Infrared heater efficiency -- how much is radiated infrared?

Testing the efficiency of three different infrared heaters. All electric heaters turn all the electricity into heat, but for infrared heaters, how much of that heat is really radiated infrared?
This video is sponsored by Maxoak. You can buy their heater at:
bit.ly/3eaPeHi.
Discount code (20%off): Matthias20
Expires on Oct 17 2022

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

You can buy the heater at: bit.ly/3eaPeHi. Discount code (20%off): Matthias20 Expires on Oct 17 2022

[@Fadli9000]

Can I use it to dry my wet shoe.

[@pennyroyal3813]

A company would have to be quite confident to contact Matthias about testing their product.

[@gorak9000]

I"ve got to say, even with this being a "Matthias" review, this recent selling out to shill products turn is not good for the Matthias brand. Every video now is just hawking some product veiled with some "better" testing.

[@anuj68]

@@gorak9000 wtf you smoking ? this actually the first sponsored vid he has done in a hot minute, and he aint even shiling.

[@beefchicken]

@@gorak9000 I think Matthias has realized that KZbin’s algorithm and monetization mechanism are a lost cause I’m terms of continued growth of his channel, so he may as well milk the decline while he can.

[@gorak9000]

@@anuj68 WTF are YOU smoking? There's been a bunch of sponsored videos - the air conditioner, the fan (or filter or something), the power bank, probably more that I'm forgetting. There's been a steadily growing number of sponsored review videos in the last while already.

[@corncobjohnsonreal]

Everyone has a price my friend 👌💸

[@Ganty]

I was surprised that Matthias didn't mention or show off the high-tech automatic infrared heater aimer! Especially when it came to the "body presence sensor" of the new heater. The heater aimer is a great video.

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

that only made sense with a highly directional heater, like the dish heater, but that is also the least efficient heater

[@CorDawgYT]

The tip over protection might just be if its facing down against the ground or maybe it's just a thermal sensor?

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

yes, I'm thinking I should have tested face down now. Anythng other than face down the risk isn't that high.

[@nathangallagher5112]

Looking online, apparently they are angular sensors. One company says their tolerance is 10 degrees from vertical for instance. It makes sense because there really isn't a reason to use that heater face down.

[@DuffyHomoHabilis]

I think it's a sensor to shut it off if it tips over, rather than a thermal sensor. Maybe a mercury switch? Are those still used?

[@12345NoNamesLeft]

I've had a couple apart. Metal strips with a weighted pendulum. The pendulum broke contact if it was tipped over, but it only worked in one axis.

[@mwilliamshs]

@@DuffyHomoHabilis of course it's a sensor that cuts power if tipped over. The question is what type of sensor is used and thermal is a possible answer. Mercury switches are rarely used and one in this case would need to carry the full amperage of the heating element (Mathias states it's wired directly) or would require additional components like a solenoid and warning labels.

[@lathiat]

Would be fun to test "Far Infrared" heaters as well. They are in theory ~98.5% effecient versus the ~80% for standard heaters.

[@ctrlaltdebug]

I hear microwave heaters are even more efficient.

[@electrictroy2010]

@ctrlaltdebug THE microwave heaters will give you a nice tan. But be careful, or you might start to cook

[@OfftoShambala]

@@ctrlaltdebug at the end of the Cold War… the USSR did not allow for the use of microwave ovens… because it was originally developed by the US military as a weapon. Sure it might cook you… but, I’ve heard that the ovens can be used remotely to attack people in their homes. Not sure if that’s true, or how that could work. But, it is true that the US developed them to be used as a weapon.

[@Cooper_42]

The term “quartz heater” is a marketing term that came out in the 80s (late 70s ?) when they started selling heaters where the element was contained within a hollow quartz glass tube. That’s opposed to the standard nichrome wire wrapped around a ceramic core. The one that Mattias referred to as the “old fashioned” one was the ‘wire wrapped around a ceramic core’ variety. The others were ‘quartz heaters’.

[@shookings]

"And that, I think I can observe". You're a consummate scientist, Matthias.

[@KA9DSL]

I had similar results using my Flir infrared camera. You could actually see the streaming hot air with the camera.

[@dustup2249]

Thorough review of Underwriters Laborites caliber. Great content, sir!

[@jakec5618]

Do these heaters emit in the far infrared or near infrared ? Thanks

[@broccolihart1]

Could you ask a kid imagine going over to Matthias' house and being wowed by all of his interesting projects and conversations ? When your mommy came to pick you up, you'd probably want to stay overnight.

[@jinghuitech]

This test seems to be reasonable, but would it be better to use a fan to solve the convection effect?

[@rikityrik]

I’m I guess ignorant on these infrared heaters, do they perform better than a 1500w ceramic heater? I saw some videos saying the 5000 watt ceiling mount forced air heaters are the way to go. But worried about the electric bill collector lol

[@rikityrik]

Oh and I appreciate the video and I enjoy your work and content Matthias.

[@andrewgalbreath2101]

Harriet's drawing was very appropriate lol

[@KaleidoscopeJunkie]

Did you run the plug through a meter to confirm the "garage-sale" heater still pulls the stated wattage? Maybe output capacity is diminished from a worn element.? -KJ

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

yes, all metered

[@T3b_Custom]

Is the paint warmer just a regular house heater?

[@teenflon]

Funny to see those filament bulbs again, they have been banned in the EU for many years!

[@H4rleyBoy]

I think you need to get out more Matt then you can turn the heating off. A good test would be the best way to utilise the central heating in the house.

[@matthiaslange392]

Do You know the ceramics-infrared-bulbs with no visible light, just infrared? A friend of mine used it for a chicken-coop. I've never seen this before.

[@ctrlaltdebug]

Sounds like a big ceramic resistor?

[@OmmerSyssel]

European 'Trotec' sell this type of IR heaters.. Works flawlessly

[@damonshamkite7677]

Keep them on the floor. Mounting a ceramic IR radiaor overhead is a pretty unwise thing to do. These emit considerable amounts of IR-A and you do not want that near your head. For one reason, it greatly accelerates skin aging and may cause actinic ceratosis, but more importantly, it can and will cause cataract. Google for 'glassblowers cataract'. You're pretty safe with IR-B and C as you wear glasses, but IR-A goes straight through. You can tell from the color: black is good. Red is, quite obviously, bad.

[@hassanal-mosawi4235]

Thanks for sharing that!

[@Leo99929]

It has to be quartz glass tubes because glass absorbs infrared. So do some "transparent" plastics. Just because it's visibly transparent or opaque, that does not mean that it is at other wavelengths.

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

I tested the plastic and it lets most of the infrared through.

[@Leo99929]

@@matthiasrandomstuff2221 Love your channel, by the way. Excellent experimentation done to some of the highest scientific standards I see on KZbin. It's rare someone tests a thing out as rigorously as you do. Thank you for doing what you do!

[@opalwilke5095]

The minisplit box, is that a dumpster find or did you install it in your house?

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

Had some installed. I plan to do some testing of it, once I have time (whenever that will be)

[@DuffyHomoHabilis]

If you don't have a thermal imaging camera, I think you should invest in one. I have the FLIR One PRO & love it (not sponsored, I paid full price for it.) It has a lot of uses. I used it once to find spots of snow in a attic (from the bedroom side of the ceiling.) I can also detect stud & framing layouts, especially on exterior walls. I think it would add to your analysis videos.

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

yes, but they are so expensive!

[@DuffyHomoHabilis]

@@matthiasrandomstuff2221 About $400 now, but it was cheaper when I bought mine. You could do a few insulation consulting jobs at $100 a piece to help defray costs. Or get them to sponsor you.

[@aantony]

@@matthiasrandomstuff2221 FLIR phone camera attachments are $250, about the same price as this space heater 😂

[@knallpistol]

Bought mine off aliexpress. 500usd.. Usb C. Plugs into any android. Ten times the resolution and five times the frame rate of flir sensors. Incredible piece of tech. Hti301

[@jkbrown5496]

@@matthiasrandomstuff2221 You can get decent one fairly inexpensively and maybe a company will send you one. Mikey Pipes got a sponsor and as a heating/plumbing contractor it was worth it for the company. Really shows infloor hydronic loops.

[@bobd.]

Don't these heaters have a tip-over switch built in? That might have been what was shutting the heater down when inverted or placed on an other than level surface.

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

It has a switch on the bottom for that, which is why I put it on an inclined platform. And I made it clear that it was on an inclined platform to avoid comments from people who know about the switch on the bottom.

[@bobd.]

@@matthiasrandomstuff2221 ok, must have missed when I watched. I remember you talking about a high temp limit switch but not the tilt switch. I'll have to watch again.

[@mrcoutts1211]

Eureka Matthias. As soon as I though of this I though of you. Simple use a glass of water to test bearings vibration on the size and amount of concentric rings resonating visually in the glass ? WHAT IF my interesting inspiration 🤔

[@mrcoutts1211]

Just nead a flat Plank and a jig

[@MoritzvonSchweinitz]

Is there any more efficient infrared tech on the horizon? Could we theoretically build warm IR LEDs?

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

the LEDs for making light are I think at best 30% efficient at making light. So don't look to LEDs for a solution

[@buixote]

Try *mirrors*, or *mylar*... I've also had the idea for some time of heating up stone/tile, mainly in the bathroom, to make things warm... I'm a little astonished that the "in-wall-heaters" like we used to have in the olden days, are not more widely used... thinking that perhaps technology might make them even better...

[@MrRaineth]

Mylar might do alright, but you'd probably need a large first-surface mirror (expensive) to avoid the influence of the glass if you were to take that approach.

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

Regular glass is not infrared transparent.

[@Toyotajunkie]

Yeah, a little close there buddy! Lol

[@sharonba2530]

Hello Mathias, Are IR heaters are dangerous to health? Can you please elaborate on the health risks?

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

none. But if you are very paranoid, the worrying can be hazardous to your health, but that's not the heater's fault.

[@sharonba2530]

@@matthiasrandomstuff2221 Thanks!

[@anirangoncalvesbr]

What about wifi and other radio comm devices ?

[@anirangoncalvesbr]

Any chances of infrared interfering with radio? I'm considering a big infrared panel but I'm worried about that making wifi signal worse

[@edwardchester1]

Must admit I didn't follow how the efficiency was worked out there. Will take your word for it though. :D

[@Traderjoe]

I picture a hundred thousand safety Sallies having meltdowns watching this video

[@electronoob7341]

Multiple temp. sensors... Over I2C ? How does one get this to work with multiple temp/humidity etc. sensors since most similar sensors have the same I2C addresses. I know it should be straight forward, but when I tried it I just couldn't get more than one sensor on the same I2C bus to work on RPi with Pyhton.

[@CarolineC0815]

The usual cheap go-to sensors (for temperature only) are the DS18B20, they are not I2C sensors, but operate on a "onewire" bus instead. For I2C devices with the same/fixed address you would need multiple ports or a I2C multiplexer/switch like the TCA9548A.

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

The BME280s I like to use can switch between two addresses. I often use the second I2C port on the pi to use two more of them, but it's not so straightforward. I made a video about it.

[@MrCripplerking]

Would shining an infrared heater like this at relatively cold cast iron (like a jointer or table saw top) result in condensation?

[@bmxscape]

that depends on how humid the air is which depends on the temp of the air, and if the air temp rises so would the temp of the table saw

[@Lucas12v]

Just guessing but i don't think so. Cold metal in warm air causes condensation but an infrared heater would be heating the metal itself, not the air.

[@bene5431]

@@Lucas12v You're right. But even heating air and cooling it on a cold surface won't get condensation unless it picks up water somewhere

[@Lucas12v]

@@bene5431 Good point. You'd really need to cool the metal without affecting air temp to get condensation. Or move the metal to a place with warmer air but that doesn't apply to this question.

[@bmxscape]

that "tipover sensor" looked like it did nothing lol hopefully that thing never tips over for real

[@CEHepp]

@6:53 - Bluetti?

[@hansangb]

subsidiary. Or parent company. One or the other.

[@freetobe15]

Smart!

[@Tokaisho1]

Cardboard boxes and heaters don't seem like the best idea lol

[@franky350]

bimmy would be proud

[@Z-Ack]

Next video: making a wooden thermometer

[@burntsider8457]

Bulb? Tube.

[@jec_ecart]

These look like some funny & weird fans.

[@minxythemerciless]

I guess you have really cheap electricity?

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

compared to Europe, yes.

[@muthagoose00]

What is even happening in this video?!?!

[@alejandroalessandro7820]

Don't try this at home kids

[@aaronalquiza9680]

6:53 i was wondering why Matthias called the patio heater a "Bluetti" instead of "Maxoak". I googled and found out Bluetti is a branch company of Maxoak.

[@MCsCreations]

Oh... A thermodynamics experiment! I really like it, Matthias! 😃 Excellent work!!! Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@jkbrown5496]

Tip over protection is very often oriented for face down tipping since that is the dangerous direction.

[@bryanjk]

Hopefully it doesn't land near something flammable

[@electrictroy2010]

@jkbrown5496 All my devices turnoff regardless which direction they tip. Some have a pressure switch on the bottom. If the device moves just 1 mm tilt, that switch turns off

[@nixxonnor]

Even though Matthias was sponsored by one vendor, the way he sets up the tests makes me trust the results :)

[@Raytenecks]

@@JorgTheElder He even says "they required me to say X". And that part failed! :D

[@fairweatherfoundry715]

Not all of the bulb power goes into infrared, so the efficiency comparison will be off a bit, but I think its still a good estimate. Great video!

[@gedtoon6451]

Would you feel warmer if you wore a black shirt?

[@stefansynths]

I love my radiant heaters. My favorite is a little 250/500W unit that I keep under my desk so I don't need to turn on the furnace while working.

[@DamianReloaded]

if you are going to stay there permanently and considering how much wood you have around, wouldn't you consider running some pipes and having central heating? You seem like you could pull that off yourself and it would be a heck of interesting project to look at.

[@tracybowling1156]

Harriet is quite the little artist! 🎨

[@hansdegroot8549]

Interesting video. Thanks for sharing. The tip-over contact for shutting of the heater didn't work, if I understood well. If that's true, that's a big minus. In fact that is very dangerous and I wonder if it may be sold this way.

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

I suspect that has to trigger on impact or something like that. Cause the heater can be used in different orientations

[@djdoncruz]

if you want best results i think you will need to put the heater in a vacuum chamber to eliminate convection and just get an energy output

[@unionse7en]

blocking the front infra red....... the blocker is getting heated by the infrared than that blocker is heating the air by conduction and it then it convects upward... so it's not just acting as a convection blocker

[@chrisingle5839]

A bit concerning on the tall heater that it did not shut down as advertised..how did that pass CSA or UL?

[@sethquest6956]

Hi, First off I really love how I’m depth you go with the science, your really doing an incredible service wirh your style of teaching and real data collection. I would love a 1min summary at the end of each video that clearly articulates the pros and cons / best choice for x situation.

[@stephaniehenry5617]

wait so I'm in the middle of this video and I'm not going to get which one is better at the end?

[@airbnbphotography]

the look so cheap those products, wonder where those are made haha

[@merlinmagnus873]

Probably the tip over only triggers if it's face down.

[@MichaelMantion]

Do they make an outdoor version?

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

it's a patio heater. Though I don't think it's meant to get rained on.

[@Siberius-]

2:26 - That's a good squat.

[@electrictroy2010]

2:05 testing efficiency .

[@southside9417]

HELP 😭 what the difference between 5200 btu vs 15oo watts heaters help😭 please

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

go to google, type "2500 btu in watts"

[@emmmie]

Are these actually meant to be used inside? Why does my heater say outdoor only? Is it unsafe just until complete off gassing?

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

The picture on their website shows it used inside, and the "window open" feature also suggests inside use. I don't think it's meant to be used in the rain.

[@OmmerSyssel]

Confusing gas/propane with electrical heaters?

[@emmmie]

​@@OmmerSysselno. Electrical infrared.

[@user-or9cj3vk6t]

Lovely! Just a shame the power grid is going down. You''l require a portable gas heater. These heaters are now from £150-250 if you can find one. A new 15kg bottle (with a new contract) is £95!! £50-60 for a refill. The grid has gone down for the great reset so be sure to have a portable gas hob too

[@OmmerSyssel]

Have you yet enjoyed the "Great Reset", or is that like the Jehova freaks expected to finally exterminate us someday later?? 🙈

[@SuburbanDon]

I like the technology in this unit but my experience with "digital" heaters is not good. I would still prefer nichrome wire and a mechanical thermostat.

[@fortijr]

I have an infrared heater for my garage, and it seems to work well, and at lower power settings than other heaters I tried. Q. If the power goes out, could I use the infrared heater to keep my basement/pipes from freezing? Or is a different type of heater better for that goal. ( I have a well insulated house & a generator) thanks

[@TheBlackadder-Edmund]

Funny... I was susbcribed to this channel then looking for something else and realised you have a channel with 1.7 millions subs 😅

[@johnsopinion]

How can you truly be non-bias when you are sponsored and give a link to purchase heaters?

[@susansalsabila4210]

Thank you so much, i just remember smth about my final project !❤❤

[@stellamcwick8455]

So…. they should add a fan to redirect the convection loss forward???

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

hard to do with it so dispersed, and the wind could act to cool you down.

[@mckenziekeith7434]

Haha! Then it will be both an IR heater AND a space heater.

[@KaleidoscopeJunkie]

In the USA many homes run 14AWG wire on 15amp breakers. The heater (1500watts/12+amps) AND a fan (min 400 watts/3+amps) might work on a designated circuit. But if it's on a circuit with other draws the breaker would kick. Particularly since starting amps on the fan would be higher. This is why every house I built had 12AWG or larger on 20amp breakers.😉 -KJ

[@maselbac]

Halogen heaters feel like sitting in the sun. Fan heaters feel like sitting in front of a fan oven.

[@joncodyhaines]

You weren’t lying about being bias. Love you and your vids regardless.

[@WFCinSC]

I think in the 1st experimental setup you could have multiplied the thermocouple reading by the velocity exiting the hole and that would have given results more consistent with your later setup (the lightbulb setup was more elegant anyways, IMHO). Q~rho*V*A*Cp*T and since the box is always filled with air and the top hole is the same size Q~V*T edit: I guess I should say I believe V has a proportionality to internal box temperature due to convection (natural buoyancy)

[@clayed]

Could reduce the convection from the unit if you take the grill off the front

[@jsteifel]

I wonder if it would have shut off if tilted over forward so it pointed down. Looks like they need to work on that.

[@AbdicateDotNet]

Always great videos!! Wouldn't there be a ramp-up of the temp in the box because it's "cold" air in the box prior to you putting it over the heaters?

[@36736fps]

Harriet's picture is the house on fire.

[@prabujayakumar4775]

Great Work Mr. Matthias, Could you please share the details of the software you are using to log temperature? I am interested in trying a similar experiment and would appreciate any information you can provide. Thank you!

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

Just a python script I wrote. I usually write a separate program for each test, so it's not "reusable" in that it's not even reusable for me. You just need to become proficient with linux and python and write your own scripts.

[@zachwolfrom4522]

I want one of these videos every week

[@tiitsaul9036]

Thanks

[@nathanas64]

Great experimental setup!

[@moniquelynwone8228]

Very interesting 💥

[@andrebradley1924]

What is the best heater

[@nagarajarajan5979]

Nice work videos

[@TheRealAnthony_real]

Really in depth ! Great work !

[@justDIY]

Neat stuff!

[@james10739]

Ya if you have a heater outside I don't think you are ot should be worried about efficiency

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

At that point, most definitly worry about efficiency. Inside, all the heat at least stays in the building. But yes, patio heaters are kind of wasteful. But I see restaurants use them all the time.

[@kevinmartin7760]

For the thermostat, does it just measure the ambient air temperature, or does it try to use IR to detect the temperature of whatever it is pointed at?

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

I don't know

[@orppranator5230]

@@matthiasrandomstuff2221 Me neither

[@jareknowak8712]

Popular in Sweden.

[@transpiler]

Kerplink!

[@rrjmdPA]

Whaaattt??!!!!!!!!

[@jeffrenman4146]

when somebody is sponsored yes their bias… especially when they're talking about comparable products as this so if you want honesty this is probably not what you're looking for… You need an unsponsored honest guy that just wants to tell you the truth

[@jeffrenman4146]

@@JorgTheElder yeah it still sounds like a contradiction but you never know…he shouldn't of said that he had a biased opinion then… But I understand what you're saying

[@matthiasrandomstuff2221]

so less honesty would be better?

[@charliemason4355]

Less than 100% efficiency. Damn entropy!

[@markifi]

it is 100%

[@PlatypusVomit]

#shillvid

[@SuperDavidEF]

I think Matthias does as good a job as any I've seen being transparent and trying to test objectively. Of course, it's very difficult, if not impossible, to be completely objective when getting paid to review a product. That's where the transparency becomes more important. He tells you up front that it is a sponsored review, so you can take that into account when deciding the usefulness of the review itself and the honesty of his conclusions. You just have to understand that EVERYONE is biased about EVERYTHING. There's no such thing as being 100% objective. You and I and everybody else will always have an initial opinion about whatever it is we're doing. Ikea uses one very well understood and common bias to their marketing advantage - the fact that anything you build, even partially, you will attribute more value to than the same product if you didn't build it.

[@ricos1497]

@@SuperDavidEF my wife bought an IKEA cupboard which I put together and I hate it. Flimsy crap. I'm just being 100% objective you'll understand.

[@nycenj3974]

Geez brother you put in the work! Great job... 🤙🏼