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Conservatories are great until winter hits.

Instead of having a nice, naturally lit space that’s perfect for reading, sleeping, or just straight up relaxing, you’ve got an enormous fridge from October through to April.

And all your previous attempts at heating it have fallen well short of what actually passes as ‘warm’ - like trying to heat your living room using a cup of tea.

Infrared heat has other ideas though.

The Problem With Conservatories

Let’s establish the problem first - conservatories are hopeless at retaining heat.

They’re built almost entirely out of glass, which is the main culprit as far as heat loss is concerned.

Radiators that heat the air are constantly fighting a losing battle because the hot air just escapes through the (glass) roof. It’s like trying to save a sinking ship by chucking all the water out using a bucket. With holes in it. It’s never going to work.

And while electric heaters might give you a shorter wait time to get hot, quick blasts of heat aren’t very good for your bills. It’s a losing battle in every direction.

Infrared To The Rescue

The biggest difference between infrared and most other radiators is that infrared heats objects, and not the air.

So what does this mean for your conservatory?

Well it means that the hot air can’t escape through a glass roof for a start.

But secondly, you will feel warmer because the heat is directed at you…and all the other objects in the room.

But how does this make your conservatory actually feel warmer?

Picture this: everything in your conservatory is getting warmer because it’s being hit by infrared waves. That infrared energy is then being radiated back out into the rest of the room.

This is why you feel warm when you walk into a busy room that has a lot of people in it - everyone’s body heat is warming the room. All that’s happening is everyone’s natural heat is being radiated out via infrared.

Putting an infrared heater in your room not only amplifies this effect - but extends it to objects too. So you’re getting body heat, furniture heat, wall heat, and every kind of heat. Everything becomes a small, de-facto heater.

Are My Possessions Safe?

Yes, there’s nothing to worry about as far as your possessions and furniture are concerned.

Infrared is a natural type of heat that mimics what we get from the sun (minus the UV rays of course).

Picking The Right Heater

The first thing to note is that heating a conservatory with infrared still needs way more heat than a standard room would.

So from the get go, it’s safe to say that we can forget about using panels, as they simply don’t generate enough heat at the right intensity. Using panels won’t be able to shift the ambient temperature enough.

For small conservatories that have some brick work and a solid roof, you may be able to use a standard IR Bar Heater.

However, for bigger conservatories that are mainly made of glass, we’d strongly recommend opting for our IR Patio Heaters.

The reason for this is that they use a slightly different type of infrared with a shorter wavelength, that lets them generate heat within seconds - ideal for a space that struggles to retain heat.

On top of this, we’d also recommend going for a Wi-Fi model too.

The reason for this is that the Wi-Fi heaters come with variable heat levels. So rather than being blasted by full strength, near-infrared constantly (which could get uncomfortable after a while), you can switch down the power level so that it’s a little more comfortable, and just maintain the level of warmth.

Installation Options

Luckily, IR Bar and Patio Heaters don’t need a tonne of space to install, as they’re long but not tall.

As such, they can install neatly onto the uPVC framework of the conservatory itself.

They can also suspend directly from the ceiling using a Suspension Kit for bar heaters, which gives you better heat spread throughout your conservatory.

As an added bonus, installing them on the ceiling also provides direct heat for your floor - a common issue with conservatories!

Everything you need for a wall or direct install on the ceiling is included in the box, however, as mentioned before, suspending the heater so that it hangs from the ceiling will require the separately sold suspension kit.

Have Other People Used IR In Their Conservatories?

Absolutely - here’s what they had to say:

Placing Your Order

To turn your conservatory from a makeshift fridge into a livable space, simply take a look through our range of IR Bar Heaters and IR Patio Heaters.

If you’re unsure about what size or spec you need, then feel free to speak to our team on 0116 321 4124, or on sales@suryaheating.co.uk.

You can also reach out to us on our Facebook or Instagram pages too.