Quartz Patio Heaters

[Jim Crow]

Anybody know anything about Quartz patio heaters ....... eg on the link below

something similar? Are they any good? Any problems etc? Spare "Tubes" available?

TIA

[Jim Crow]

Sorry, this may be a better link.......but the Argos site is down and I can't check it.

>

[Dave Plowman (News)]

or something similar? Are they any good? Any problems etc? Spare > "Tubes" available?

We use infra red heaters at work when it's impossible to heat the area by normal means. They work well enough provided you're 'on axis'. Seem to be reliable enough.

[David Lang]

Hi Jim

Only that they are maximum 2 kW and a gas one is about 11 kW. Would they provide any useable heat outdoors? A kW is a kW is a kW.

Dave

[bigcat]

> or something similar? Are they any good? Any problems etc? Spare "Tubes"

fring exensive for a halogen lamp. But these products always are, as theyre basically wally purchases. Irresponsible I'd say. One could easily make the same for about =A320.

NT

[Martin Angove]

I've never used this kind of thing outdoors, but experience of them indoors (church halls) would lead me to avoid them at all costs. The idea of radiant heat is that it warms you, not the surroundings. Problem is that when you move around you move through un-warmed air and thus feel cold. On-axis they can roast, off-axis they might as well not be on. If you have one, stand underneath a 500W halogen floodlight to feel the effect. Mind you, I've not found gas patio heaters much better in this respect.

I once heard an equally daft proposition. This was totally serious, by the way, and not by way of a joke: have a microwave waveguide into each room. People, being mainly water and fat would warm quite easily while no heat would be wasted warming the walls and the furniture. In order to avoid the problem of sitting on a cold sofa it was suggested that such items could have thin bags of water incorporated. Blowed if I can remember where I heard the idea, it was *years* ago. Probably on Radio

4, "Science Now" or something.

Hwyl!

M.

[Jim Crow]

> or something similar? Are they any good? Any problems etc? Spare "Tubes"

fring exensive for a halogen lamp. But these products always are, as theyre basically wally purchases. Irresponsible I'd say. One could easily make the same for about £20.

NT

Hows about instructions and details where to buy the parts then........... I can turn my hand to most things and would love to give it a try. jim

[Dave Plowman (News)]

Well, yes. But you can't heat outdoors, so you have to be in their beam.

[Frank Erskine]

>> or something similar? Are they any good? Any problems etc? Spare >> "Tubes" available?

Well, it was very pleasant this evening sitting slightly "off-axis" of the four quartz patio heaters under a canopy outside the pub this evening, down by the riverside, quaffing a few real ales, and the dog (Gromit) threatening to jump into the river...

No smokers around either.

Cheers!

[bigcat]

yup: theyre better than nothing, but thats about all. Decent heating theyre not, in any way.

I take it youve not tried it then. Microwave heating works very well. You do still have to heat the air in the room, but it can be to a much lower temp, and still feel nice. Even 10C is ok, 14C nice and warm. I've tried it, and its impressive. It also feels fresher because of the cooler air, which is nice.

The only problem with microwave is safety concerns: we really dont know what the effects are, hence whether there might be problems. It doesnt look likely there are any, but obviously more certainty is needed than that. If people get past the usual knee jerk reaction long enough to study the topic, it might well become part of most future central heating systems.

NT

[Pete C]

Hi,

I find a thin fleece easier to install and has lower running costs.

cheers, Pete.

[isthatthetime]

Jim - if you want to get the a simialr/same thing a LOT cheaper - they have them at Makro - I think =A340 - there may be a reduction for buying

2

[biff]

I suppose using patio heaters might (just) be less destructive of the planet's ecosystem than flying to somewhere warmer. Knit yourself a jumper instead.

[Martin Angove]

People pump microwaves into their brains all the time. Mobile handsets churn out up to 2W IIRC right behind your ear. The sorts of people who are worried about phone masts at a couple of tens of Watts are going to go apoplectic about an open microwave waveguide in the room spewing out a couple of hundred Watts!

I've never quite understood how the same people who complain about masts don't complain (much) about the phones themselves. Two things:

1: The closer you are to the transmitter, the lower the power your phone uses. Stands to reason then that you'd want a fair number of transmitters to reduce the power emitted by the phone directly into your brain. 2: Inverse square law. Surely 2W in near contact with the skull is going to transfer more energy into the brain than a few more Watts four hundred yards away?

Hwyl!

M.

[Jim Crow]

Really Helpful answer. Hope you walk everywhere.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

I had an actor query the safety of the radio mic I was fitting to her with an ERP of all of 20 mW. Had to ask her to remove her phone completely from the other pocket. ;-)

[Jim Crow]

Many thanks for all useful replies, still hoping for some "how to make my own" instructions from NT ( [e-mail])...........

[manatbandq]

handsets

Perhaps because they know jack s**t about the subject?

MBQ

[manatbandq]

We will, when people like you have squandered all the energy.

MBQ

[David Lang]

We have a chimera, metal one not ceramic. Mainly got it because I felled a large silver birch and burning the timber is easyier than carting it to the tip.

It really only keeps your legs warm and then only when you sit near it, but it's really nice to watch the flames & smell the smoke - that make you feel warmer!

Dave