Frequently asked questions – ECOSUN

Question:
Can Ecoflex convection heaters and Ecosun panels be installed on flammable bases?

Answer:

• Ecoflex – can be installed on a flammable base as the structure of the attachment meets the requirements for installation on flammable bases.
• Only E 100K, E 200K, E 270K, E 330K, E 400K, E 300U and E 300c panels can be installed on flammable bases. The mounting cross which is part of the panel meets the requirements for installation on flammable bases. E 600U, E 700 IKP, E 700 IN and E 700 IN-2 panels aren't suitable for installation on flammable bases.
• Ecosun VT panels E S 09 to E S 36 aren't suitable for installation on flammable bases.

Question:
Why is the operation of radiant ceiling heating approximately 20% more economical than convection heating?

Answer:
Radiation is a process during which warmth from a heat source (e.g. from a radiant panel) propagates through the environment in the form of infrared rays. When the rays reach another solid body, infrared waves change into heat energy and the matter of the object is heated intensively. It is basically similar to solar radiation. Such heating is economical mainly thanks to the following three points:

1. Unlike with wall radiators and convection heaters, the heat is sent downwards, towards the floor, i.e. to the area where it is needed. The higher the ceiling of the room, the more economical ceiling heating is in comparison with other systems.
2. In the case of “radiators” and convection heaters, the air circulates unevenly around the room, which can evoke a feeling of coldness in certain parts of the room and force us to set a higher temperature on the thermostat. Every degree set above 20 °C means 6% additional expenditure on energy.
3. Radiant panels heat a person directly, without using the air as a medium for heat transfer. Thanks to this effect, we can lower the set temperature by one to two degrees Celsius and we will feel the same warmth as when convection heaters are used – but with a temperature which is 1 to 2 °C higher, i.e. with 6 to 12% higher consumption.

Question:
Can ECOSUN be installed on a wall?

Answer:
Yes, it can. However, we have to consider the increase in the proportion of heat which is conveyed via convection rather than radiation as far as heating effect is concerned. For wall installation, we particularly recommend Ecosun K panels, which are adapted to this kind of installation. Other panels, for example high-temperature panels, must be installed out of the reach of people, as their surface temperature can reach up to 380 °C.  

Question:
How can ceiling radiant heating warm the whole room when warmth always stays near the ceiling?

Answer:
Warmth doesn't stay by the ceiling, only warm air does. This phenomenon is known when radiators and convection heaters are used. These heaters have a significantly higher temperature than the air temperature. The air is warmed up by this heating element through contact with it, and increases its volume while its bulk density decreases. Colder air with higher bulk density pushes this warm air upwards and this means that the greatest warmth is by the ceiling where it isn't needed at all. Ceiling radiant heating radiates infrared rays from a source (in our case, it is from the ceiling towards the floor); these rays change into warmth when they fall on solid or liquid substances. Often, people stand on a stool under the source of heat and claim that it is warmer near the ceiling. For an easier understanding of heat radiation, a comparison with a ray of light is better. A ray of light propagates in the same way as an infrared ray, via electromagnetic wave motion; both of them are reflected from shiny objects and are absorbed by dark objects. We perceive light via vision, and warmth through the surface of our bodies and thus also though our hands. Both light and infrared rays propagate in a perpendicular manner from their source. Let's conduct an experiment with a spot bulb and ECOSUN S. The thickest luminous flux points downwards or in the direction in which the bulb is pointing (both the panel and the bulb will be installed in such a way that the flux will aim downwards). Radiant panels behave in the same way too. Thanks to the microscopic unevenness of the silicating surface, the thickest part of heat radiation aims downwards in a conical shape. Both light and infrared rays are partially reflected, of course, and therefore we see a low amount of light outside the illuminated part – it is the same with infrared radiation: a proportion of the rays are reflected and warm up the walls, etc. If you look at a bulb from a distance of 0.1 m, your eyes will start hurting immediately and you will stop seeing. It is similar with a radiant panel. If you place your palm at a distance of 0.1 m from the radiant panel, you will feel an unpleasant burning sensation. However, if you look at a bulb or an ECOSUN S panel from a distance of five metres, you will see an acceptable amount of light and feel pleasant warmth from the ECOSUN panel. The density of light and infrared radiation decreases with the distance from the source, but the illuminated, radiated surface increases (we do not need to be worried – energy isn't lost). The Sun is a natural source of light as well as infrared rays. Infrared rays pass through space, where the temperature is under freezing point, and they pass through the Earth’s atmosphere and air, but they change into warmth when they reach solid or liquid substances and the air subsequently warms up from these. 

Question:
Are ECOSUN radiant panels harmful to health?

Answer:
ECOSUN radiant panels do not harm health – on the contrary. Infrared rays have a pleasant effect on joint diseases and rheumatism. As the air doesn't dry out and circulate due to large temperature differences as in the case of wall radiators and convection heaters, this type of heating is suitable for those suffering from respiratory diseases and asthma.  If the recommended heights for hanging recommended by us are adhered to, there is no danger of suffering the unpleasant feeling of having a hot head, either.

Question:
What wave length do panels produced by you have?

Answer:
Ecosun low-temperature panels have a wave length of 7–8 µm, high-temperature ones have 4–5 µm.

Question:
I'm buying a dog, a puppy, and I would like to keep it now, i.e. in the winter, outside in its pen. Would it be a good idea to use your Ecosun radiant panels to prevent my dog from freezing in the winter and is it also necessary to get a panel for its kennel so that it is warm there?

Answer:
I would recommend an Ecosun K+ panel, which I would place into the kennel, and I’d recommend a room thermostat for temperature regulation. Everything would have to be connected via a residual current circuit breaker. However, I would need to know the dimensions of the kennel to decide whether a panel could be used in it at all.  

Question:
Is it possible to switch on ECOSUN panels even if the room temperature is around 28-30 degrees Celsius? We also use a fireplace insert for heating and we aren't sure whether something might happen if the temperature in the room was higher than e.g. 28 degrees (for example, if something might start burning).

Answer:
If the ambient temperature doesn't exceed 30 °C, nothing will happen. Ecosun radiant panels can be used in an ambient temperature of up to 30 °C. If the ambient temperature is higher, the temperature of the panel will increase to a value where degradation of material occurs. This may lower the lifespan of the panel. There would certainly be no fire, but the panel could be damaged and subsequently stop working. For temperatures higher than 30 °C, I recommend using Ecosun K+ panels, which are fitted with a thermal fuse which prevents the panel from overheating.

Question:
Mould has appeared in a room with the dimensions 3 × 6 m where two walls are peripheral (3 and 3 m) and there is 90% humidity in the corner. The wall doesn't get any sunshine for the whole winter and it is made of bricks (45 cm) without additional insulation. We use direct-heating convection heaters placed under the windows, but they are 3 m away from the corner. I would like one additional heater for one of these walls. Is an Ecosun heater suitable? I would also like to ask if it can be attached vertically, and to know what the surface temperature of these panels is.

Answer:
I don't think that an Ecosun panel would solve the problem. The panel would have to radiate heat onto the humid wall, and it would thus need to be placed opposite. As a suitable solution, I would suggest providing thermal insulation for the peripheral walls. Ecosun panels can be attached vertically; their surface temperatures range from 80 to 110 °C, depending on the type of panel. If the humidity is in the lower part of the walls, a self-regulating heating cable could be placed under the plaster, which would dry the wall out. 

Question:
We would like to use Ecosun ceiling panels in our newly built apartment. The height of the ceiling is 2.65 m. I would like to know if my husband's head won't feel hot as his height is 1.9 m, and also if such panels can really heat a room with an area of 32 m². Another question is about the warming of solid objects. If the heating element warms up such objects, i.e. furniture, persons, etc. what is the situation when I leave the apartment – does the heating need to be switched off? Also, doesn’t heating over a longer period of time, e.g. in the winter, damage laminated furniture or furniture which has foil over it?

Answer:
If your husband stands directly under the radiant panel, he will feel the warmth – otherwise, when moving around the apartment in a standard way, the feeling of being close to radiant heat will be slight. If the room is fitted with a suitable quantity of panels, the panels will be capable of heating the room. Ecosun panels heat objects, and from them the air is warmed. However, this warming is only slight, to only approximately 2–3 °C higher than the ambient air temperature. This certainly cannot cause any damage to furniture. I do not recommend switching the heating off when you leave the apartment; you should rather reduce the temperature by 3 to 5 °C. It would be difficult to heat the room after a greater drop, and electricity consumption would be greater.

Question:
I would like to know whether infrared panel heating is also suitable for the heating of buildings which are used for occasional recreational. I have a cottage with no thermal insulation which is used only sometimes (peripheral walls – concrete blocks + plaster = 35 cm) and I would like to keep it warm. My idea is that I will fit the ceiling with thermal insulation (approx. 10 cm polystyrene + plank ceiling), and socket thermostats connected to infrared panels would be installed in the current sockets. Could it work like this?

Answer:
Radiant panels could be used for the warming of the building. Radiant panels warm objects and the air in the room is heated from them. If you needed to warm up the building from a non-freezing temperature to a comfortable one using such panel, the heating would take a few days. If you heat the building only occasionally, and need to do it quickly, radiant panels wouldn't be the right choice. I would recommend direct-heating Ecoflex convection heaters for occasional heating. They heat the air directly, so the warm-up period is significantly shorter.

Question:
I need advice regarding whether it would be possible to use one of your infrared panels as a local heater on the wall below a table; it would be used for the warming of legs. Its distance from people’s knees would be around 50 cm, and the room temperature is 18 degrees. Is there a panel which would be suitable for this?

Answer:
Ecosun K+ panels could be used for this purpose. I recommend the installation of Ecosun 200–270 K+ panels; the size of the panel can be chosen according to the dimensions of the place intended for its installation. 

Question:
We are having problems with the freezing of the floor by the entrance to underground garages in the winter months. Do you think that an Ecosun 300 U panel placed above the entry gate would warm up the floor sufficiently to prevent the freezing from occurring?

Answer:
Installation of a panel most probably won't solve the problem. The intensity of the radiation of the panel decreases with its surface temperature; it will be low in the garage area, and the floor won't be warmed sufficiently. For the protection of outdoor surfaces against freezing, heating mats or cables can be installed directly in the concrete or asphalt with a wattage of approximately 300 W/m².

Question: If I hang a 300U panel lower than the 280 cm from the floor which is stated in the instruction manual (245 cm), will the efficiency decrease in any way? 

Answer:
The recommended installation height for Ecosun 300U panels is 2.5–3 m. When the height is lower, the efficiency of the panel doesn't decrease but the intensity of radiation from the panel may be perceived as unpleasant by people who are more sensitive to heat.