Calculating power wattage required for larger or more complex situations.
The power output of your infrared panel is not only governed by the size of the room but also how well it naturally holds the heat. Draughty old windows or poor insulation will affect the efficiency of any heating method.
Panels are at their most efficient when on for long periods throughout the day, infrared heats people and objects so the building will gradually warm up and then radiate heat back to warm the air. Rooms that often feel cold and damp are ideally suited to infrared heating as this form of heat will warm the structure of the building keeping that damp feeling at bay, and we do stress infrared works best when switched on for longer periods. Infrared is very cheap to run, you will probably find that your electricity bills will be lower from having the panel on all day compared to an electric fan heater being on for just a few hours.
To calculate the total watts required we need to know the size of the room and the places where there may be heat loss. Please follow the formula below but if your area is more complex or you simply get stuck and need more advice, please give us a call or use the contact us page.
Work out the floor area of your room in square metres, this is the length times by the width. Each door and window needs to be measured in the same way, and then, each total times by the correcting factor amount, (the amounts are shown below,) this allows for any heat loss. Add all these totals together to find the total heating area for the room. Multiply this figure by 50 to give the total Watts required. These calculations are based upon a ceiling height of less than 3m.
Write down your formula like this -
floor length x width = total m²
double glazing length x width x correcting factor of 1.8 = total m²
single glazing length x width x correcting factor of 2.8 = total m²
internal door length x width x correcting factor of 1 = total m²
external door length x width x correcting factor of 2.5 = total m²
Add totals together and multiply by 50 = the total Watts required
It is better to choose a panel with a slightly higher wattage than that required rather than going down to a lower wattage panel that will have to work harder, and use more electric, to maintain the correct temperature and will therefore be less efficient.