Commercial Infrared Heaters

Keep your customers warm indoors and outdoors with safe, effective and energy efficient infrared heat

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Commercial Infrared Radiant Heaters

Turnbull & Scott offers a range of electric medium wave infrared (IR) heaters designed to produce infrared wavelengths best suited to providing comfortable heating for people in larger indoor areas or canopied patio and terrace settings.

They are ideal for bars, restaurants, open office spaces where people gather and linger to relax, socialise or work. Our heaters are highly efficient with almost 100% of electrical power converted to heat: 94% through infrared radiation and 6% convection.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is infrared heat?

Infrared heaters, also referred to as radiant heaters, provide warmth in a different way from the other heaters we offer which, primarily, transfer heat to us by means of convection, where the heat energy travels to us via the air flows in a room.

Infrared is a type of radiant energy that falls within a specific section of wavelengths within the electromagnetic radiation spectrum. Humans cannot see infrared waves but can identify its existence in the form of heat – it’s the warmth you feel when you stand in the sun.

Infrared heater elements, the source of the infrared radiant energy, generate this thermal radiation and transmit the waves directly towards objects. When infrared radiation is absorbed by an object, including humans, it heats and its temperature rises.

Any object with a temperature above ‘absolute zero’ emits infrared waves, or thermal radiation, due to kinetic energy of molecules within the object…even ice gives off heat in the right temperature conditions! The warmer the object the more energy it emits.
The amount of energy radiated by a heater and the wavelengths of this energy is determined by the heater’s temperature.

Since infrared energy does not need the air to travel and isn’t carried off by the air, it’s a very efficient way of comfort heating especially in large indoor areas or patios and terraces.

What are the different types of infrared heat?

The part of the electromagnetic radiation spectrum occupied by infrared energy waves is subdivided into sections of wavelengths. Those used for infrared heating are classified as short wave (or IR-A), medium wave (or IR-B) and long wave (or IR-C).

The waves in each of these three sections are heat producing and have their own characteristics in terms of how far they travel and how deep they penetrate the objects they meet. For effective and safe comfort heating it’s important that infrared heaters are optimally designed for use by humans in the particular environment they are occupying.

Why use medium wave infrared heaters?

Materials absorb infrared heat differently according to their chemical make-up. Since humans consist of around 55-60% water the heater needs to be designed to produce specific wavelengths that are best absorbed and least reflected by water.

Medium wave infrared offers the best balance between energy transmissivity, reflectivity and absorbency to provide effective and relatively healthy comfort heating for humans in large indoor spaces or patios and terraces.

Short wave infrared heaters are not so well suited to providing heat for humans sitting for periods of time in such environments. Short waves are more transmissive and intensive than medium or long wave infrared, with much of the energy used in the projection of the energy and less in providing comfort heat. Although short waves travel further they do so in much narrower and intensive beams which penetrate deeper into the skin and can be harmful over a period of time.

Do infrared heaters use a lot of electricity?

Can infrared heaters be used indoors?

Are infrared heaters good outside?

Our Infrared Heater Range

Our Technology

Our medium wave electric infrared heaters operate in the 1.4 - 3 μm infrared wavelengths and are highly efficient converting almost all the electrical power to heat: 94% through infrared radiation and 6% convection.

Their high silicon content quartz bulbs, which encapsulate a high quality metal filament, provide a soft glow and have a lifespan of over 9000 hours.

The robust heater bodies in our commercial infrared heaters are constructed of aluminium and the specially designed, high temperature resistant reflectors are anodised aluminium. We stock a range of UFO heaters which you can see below.

Our Products

UFO-S29 horizontal wall or ceiling heater: 2.9kW power with thermostatic controls suitable for use outdoors in canopied patios or terraces as well as indoors.
UFO-S23 UK horizontal wall or ceiling heater: 2.3kW power with remote handset controls offering various power and timer settings suitable for use in larger indoor spaces.
UFO-T23 portable vertical tower heater: 2.3kW with tip-over safety features and remote handset controls offering various power settings. Unique patented ‘micatronic’ filament technology that enables vertical positioning. Suitable for use in larger indoor spaces.