Infrared Heating: A green, lower cost space heater alternative. REVIEW of Redcore Concept R1

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
Okay, it is getting close to the cold part of Winter in California, and like last year I have to be concerned with heating my apartment. Last year, I purchased two cheapie ($25.00ea) Holmes space heaters from Target:

spaceheater.PNG

This heater is a heating element heater which works just like your electric stove does, or perhaps your electric blanket. It uses resistance to create heat in heating elements which then radiate heat. It works, but is highly energy inefficient. Running those little space heaters literally TRIPLED my electric bills for the Winter months. So, this year I decided to search for a lower cost alternative. I bought myself some men's onesie footed pajamas (I chose the USMC design :)) this is not me, but this is the size I got and the jammies:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0095UYHRS/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Capture.PNG

COMFY AS HELL! When I first put them on, I did not want to take them off. You go commando underneath these, and you dont even need blankets on your bed. You can sleep on top and be perfectly toasty in these. :) The second thing I did was to buy a Redcore Concept R1 Infrared Heater from Best Buy:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/r1-infrared-room-heater/1775041.p?
id=1219063203990&skuId=1775041&st=infrared%20heater&cp=1&lp=1


Here it is in my living room:

2013-10-28 21.24.30.jpg


Now THIS is what I call technology! The infrared heater does not heat the air or use heating elements, it uses a tube which emits infrared heat waves which work more like a microwave than a conventional space heater. The entire enclosure is made of plastic because it does not get hot. This little guy easily heats 1000sqft of room, and does it even if the windows or door is open! No heat is lost by escaping warm air. Speaking of which, last year those little space heaters heating up the air burned off all the moisture in the air and killed ALL of my houseplants during the Winter. My two indoor palm trees were literally cooked and dried by them. I would wake up with dry mouth and dry throat from breathing in the heated air.

Infrared heaters do not heat the air, they do not remove moisture from the air, and they only heat objects they touch (the denser, the more they are heated). I absolutely LOVE this thing. The thermostat on this shows the ambient temperature (actual), and the thing is dead on accurate when shutting off. But the best thing of all is that it takes only a fraction of what it takes to produce this heat using the cheap radiant heat space heaters I bought last year. Plus, it has a remote!

VERY happy with this purchase. Cost of heater was $149.00 plus tax bringing it to about $163.00 at Best Buy. My cats already love it as much as I do! The initial expense of this heater will be recouped in the first two months of use. :)

EDIT: My apartment has a gas fired wall heater and I refuse to have natural gas coming into my environment as I know somebody who was suffocated by a leak and died. My kitchen is all electric, so the only gas using unit would have been my heater. This is why I went with the infrared heater. Just sayin...:)
 
Last edited:

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
6 hours later...toasty as grilled cheese. :)

Im up very late (early) tonight because I have some time off, but it is chilly outside and this infrared heater is AWESOME. Its a nice toasty 80 degrees inside now (Im testing the thermostat....it goes to 90 degrees). I have it set at 80 degrees and I have my bedroom window open. If I stand next to the window, it is cold. If I direct the heater towards me, my back feels warm but the front feels cold. Something like if you were in the sun and your back was in the shade. These heaters are different indeed, but the heat is healthy and efficient and the best part of it is that it does not burn oxygen or moisture from the air because it does not heat the air. The technology is awesome! (taken from another site):

infrared-vs-convection.jpg


The fundamental principle behind infrared is that it heats objects in the environment, not the air.

This means that in terms of energy required, you are looking at heating Surface area and not Volume, and therefore achieving an over convection-type heaters. Where you'd use a rule of thumb of 50 Watts per cubic metre with convection-based heating; with Infrared it's only 25 Watts because you're heating surfaces, not volume.
For example, a rook of 3m x 5m x 2.4m calculated at 50W/m3 would require a 1.8kW convector. The calculation for Infrared at 25W/m3 requires only a 900 Watt IR heater. This equals BIG SAVINGS!

There are two other main advantages heating objects has over heating air.

1. You build up "thermal mass" in the room itself. Objects in the room turn into radiators. This is totally different from convection-based heating, which, once you open a door, the warm air leaves the room leaving you feeling cold again.

2. Inevitably as you heat objects in the room, the air temperature will rise and you MUST install a thermostat to switch off power to the panel at set point (which can be at a much lower air temperature than you could with convection-based heating - typically at least 3.5°C lower) without losing comfort. This then adds a further 5 - 7% efficiency!

What is Far Infrared?

"Far Infrared" is electromagnetic waves of 7 - 10 microns frequency called the "Vital Range". This is the "comfortable" wavelength of warmth we receive from the sun and not the fiercer "Near" (or "Shortwave") Infrared used in other types of heater. The waves emitted from the heater panel travel until they hit an object, at which point molecules in that object oscillate and "warm up". This is exactly how the rays of the sun travel through the freezing depths of space until they hit the surface of the earth and warm it up.

In plain English, it WORKS. It was worth every penny I paid for it, and like I said earlier, it will pay for itself in only two months. :) Lets see how it effects my electric bill.
 
Last edited:

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
Those cheap heaters and fans are KILLER on power bills, like the old oil fin heaters.

Another added benefit, the fan in the new infrared heater is quieter than my fish tank filter motor! I has a gentle whirring sound like a quiet fan on the latest computer power supply units. I see how it works by heating objects now. It heats the actual walls like sunlight would do. It also heats the furniture, floors, anything that the infrared radiation (light) hits. In turn, between heatings the walls/objects re-radiate the heat they have absorbed and everything stays warm. :). The air is not dry and there is no "stuffy" feeling. The digital thermostat in these heaters is far more accurate than those in the convection units which basically just let you set the temperature of the heat without measuring the ambient room temperature. It shuts off precisely at the right time and comes on when needed. When off, the red glow in the heater becomes blue which indicates that the unit is on but cooling down.

There are a lot more expensive infrared units out there to buy, but this unit is doing the trick very very well at a decent price. Happy camper!
 

Gatefan1976

Well Known GateFan
Are you not getting "nuked" as well??
If it heats up all objects via what sounds to me like molecular agitation, are you not getting agitated as well??
 

Bluce Ree

Tech Admin / Council Member
Are you not getting "nuked" as well??
If it heats up all objects via what sounds to me like molecular agitation, are you not getting agitated as well??

Infrared waves are absorbed at the surface. They don't penetrate objects like microwaves.
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
Are you not getting "nuked" as well??
If it heats up all objects via what sounds to me like molecular agitation, are you not getting agitated as well??

It works EXACTLY the same way as laying in the sun does. The sun heats the ground, the walls, and the great outdoors even though its rays pass through the sub-zero temperatures in space to get here. And because it is radiant heat, when you are shaded from it you do not feel the heat. These heaters are very directional if you want to be heated from the front of the heater. But if you put it where the radiation can hit walls and furniture, they will re-radiate the absorbed heat when the heater is off, just like sun-warmed sidewalks remain warm. Another interesting effect is that I have some large rocks surrounding a stone planter and the rocks are still warm, even though I shut the heater off an hour ago. :)

Infrared waves are absorbed at the surface. They don't penetrate objects like microwaves.

Yep. This is the best purchase I have made in quite a while. :) Highly recommend.
 

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
I've got a couple of those Edenpure quartz infrared heaters that I've been using for the past few Winters. They help a little bit to lower my heat bill but not as much as I'd like. Looking at the one you listed I'm thinking there's a design flaw in the Edenpure ones as they block the heating element from view and simply blow hot air thru the small top vent. They're also big and bulky and take up a lot of room on the floor. The noise is manageable but they do have a steady low rumble that is noticeable.

I gave one to an elderly neighbor who likes to keep her house temp at like 90 degrees. She is hard of hearing, so the rumble doesn't bother her.
 

YJ02

Well Known GateFan
Okay, it is getting close to the cold part of Winter in California, and like last year I have to be concerned with heating my apartment. Last year, I purchased two cheapie ($25.00ea) Holmes space heaters from Target:

View attachment 28701
This heater is a heating element heater which works just like your electric stove does, or perhaps your electric blanket. It uses resistance to create heat in heating elements which then radiate heat. It works, but is highly energy inefficient. Running those little space heaters literally TRIPLED my electric bills for the Winter months. So, this year I decided to search for a lower cost alternative. I bought myself some men's onesie footed pajamas (I chose the USMC design :)) this is not me, but this is the size I got and the jammies:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0095UYHRS/ref=oh_details_o06_s00_i00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

View attachment 28702
COMFY AS HELL! When I first put them on, I did not want to take them off. You go commando underneath these, and you dont even need blankets on your bed. You can sleep on top and be perfectly toasty in these. :) The second thing I did was to buy a Redcore Concept R1 Infrared Heater from Best Buy:

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/r1-infrared-room-heater/1775041.p?
id=1219063203990&skuId=1775041&st=infrared%20heater&cp=1&lp=1


Here it is in my living room:

View attachment 28703

Now THIS is what I call technology! The infrared heater does not heat the air or use heating elements, it uses a tube which emits infrared heat waves which work more like a microwave than a conventional space heater. The entire enclosure is made of plastic because it does not get hot. This little guy easily heats 1000sqft of room, and does it even if the windows or door is open! No heat is lost by escaping warm air. Speaking of which, last year those little space heaters heating up the air burned off all the moisture in the air and killed ALL of my houseplants during the Winter. My two indoor palm trees were literally cooked and dried by them. I would wake up with dry mouth and dry throat from breathing in the heated air.

Infrared heaters do not heat the air, they do not remove moisture from the air, and they only heat objects they touch (the denser, the more they are heated). I absolutely LOVE this thing. The thermostat on this shows the ambient temperature (actual), and the thing is dead on accurate when shutting off. But the best thing of all is that it takes only a fraction of what it takes to produce this heat using the cheap radiant heat space heaters I bought last year. Plus, it has a remote!

VERY happy with this purchase. Cost of heater was $149.00 plus tax bringing it to about $163.00 at Best Buy. My cats already love it as much as I do! The initial expense of this heater will be recouped in the first two months of use. :)

EDIT: My apartment has a gas fired wall heater and I refuse to have natural gas coming into my environment as I know somebody who was suffocated by a leak and died. My kitchen is all electric, so the only gas using unit would have been my heater. This is why I went with the infrared heater. Just sayin...:)

Yes, only in the lower latitudes is this an option...
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
Yes, only in the lower latitudes is this an option...

Which option? You can buy an infrared heater anywhere there is electricity. The power consumption requirements are so low, you can run one using a solar energy/battery storage method to run them.
 

YJ02

Well Known GateFan
Which option? You can buy an infrared heater anywhere there is electricity. The power consumption requirements are so low, you can run one using a solar energy/battery storage method to run them.

Here, a heater that size would only be good for small, zone heating. It gets far too cold here to run small heaters like that.

Central heat, forced air or 'gravity' heat is the best. Here natural gas is the best choice price-wise but still expensive. We use wood that heats the whole house evenly from below (2 stoves in the basement and a small, vent-less nat gas heater for backup.)

I am sure that heater is well made and does a great job where you are at. What is your avg winter low? About 45f?
 
Last edited:

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
I've got a couple of those Edenpure quartz infrared heaters that I've been using for the past few Winters. They help a little bit to lower my heat bill but not as much as I'd like. Looking at the one you listed I'm thinking there's a design flaw in the Edenpure ones as they block the heating element from view and simply blow hot air thru the small top vent. They're also big and bulky and take up a lot of room on the floor. The noise is manageable but they do have a steady low rumble that is noticeable.

I gave one to an elderly neighbor who likes to keep her house temp at like 90 degrees. She is hard of hearing, so the rumble doesn't bother her.

The Edenpure has some bad reviews on it because of bulbs. The Redcore does not use bulbs, it uses a quartz infrared elements which are not bulbs. Both emit infrared waves, but the halogen/bulb type using a reflector has the vulnerability of any light fixture. The quartz element is not a light bulb. Try the Redcore! I absolutely love it, but I want to see what it has done to my electric bill over a month's time.
 
Last edited:

shavedape

Well Known GateFan
The Edenberg has some bad reviews on it because of bulbs. The Redcore does not use bulbs, it uses a quartz infrared elements which are not bulbs. Both emit infrared waves, but the halogen/bulb type using a reflector has the vulnerability of any light fixture. The quartz element is not a light bulb. Try the Redcore! I absolutely love it, but I want to see what it has done to my electric bill over a month's time.

Definitely keep us updated on this. I'm interested in knowing how much it affects your electric bill.
 

YJ02

Well Known GateFan
Those cheap heaters and fans are KILLER on power bills, like the old oil fin heaters.

Yup, they tend to draw a huge power surge every time they are turned on or when the thermostat (if one is on it) kicks it back on.

This one though, probably doesn't use quite as much as it doesn't need to heat up oil or coils, the newer tech in it tends to use a little less power. Though, I have found (we sold this brand at Tractor Supply when I worked there) that Holmes heaters have a low life expectancy-hopefully it makes it through he winter for OM.

A lot of guys up here use heaters like this in their pick up or cars when they go out hunting so they don't have to use the car's engine so much. Just need an adapter for cig lighter to 110v (though my car is the first one I have had that comes with a 110 outlet). People will use them ice fishing also, they run extension cords from their vehicle (or a sep set of batteries with an inverter,etc) to keep themselves warm while engaging in the insanity that is ice fishing.
 

Rac80

The Belle of the Ball
can't see one of them working well at -20! :P like yongjin I too have a forced air central heating system (in my case it's natural gas) and I just close the vents and doors of the rooms we choose not to heat. (3k + sq feet in our place) natural gas is very cheap here so our winter bills aren't nearly as bad as the a/c bills in the summer.
 

YJ02

Well Known GateFan
can't see one of them working well at -20! :P like yongjin I too have a forced air central heating system (in my case it's natural gas) and I just close the vents and doors of the rooms we choose not to heat. (3k + sq feet in our place) natural gas is very cheap here so our winter bills aren't nearly as bad as the a/c bills in the summer.

Actually, NGas is "fairly" cheap around here too, always has been cheaper here in the gas fields then in other parts of PA. Even so, for the price it would cost me to use NG exclusively for 1 month, I can buy enough seasoned firewood to last for over half the heating season.

For us using wood is really a "no brainer", as long as I am capable (with help from the wife and kids) of getting the wood in the house, we will use it.

I would much rather have the extra cash for other things.
 

Overmind One

GateFans Gatemaster
Staff member
Smells better too :)

Natural gas in the United States is required by law to have a stinky additive to alert you of leaks. Infrared heat and electric heating in general is odorless. But if I could burn wood for heating, I would LOVE THAT. My neighbor in this building has a wood burning fireplace and my unit does not. But the smell of burning wood is very pleasant to me. The only time I get to do that is when I go camping. :)
 

YJ02

Well Known GateFan
Natural gas in the United States is required by law to have a stinky additive to alert you of leaks. Infrared heat and electric heating in general is odorless. But if I could burn wood for heating, I would LOVE THAT. My neighbor in this building has a wood burning fireplace and my unit does not. But the smell of burning wood is very pleasant to me. The only time I get to do that is when I go camping. :)

I use some aspen wood for starting fires-can't really use it for generating big btu's- and sometimes I'll close the flue for about 10 sec's just to get some of the "fragrance" it has into the house above. Willow is great for this too.

Let some dust or loose cat hair drift into the electric heater-that will get you a release of odor :anim_59:
 
Top