin of babies is more delicate than that of adults, and therefore more susceptible to the effects of infrared rays.

In addition to these rules, there is one more thing: install the device so that the emitter is directed at the ceiling or wall. In this case, you will minimize its effect on the body of your loved ones.

Expert's answer: are infrared heaters harmful to health (video)

Infrared heaters have their positive and negative aspects. If you decide to install such a device at home, then choose only a high-quality product, because your health depends on it!

Infrared heaters are harmful to health due to the presence in their radiation spectrum of a large proportion of waves that penetrate deeply into the human body. The harm of an infrared heater is determined by the distribution of radiation power over the entire spectral range. Although all artificial heat sources, such as oil or water radiators, emit infrared rays, they do so at different lengths infrared waves and have different effects on human health.

What can thermal radiation do?

Infrared rays are divided into 3 main subranges:

1. 0.75-1.48 microns - ensure the penetration of infrared radiation 4 cm under the human skin.
2. 1.49-2.9 microns - such waves penetrate the middle layers of the skin.
3. More than 3 microns are completely absorbed by the upper skin layers of the human body.

Human thermal radiation is 9.5 microns. Infrared heating using a ceramic heater has a wavelength of 3.5 microns. The sun also has a thermal component in its spectrum, but it emits infrared radiation at a wavelength of 0.48 microns. The benefits and harms of any source of such radiation are assessed by the radiation power at a certain temperature and wavelength. For example, if the heat source is heated to 256°C, then the emitted wavelength will be about 6.7 microns, and the radiation power will reach 148 W/m². If the object is heated to 606°C, then the wave will be 3.5 microns, and the power flow will increase to 748 W/m².

IR heaters have great advantages over traditional heat sources in the short-wave and mid-infrared range. In this case, their efficiency increases significantly due to the low scattering of emitted waves in the air and the direct transfer of energy to the irradiated object. But you can also get severe overheating, which will negatively affect people’s health.

What damage can an infrared heater cause?

Harm from infrared heaters can be quite significant. For example, a quartz heater often used by people in various devices can act in this way:

1. Its effect causes the skin to dry out due to the intense release of moisture from the side where the infrared rays come from.
2. A quartz heater may cause burns. This often happens in infrared saunas.
3. Heat flow has a biochemical effect on people due to its effect on protein skin. It changes the permeability of the blood cell membrane.
4. With prolonged exposure, the heater can cause damage to the eyes: the retina and lens suffer. This often causes the occurrence and development of cataracts.

Infrared heating installed in an apartment can have exactly the same effect on people’s skin. Large doses of infrared radiation are harmful to health. Workers in workshops where glass or metal processing is carried out by an infrared apparatus were examined. It was recognized that workers' skin similar industries loses its protective qualities due to high heat intensity.

Many people ask whether a quartz heater, which is used in physiotherapeutic procedures, is harmful or not. There is no great danger from such a device, since in medical institutions all radiation parameters are strictly regulated, and such an infrared heater affects patients for a very short time, so it cannot cause any damage to the patients’ skin.

There are established sanitary standards for a long stay of a person in a room where an infrared heater is located. In infrared saunas, the effect of heat on people is short-term, so it is possible to use intense irradiation with a power of up to 450-490 W/m², but the technology must be strictly adhered to, otherwise a burn is possible. Scientists consider such saunas useless, since they have no advantages over traditional stoves.

How to avoid dangers from using IR heaters?

The harm from heating houses with a ceiling-type IR emitter will be maximum if it is installed so low that it constantly warms the owner’s head. Therefore, it is recommended to install ceiling heaters at relatively high altitude in such a way that the radiation, if possible, is not directed directly at people.

Infrared heaters are harmful to children. Therefore, they cannot be installed in a children's room. They can cause harm in the bedroom, so if you want to install them, then you need to use this equipment very carefully. In any case, the heat should not be directed towards sleeping people.

The ideal option is to install heaters in such a way that the heat flow goes to the floor, walls and furniture. Such devices should not have very high power.

IR heating devices can be effectively used when it is necessary to heat sheds, gazebos, balconies, and hallways.

In this case, their energy potential will be used most fully, since by heating nearby surfaces (walls, etc.), they help keep the room warm for a long time even when jets of cold air enter it, for example, during ventilation.

Do not put too much faith in the beliefs of manufacturers and sellers about the complete safety of such equipment. It only works well if all safety precautions are followed by the consumer. It is recommended to install heaters as far as possible from where people gather (for example, they should not be installed next to the sofa where the family watches TV). It is not recommended to send heat flows on living beings. It is best to install heaters near walls, for example, in the corners of a room or under a windowsill. As already mentioned, ceiling IR heaters should be installed at maximum heights so that their heat flow is dissipated and cannot heat people's skin.

Date of publication: 10/25/2014

No one will argue with the fact that hardening is useful thing, but provided that it is voluntary and does not continue around the clock. In our country, the cold season gives us the opportunity to relax and miss the summer, knowing from October to April, i.e. all this time we either have chilly weather, or it snows, and sometimes even snow mixed with rain. All this can be diluted with such “pleasants” as unexpected thaws, followed by sudden frosts. In addition, not everyone has access to centralized heating of their homes, and sometimes even such heating is not enough to properly warm up the premises.

Of course in in this case It is very difficult to do without a heater. In addition, these days the market is ready to offer countless varieties and modifications, various technologies and heat generation power.
Fortunately, in the distant past there are times when it was possible to use only fire-hazardous metal appliances that could not be adjusted and were impossible (even dangerous) to leave in the house unattended. Most modern models are almost completely safe, they are perfectly adjustable and even equipped with a self-shut-off function.
Although even now it is impossible to say with complete confidence that heaters have become completely harmless to health.
Let's try to shed some light on this issue!

It would seem that what could be harmful in modern heaters? There is an opinion that they dry out the air in the house, increase the allergenicity of the air and emit substances hazardous to health.

Which of this is a myth and which is the truth?

Dispelling or confirming myths, we decided to look in more detail at several types of the most popular heaters.

Fan heaters

The principle of operation of such a device involves heating the air in the room. In this case, the heating element transfers heat to the air, which is distributed throughout the room using a fan. The features of such a heater include the following properties: intrusiveness of the device during its operation (smell and noise), uneven heating of the air in the room.

Damage to the fan heater

When heating the air in a room, a fan heater uses oxygen from the same room, which results in a “suffocating” effect. After 2-3 hours of operation of such a heater, you may feel a shortage of air, it will seem that there is absolutely nothing to breathe and there will be an urgent need to ventilate the room. Of course, the respiratory system suffers from this. In addition, the fan heater greatly dries out the air, causing the humidity in the room to decrease, which also has a negative impact on human health. It can also act on nervous system noise during operation, this is especially noticeable at night when you are resting.

Oil heaters

This is a very common type of heaters. The operating principle of these devices is that the heating element heats the oil, which in turn shares heat with the heater body. The housing directly transfers its heat to the room. This way the room is heated. The features of such heaters are the hot body of the device and simple heat exchange.

Damage to an oil heater

Oil heaters in modern design During the work process practically nothing harmful is emitted. In addition, the advantages of heaters include uniform heating of the room. But on the other hand, such devices dry out the air very much, which greatly reduces the humidity and, as a result, problems with the respiratory system may arise. This applies to a greater extent to those people who have diseases or a tendency to respiratory diseases.
Another disadvantage of oil heaters is that they have a hot body, which is a potential problem. For example, upon contact with finishing materials or furniture, it heats surfaces that can emit harmful fumes when heated or even melted (chipboard, MDF, plastic, some types of fabrics).

Convectors

Currently this type heaters is one of the most comfortable and ergonomic for humans. Convector heaters heat the air directly in contact with heating element. With this type of heating warm air distributed throughout the room naturally. But such technology does not allow heaters to truly be sufficient heat sources. The thing is that they can only heat small rooms.

Harm of a convector heater

This type of heater increases the allergenicity of the air and greatly dries it out. It is known that if you suffer from allergic reactions to certain household elements (pet hair, dust, etc.), then the air that is dehumidified by a heater or air conditioner works against you. In this case, there is only one way out - install an air humidifier; regular wet cleaning and frequent ventilation of the room will also help.

Infrared heaters

And today this type of heaters is considered new. Although their “life” on the heating device market has been for more than ten years. The operating principle of such heaters is fundamentally different from all the devices discussed above. The lamp of such a heater is a source of radiation that does not heat the air in the room, but heats objects, and only those that are in its field of action. In fact, such a device heats according to the solar principle. The advantages of such a heater include the fact that it does not reduce the humidity in the room and does not dry out the air.

Harm of an infrared heater

IR heaters “suspect” only that their radiation contains harmful ultraviolet rays. But in fact, the radiation of the device lies in the infrared spectrum, which is absolutely safe for human health. Several years ago, the previous generation of these heaters was characterized by a fire hazard, but models of the last five years are equipped with different sensors and additional protection from fire.

We warm ourselves without harm to health

Of course, if there are all the conditions to do without a heater, then it is better to do so. In addition, coolness has a better effect on the tone of the body. Dress warmly, prepare a cup of hot tea for yourself, put a hot water bottle in bed hot water, and before the sheaf receive hot bath. But if you still cannot do without additional heating of the room, then you should give your preference modern model heater with minimal impact on the environment.
When choosing a model, pay attention to the fact that it must be equipped modern system protection against overheating, had several heating modes, etc.
If you have to use a fan heater, oil heater or a convector, then also purchase an air humidifier, and ideally ventilate the room more often.