Infrared heaters belong to the category of auxiliary devices, through which it is possible to improve the living conditions in a residential building. Despite the great popularity of these products, experts still do not agree on their positive and negative qualities. Therefore, it is so important to understand this issue in more detail.
What is IR radiation and the benefits of it
In order to appreciate the advantages of such heaters, as well as to study in detail their shortcomings, you first need to understand the principle of IR heating. The fact is that any surface heated to a temperature of more than 60 degrees, intensely emits e / m waves in the range of 0.75-100 microns. At such frequencies, the working body, together with the light, begins to emit thermal energy. This feature of IR waves is the basis of the principle of operation of the corresponding devices.
Their beneficial properties are manifested in the following:
- During operation, the phenomenon of convection is used, which significantly increases the efficiency of heating room spaces.
- The ability to keep the heat accumulated in surrounding objects for a long time due to the penetration of infrared radiation into them.
- Cheapness and ease of maintenance of the heating device.
All these advantages do not exclude the possibility of a negative effect from the operation of IR irradiators.
Harm from IR devices
It is known that infrared radiation acts in three wave ranges with different temperatures of the working heated body. These are short waves, which correspond to 800 degrees and average - 600 degrees or more. Long wavelengths from the IR range have a spectrum from 300 degrees and above.
According to the degree of danger to humans, they are also classified as follows:
- IR-C targeting the uppermost layer of human skin.
- Higher frequency IR-B; they can penetrate into the middle layers of the canopy.
- IR-A - waves penetrating the skin to a depth of 4 cm.
Note:A regularity characteristic of this part of the spectrum is observed: to increase the heating temperature, the range should be shifted to the region of shorter waves.
That is, everyone who wants to increase the intensity of heating by means of infrared irradiators acquires powerful devices with a radiation frequency that is dangerous to human skin. As studies have shown, infrared radiation under certain conditions is harmful to human health. First of all, this manifests itself in the threat of drying the skin, possible due to rapid heating and instantaneous evaporation of moisture. Its deficiency at such a rate of drying, the human body does not have time to fully recover.
It is for this reason that people often get severe burns when they are near a source of infrared radiation for a long time. We add to this that with constant irradiation with IR rays, irreversible processes occur in the skin associated with its structural changes. They damage the retina and lens of the eye, which often leads to visual impairment.