Herschel panels are tested and verified by the German research establishment TÜV and the tests include verification (Geprufte Sicherheit – or “Proven Safety and Health”) and Electromagnetic compatibility with current world standards for human health and electrical appliances. They are also RoHS and REACH Compliant.

Herschel Inspire panel heaters are made from a stainless steel filament woven into an insulating material. Herschel Select Panels are made from Carbon Fibre elements. Whilst they have different construction methods, they both do the same thing which is to convert electricity to emit radiant heat called “far infrared”.

Surface temperatures of the Inspire and Select Panels average 100 degrees centigrade and are designed to gently warm people and buildings. Herschel Advantage and Aspect range utilise ceramic plate emitters containing nickel wire cores. Herschel Far Infrared emitters emit in the spectral range of 3 – 10 microns with no light at all.

The Herschel Advantage and Aspect Space heaters have surface temperatures of around 400 degrees centigrade and have a higher throw and spread to heat larger areas.

The majority of the heat produced from all of Herschels panels is “radiant”, meaning the energy is used to directly heat objects and not the air.

Don’t worry, Herschel far infrared heaters are completely safe.

Herschel far infrared heating is 100% natural for our bodies and our well-being.  The human body is designed to accept and emit infrared waves.

Far Infrared heating works on the basis of gentle, long-wave Infrared which penetrates the air and heats solids. If you like the warmth of the sun then you will love the feeling you get from your new infrared heating system. However, unlike the sun our heaters only emit safe infrared heat, not the harmful UV. So, you get the feeling of the sun without the damaging rays (and minus the suntan unfortunately!).

This depends on the ambient temperature and the levels of insulation of your building. Herschel Far Infrared heaters work by warming up the thermal mass of the room and on initial start up, this may take several hours and in some cases days, depending on the area to be heated (a damp basement room for example). It is very important to go through this phase to warm the thermal mass of the room for the heaters to work efficiently – cold walls and floors will not give occupants a feeling of warmth and wellbeing. For the system to work effectively all surfaces in the room should be at the same comfortable temperature and will start radiating back.

We recommend leaving the heaters on constantly until the room reaches the desired temperature. They then work most effectively by “topping up” the temperature using a thermostat control, being operated on a timer or a combination of both.

Panels are very easy to install.

All you need to consider when installing infrared is:

Provision of an electrical source;
Ensuring enough strength exists in the wall / ceiling where you are going to hang it.
This makes Infrared significantly easier to install than oil or gas boilers, heat pumps, underfloor heating etc and minor disruption.

Inspire and Select panel heaters are supplied with a fitted plug so there is no need for professional installation. However, if the panels are being hard wired this should only be carried out by a suitably qualified electrician.

The Advantage and Aspect space heating range are supplied without a fitted plug and should always be installed by a suitably qualified electrician.

Panels should be sited to maximise the throw and spread of the far infrared heat without obstruction. The panels radiate heat in all directions and any obstructions will interfere with the performance of the panels. Furniture should not be placed directly in the path of the panel.

For example, if the panel was sited on a wall ABOVE a sofa this would warm the room and the sofa and would be working effectively, However, if the panel was located low down behind the sofa, the panel would heat the back of the sofa and not the room and would NOT work effectively. This is very different to conventional “radiators” which heat the air and are often sited behind furniture.

Herschel panels radiate far infrared heat through the air which is then absorbed by objects and surfaces of the room. The most effective place for you to mount your panels is usually higher up on the walls or on the ceiling. The heaters will be less effective if they are mounted directly opposite a window or door as there will be no thermal mass to absorb the energy.

You will feel heat from the panels to a distance of around 2.5-3m, so if you want to have the feeling of the warmth from the panels try to mount them within 3m of where you are normally located within the room. Please contact us if you require more advice.

The wires can be chased into the wall and completely hidden or else discretely fitted within cable trunking, in much the same way as you would do when installing any electrical device (i.e. a wall mounted flatscreen TV).

Please consult your electrician for more advice.

We believe Herschel  have the most extensive experience of the application of Far Infrared in the UK and have developed their heaters to provide the best combination of quality, performance and price available. We have the largest range of heaters for the widest range of applications.

All of Hershels heaters have been extensively tested to UK and International standards and carry best in class warranties.

You can be sure that when you purchase a Herschel heater you will be purchasing the right heater for the right application and will have many happy years of use.

The best way to heat your water is to have an immersion heater or use a thermodynamic system.

If you have solar PV you can use a product called immerSUN which will use the electricity generated from the solar panels to heat your hot water and also some of your infrared panels.

Herschel heaters can deliver energy-savings up to 60% over traditional heating systems.

Providing warmth 24×7 at a fraction of the cost of gas, oil, or other electric heating, infrared warms the fabric of the building – and not the air – which is the key to its energy efficiency.

100% of the electrical energy used by infrared systems is converted into heat. Infrared heaters offer owners an unprecedented level of control over their property’s temperature and energy use.

The amount will depend on each particular house or building and your previous heating solution however it has been proven that a sufficiently insulated building, fitted with infrared panels, can expect significant reductions in energy usage, including:
up to 30% reduction on gas central heating systems;
up to 50% reduction on oil central heating systems;
up to 60% reduction on electrical storage heating.

There is a risk of injury from touching any form of heater and Herschel panels are no different. However, a key benefit of Herschel panels, unlike conventional heaters, is that they can be mounted higher up on walls or ceilings – reducing the likelihood of accidentally touching them or falling against them. We always advise this, especially in areas where young children or the elderly are present.

Our Herschel Inspire and Select panel heaters (excluding our Herschel IR space heating range; Advantage, Aspect, Thermodry and IPR4) have surface temperatures of around 100 degrees centigrade. If you do touch one of these panels you will perceive this as hot on initial contact but, provided you do not continue to touch the panel, are unlikely to scald or burn.

The reason that you can touch Herschel panels without immediately injuring yourself is because a Herschel infrared panel typically has a heat energy or “watt density” of 0.09 watts per cm2 – an energy level that the skin can absorb and conduct away from the area of contact.

It is not the temperature that does the damage but the heat energy in the object.

A kettle, for example, typically has a watt density of between 15 – 30 watts per cm2. The skin cannot absorb and conduct away this level of energy and consequently scalds on the area of contact. Yet, both the Herschel IR panel and the kettle are at 100C.

Warning: Please note that prolonged contact with any heater, Herschel included, will result in injury. Please also note that the Herschel IR space heating range (Advantage, Aspect, Thermodry and IPR4) all utilise Ceramic elements which run at far higher temperatures and would cause immediate injury if touched. These heaters must always be mounted in accordance with our instructions & never be touched when switched on or for 30 minutes after use.

Our heaters all come with a 5 or 10 year guarantee. The Inspire range is designed to last decades because of the high quality of materials and advanced heating elements that are used. Herschel Far Infrared heaters require no maintenance or servicing.

The heaters use solid state elements unlike water-based heating or fan-assisted systems, which often require servicing, inspection and repair costs. And unlike gas or oil boilers you won’t have to contemplate performing an entire re-installation every 10 years.

Herschel Infrared heaters and control products are certified to national safety standards.

Hershel do not build thermostats into heaters because far infrared works by heating the fabric of the building which then radiates heat back. Therefore it is the temperature of the room which is important, not the temperature of the panel. Built in thermostats are not as effective because the close proximity of the thermostat to the heater means that it is impossible to correctly measure the room temperature.

In order to emit far infrared at the right waveband, our heaters are either “on” or “off” (it is not possible to vary the temperature of the heater itself). Our heaters can simply be switched on or off at the plug/power source. However, to control the panel and the required heat within the room we recommend the use of a Thermostat. For whole building control and for maximum flexibility we strongly recommend using the Herschel IQ system.

In addition to the Herschel IQ system we have an extensive range of thermostats from simple plug in, timer control, wired in and wireless.

Herschel Far Infrared emits the biologically most significant Comfort Heating wavelengths because skin content is 80% water which only absorbs heat wavelengths from 3 microns and lower (Far Infrared). Far Infrared is therefore better absorbed by the skin, less transmissive and less reflected.

Infrared wavelengths themselves are divided into 3 distinct categories, due to the different physical characteristics of each wavelength.

“Near Infrared”, “IRA”, “Short wave” or “Bright” Infrared heaters and “Heat Lamps” operate between 780 nm to 1,400 nm and emit temperatures of 1300°C and more plus a certain amount of “deep red” visible light. Applications of this technology include heat lamps for food preparation; large volume “Space” heating requirements and certain carefully controlled medical applications.

“Medium Infrared”, “IRB” or “Medium Wave “ infrared heaters operate between 1,400 nm and 3,000 nm and emit temperatures around 1000°C. Applications of this technology include autoclaves and plastic welding. This is the wavelength sought by heat-seeking missiles.

“Far infrared”, “IRC”, “Long wave” or “Dark Radiators” operate in the wavelengths above 3,000 nm. Far Infrared elements emit much lower temperatures, typically around the 100°C mark and no visible light. This is the wavelength used in domestic “comfort” heating and Infrared Sauna applications.

“Far Infrared” is consequently the only applicable technology for a “comfort” heating application.