Redwell Infrared Mirror
For those of us who live in drafty old homes, this is the time of year when the space heaters get pulled out. They are great for rooms where the central heating just can’t keep the room warm enough — due to anything from old or single glazed windows to a lack of insulation. In one of the homes we lived in, on really cold winter days (-15C or below), ice would form on the inside of the exterior wall of my son’s bedroom. Like many older North Toronto homes, it was constructed with a double layer of brick but no insulation in between. Needless to say, a space heater was necessary in this room! Our ordinary, radiator-type plug-in space heater warmed the air within the room and as long as it wasn’t too drafty, the room stayed relatively warm as long as the heater was on. There is, however, a newer kind of space heater that’s been on the market since 2002, which is an infrared space heater made by an Austrian company, Redwell Heating.
It’s important to recognize that there are two types of radiation out there: ionizing (the kind that’s in X-rays and alpha, beta and gamma rays — it’s the group that can cause radiation poisoning, but is also used in radiation therapy) and non-ionizing, which includes radiowaves, microwaves and infrared waves. This is the kind of heat that is transferred via electromagnetic waves from one body to another. The sun, fire, an incandescent light bulb are all forms of radiant heat.
Redwell, began using infrared technology to develop space heaters back in the ’90s. Redwell explains what infrared heating is:
Infrared energy is the frequency range on the electromagnetic spectrum that falls immediately below visible red light. The body’s tissues normally produce infrared energy (which is why people can be seen on infrared cameras) for warmth and tissue repair. Infrared energy can penetrate the body more than an inch to provide heat deep in the body where it is needed. Conventional heating systems only heat the air around the body. Infrared is the energy behind the warmth we feel from the sun, even on cold winter days.
In the wintertime, we feel we need to wear a sweater in order to be comfortable in a room with an air temperature of 18C (70F) However, in the summer time, we feel comfortable with short sleeve shirts and shorts with the same air temperature. Why is this? It is because the infrared waves heat the objects around us and this heat radiates and warms our bodies. We’re warm on the inside.
Infrared waves are thermal. In other words, we experience this type of infrared waves every day in the form of heat! The heat that we feel from sunlight, a fire, a radiator or a warm sidewalk is infrared. The temperature-sensitive nerve endings in our skin can detect the difference between inside body temperature and outside skin temperature.
So why are infrared heaters better than regular space heaters? Infrared technology is more energy efficient than convention space heaters which just heat the air around it. Because infrared heaters transfer heat to the objects around them the heat is slowly released from the objects over time. The heaters don’t need to work as hard as they do when they are heating air. Infrared heating can also help improve the air quality of damp spaces; because the heat transfers to objects in the room, including walls, floors and ceilings, it will dry out damp walls, floors, or anything else that is damp, helping to prevent or stop mold growth.
Another feature of Redwell heaters is their look. They are available in many different panel forms and the surface can be a blackboard, whiteboard, mirror, picture available from the Redwell site, or a custom print.
The final advantage of a Redwell heater is the ease of set up. They can be hardwired into a room (you can purchase thermostats on the Redwell website), or plugged into a 120volt outlet, mounted on the wall or ceiling, or set on a stand so that it can be moved from room to room.
These infrared heaters are easy to set-up, have an exceptionally long life span, are low maintenance and have lower running costs and conventional space heaters. Redwell infrared units have been approved by the Canadian Standards Association, Underwriters Laboratories, ISO 9001,2000 and 14001:2004.
Charlene Greidanus, from Redwell Heating, sent me their current price list and panel sizes. Please note that prices are current as of November, 2012.
White Heaters Watts Dimensions Weight Retail Price
(white frames) (inches) (lbs) (Cdn $)
Tallwave 300 40×15″ 22 $1100 .00
Middlewave 280 24×20″ 17 $1010.00
Largewave 580 40×24″ 28 $1265.00
Xlargewave 850 49×29″ 41 $1470.00
Megawave 1100 79×23″ 66 $1745.00
Chalkboard Heaters Watts Dimensions Weight Retail Price
(aluminum frame) (inches) (lbs) (CDN $)
Middlewave 280 24×20″ 17 $1010.00
Largewave 580 40×24″ 28 $1265.00
Xlargewave 850 49×29″ 41 $1470.00
Megawave 1100 79×23″ 66 $1745.00
Mirror Heaters Watts Dimensions Weight Retail Price
(frameless) (inches) (lbs) (CDN $)
Tallwave 300 40×15″ 22 $1320.00
Middlewave 280 24×20″ 17 $1110.00
Largewave 580 40×24″ 28 $1555.00
Xlargewave 850 49×29″ 41 $1925.00
Glass Heaters Watts Dimensions Weight Retail Price
(Black/White, Frameless) (inches) (lbs) (CDN $)
Tallwave 300 40×15″ 22 $1465.00
Middlewave 280 24×20″ 17 $1350.00
Largewave 580 40×24″ 28 $1655.00
Xlargewave 850 49×29″ 41 $1950.00
Art Heaters Watts Dimensions Weight Retail Price
(Aluminum frame) (inches) (lbs) (CDN $)
Middlewave 280 24×20″ 22 $1170.00
Largewave 580 40×24″ 39 $1520.00
Xlargewave 850 49×29″ 50 $1860.00
Megawave 1100 75×32″ 66 $2615.00
Round Heaters Watts Dimensions Weight Retail Price
(inches) (lbs) (CDN $)
Small round – White 215 23″ diameter 13 $835.00
Middle round – White 310 28″ diameter 19 $915.00
Large round – White 1055 35″ diameter 28 $1055.00
Middle round – Mirror 310 28″ diameter 24 $1100.00
Large round – Mirror 351 35″ diameter 33 $1310.00
Accessories:
Plug-in Thermostat PSP 300 1 $65.00
Hardwire Thermostat PSPLV512 1 $75.00
Foot Stand 1 $175.00
For more information on Redwell Heating, visit their website.
To find a dealer near you, visit this page.
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