Outdoor radiant (IR?) heaters - experiences?

[fred]

Have you been in a modern car ???? My car as 4 individually independent control zones

[T i m]

<snip>

You *believe* might be a 'better option' and for those concerned. I'm guessing only time will tell.

Good?

Why would you do that, unless you typically leave the windows open in attempt to get heat into the garden etc? ;-)

If the insulation on the house is that bad and depending on your disposable income, that might be a good choice?

As do most people, however, there are limits to that.

It's not helpful because it isn't what you wanted to hear, but it is good for aspects that you obviously don't rate above the assumed outcome of this project.

Cheers, T i m

[Dave Plowman (News]

Usually an optical illusion. Small high quality CRTs are extremely expensive (and rare)

Magnify it up to the same size as a larger domestic screen and you'll see what I mean.

[David]

I'm pretty sure that I recall T i m stating a while ago, on here, that he rode his bicycle on the pavement because it was safer *for him* to do so and disregarding the fact that is is illegal.

Its one rule for him when it suits him and another rule for him when it doesn't.

[John Rumm]

Yup many are to all intents the same type of heater as a radiant electric fire of old - quite intense heat close up, tailing off fairly quickly, and also a fair bit of convected heat once they are up to temperature. A bit of warm up time required.

(I have an outbuilding that is used occasionally for music and video watching - it has a stat controlled fan heater that is permanently set to keep it a little above freezing - and stop it getting damp in there, and then a wall mounted radiant heater[1] for quick comfort on a chilly night - it works quite well to make it comfortable without needing to heat the space. Having said that, in time it will do that as well).

[1] Similar to :

The gas powered ones you find in large open shed style shops seem noticeably more effective at warming the fleshy meat sacks in preference to the surroundings - I expect its down to have a significant area of emitter, running at a lower temperature producing longer wavelength IR.

The least effective type from a comfort PoV I find are the bright halogen lamp based ones. The give rather too much light, and not enough long wavelength IR. Having said that, they are cheap and portable, and do provide "instant" heat.

Yup. Something like:

Might work quite well.

[T i m]

Oh, sure, but that was my point, because all that data was compressed into a smaller space, it gave a very good picture. Yes, I guess if you expanded it up it wouldn't look so good. Or are you saying the smaller screen *didn't* have all the same data as a bigger screen?

Same with SD / HD. Our 'main' TV is only 22" (TFT) or summat and so SD is fine. If I watch SD on the 40" TV we were given it doesn't look as good and so then HD actually makes a difference.

Cheers, T i m

[Richard]

The back, as usual.

[T i m]

You may be right (in that I said that) but you are 1) missing the point and 2) taking it out of context.

Nope, same rules in all cases.

I have already stated that just because something is legal, doesn't make it moral in just the same way, doing something 'illegal' doesn't make it a bad thing to be doing in some specific instances.

Like, what is the *practical* difference between a straight pedestrian pavement and a shared use one, if you treat them both identically?

What's the difference between me cycling along the pavement at walking speed and someone on a mobility scooter (all up weight often 1/4 tonne or more)?

What I do is both safe (for everyone) and practical and doesn't have any negative impact to anyone (or I wouldn't be doing it in the first place) or the environment. What you are proposing to do may not be safe (Coronavirus risk), is bad for the environment and may well not work (are you going to be out there in your t-shirts and not dress up suitably *anyway*)?

As you say, it's your call and I don't have any issues with you doing it, I just gave you my advice like you asked. ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[David]

Upstream (or down depending on how your news reader orders posts) I was pointed to this:

. At £19.99 for 1.2 kW it seems to offer massive "bangs per buck" compared to £213.60 for the Dimplex one.

Obviously not the same build quality, but for the intended use is it necessary to spend 10 times the amount per unit?

I have hit an issue anyway. Mounting for both need to be at least 1.8 metres from the floor. That is fine. However the Screwfix one requires 700mm top clearance and the Dimplex one

500mm top clearance. The plastic roof it too low to allow that, unfortunately, so I may be looking at some form of free standing heater. Or some kind of heat reflector above which of course is not in the specifications.

The 1.8 + 0.7 = 2.5 metres was noted in the comments on the Screwfix item. In our 1930s house the ceilings are 8 foot or 2 metres 440 mm so would be out of specification. Which is weird.

Anyway, progress of sorts.

Cheers

Dave R

[David]

Just following on, how many workshops and garden sheds have a ceiling height of above 2.5 metres?

Just checked and my 6' 0" is equivalent to 1.83 metres so I would have to be very careful not to install such a heater at or below head height near any walk area.

Looking more and more as if these are for churches, commercial garages, industrial workshops etc. (if installed within the specification).

Cheers

Dave R

P.S. how many "environmentalist" Tims are there? I seem to be getting the same noise from a number of different accounts! I know that I post from a number of PCs (but mainly this one) but I think that my details are broadly similar.

[nothanks]

I doubt you'll get any support for riding a bike on the pavement, regardless of speed. ... now back to DIY.

[nothanks]

I wanted to buy one or two of those for the workshop but Sfix say not available for delivery or collection :-(

Although my preferred choice would be to wear a coat and hat when outside, you could fit a metal plate above it.

[T i m]

<snip>

What makes you think I need / want any (even though I rarely do). ;-)

Maybe it's just 'round here' but there is a constant flow of cycles on the pavement across peoples of all ages. The 'Lycra racers' tend to stay on the road though, till they come to a traffic light, *then* they will use the pavements.

The bottom line and ITRW of course is common sense. If a pavement is dual use for a couple of miles, then goes pedestrian only because of some other road design issue for a few yards and then back to dual use again, who (inc the Police) is going to do anything, *as_long_as* people are being careful / respectful?

I also regularly see ... electric scooters on the pavement and road (illegal), an IC engine powered cycle on the road (illegal), 'off roaders' with no number plates and being ridden by lads with no crash helmet (very illegal) and kids on cycles riding on the back wheel (on the road and pavement), illegal. I even saw two lads on electric scooters ride up to a group of Police outside a pub who were dealing with an issue of some sort and the scooters didn't seem to be an issue (as they both rode off on them again).

As usual it's a tiny and ignorant / selfish minority that spoil it for the rest, not necessarily because of what they are doing, but how they are doing it. 40 mph past the school gates at 2am in the dry is unlikely to be an issue. 20mph past the same gates at 3pm in the fog is more likely to be.

Good idea ...

Talking of heaters ... I designed and my mate printed the replacement back and front parts of a heater outlet control knob for his VW van. He just wanted it to work and look similar and this is the first attempt:

He said it was *much* easier than using pliers. ;-)

Now I'm going to design and print a switch knob for the Main / Dip on daughters new (to her) motorbike (and I also have the same make model). Chances are it would be a whole new (if still available) control assembly if it was to get damaged / go missing so better be safe while I have one to copy (off mine). ;-)

Cheers, T i m

[John Rumm]

Alternatively you ignore the instructions and mount them where is sensible for you and apply some common sense. So for example, top clearance can be smaller if what is above is somewhat non combustible and insensitive to heat. Not sure why the arbitrary 1.8m is suggested for height, but its not going to set light to the ground if lower.

[Dave Plowman (News]

Correct. The resolution of a CRT depends on the number of 'pixels' per square unit. Very small tubes generally have about the same as larger ones

- so actually poorer resolution.

[Nick Cat]

You completely misundertand the situation. The idea that using a patio heater outdoors is morally wrong is your personal view, not Reality. Now try again.

NT

[Richard]

<snip loony raving>

[T i m]

Ah, ok?

So, do they still have the same number of lines etc and if so does that mean potentially re scanning the same pixels multiple times per frame?

Cheers, T i m

[Spike]

Just because something is legal, doesn't make it moral

[T i m]

<snip>

Do I?

No, it's (ethically really) wrong.

Ok, have you ever heard of 'over consumption' or 'conspicuous consumption' or 'unnecessary / wanton squandering and waste'?

How do you think 'most people' feel about the idea of someone dumping / wasting any quantity of anything that could be consumed by those less fortunate than them, simply because they can?

See, we don't actually live in this world isolated from everyone else and our choices have consequences on others.

You buy up all the bananas in the country, put them in a pile and let them rot (because you can, it's not illegal etc) then you will have denied many other people the choice of having a banana at that time.

Buy up all the bananas and give them to a charity of food bank chain, something else.

The same could be the case for electricity (exaggerated for the hard of thinking). If someone decides to fit IR heaters at a football stadium there would be a reasonable chance that at some point in the year, when there is no solar, no wind and a generating station out etc, that there isn't enough electricity to go round and there could be power cuts in that area. So, just because some people, knowingly

*choosing* to be outdoors (where it's known to be cold) deny a few old people any heating at all that *they need to survive*.

Of course I'm not saying David's couple of IR heaters will cause that situation but what if we add did that, and *that's* the situation you seem to have misunderstood.

Ask 'most people' if they think it's ok that old people are denied heating indoors so that a few people, watching a 'game' can have some warmth directed at them and I think they would say that it's not.

Cheers, T i m