You will find answers to our most frequently asked questions about infrared heating below.

We are New Zealand’s Infrared Experts. If you cannot find the answer you are looking for here, please use the Chat during working hours and one of our experts will answer your question directly. Out of hours, or if you prefer, also check our site on How Herschel Infrared works or Contact Us if you have any other questions.

"Where can I...?"

Dealers with the are stockists with products on display. Please be sure to call ahead to make an appointment and confirm they are displaying the panels you are interested in.  

Dealers with the are stockists with products on display and can put you in touch with their recommended installers. Alternatively please contact us for a recommended installer near you.    

Outdoor heaters are becoming increasingly popular, but there are many different types of heater available and lots of jargon. But even on the nicest of days in the UK it very often gets chilly or cold in the evening and if you want to enjoy socialising outside, outdoor heating is…Read more

 

Quality & Safety

Are Infrared rays safe for people? Far infrared heating is 100% safe and natural for our bodies, and our well-being, as the human body is designed to accept and emit infrared. The feeling of warmth from infrared is particularly comfortable. It is UV that is harmful, not infrared, and so…Read more

Our 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 and EcoDesign (Lot 20)  Compliant. Click…Read more

Longest track record At Herschel we have the most extensive experience of the application of Far Infrared in the UK (check our Residential and Commercial Case Study pages). Effective heating is all about matching the right heater to the right requirement and we have many years experience in this: helping…Read more

The European Far Infrared Panel Standard is: A flat surface panel with a surface temperature of 75°C or higher. An emission rate of least 0.09 watts per centimetre2 over the panel surface. Must have CE, Electrical Safety, Electrical Emissions, Safe Construction and Intelligent Controls certification.   These requirements are necessary…Read more

Herschel Infrared heaters come with a 5 or 10 year guarantee. Our Inspire range is designed to last decades because of the high quality of materials and advanced heating elements that are used. Herschel Far Infrared panel heaters require no maintenance or servicing. Our heaters use solid state elements unlike…Read more

 

Installation Questions

Herschel Infrared panels are easy to install and come with a very comprehensive set of instructions. As Infrared panels are an electric installation, they should only be carried out by a suitably qualified electrician.  Herschel has a network of Accredited Dealers who would be happy to help you. Things to…Read more

Electrical Safety in bathrooms divides into four zones. In Zone ‘0’ which defines being within in the sink bowl, bath tub or shower bowl any electrical appliance must be IP67 (full immersion capable) and low voltage. Zone 1 is the splash zone above a bath or within a shower enclosure…Read more

Please visit our Customer Service section to get new copies.

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…Read more

Simple installation schematic - one panel, one controller, single room For simple panel installations using either the Herschel iQ system or the XLS control system, our recommendation is to make the control receiver attachment after the fused spur. (When using MD01 Hard wired thermostat, the wiring connection to and from...Read more

To allow the panels to operate at the right temperature and unobstructed, our Instructions call for no objects to be placed within 400mm of the front of the panel and not within 200mm of the sides of the panel. This includes if you are intending to flush-mount panels in a…Read more

Very occasionally we get asked about decorating problems that show up around heaters and whether the heaters are to blame.  However on the rare occasion that we do, in all cases there are underlying problems which the heater – in fact, any heater – is just accelerating or making evident…Read more

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 or a Herschel Accredited installer for more advice.

 

Controls Questions

Full pairing instructions for the XLS thermostats come packed with each XLS thermostat and XLS heating panel. The web pages for each of the thermostats also contain the downloadable set of instructions. We have made this short video to show you how simple pairing is. If you need further help,…Read more

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). So some kind of controller is needed with your infrared panel. We do not build thermostats into our heaters because it…Read more

Herschel thermostat controls have been designed to be easy to set up and run however sometimes we all need a bit of help and support. Our thermostat controls help centre has been designed to quickly & simply guide you to the correct support, with a few simple clicks, enabling you…Read more

Full pairing instructions for the T2/R2 thermostat pack come packed with the T2. The web page for the T2 also has a downloadable set of instructions. We have made this short video to show you how simple pairing is. If you need further help, check out our detailed thermostat help…Read more

New Ecodesign legislation from the EU 2015/1188 (otherwise known as Lot 20) means that re-sellers and installers of electric space heaters will need to be sure that the heaters they are selling or installing comply with Lot 20 from 1 January 2018. Heaters that fail to comply will not be…Read more

 

Orders & Deliveries

Our Inspire heater panels are specially made to order in Germany and will take approximately 4 weeks from order to delivery. All other heaters are standard stock items, so as long as we receive your order by mid-day on a working day, we should be able to organise dispatch the…Read more

There may be delays to the usual delivery timescales over the Christmas period. Please contact us for more details on +44(0)1473 760059.

Cut-off time for next day delivery is 12pm (excluding weekends, weekdays only). Please note: there may be delays to the usual delivery timescales over the Christmas period. Last day for next day delivery over Christmas 2019 is Monday 23rd December until Thursday 2 January 2020. Please contact us on +44(0)1473…Read more

Herschel Infrared is closely monitoring the development of COVID-19 during these uncertain times. Courier Services We continue to monitor responses from our couriers, FedEx and ParcelForce, to assess the impact on courier services for customers. Please be advised that there are likely to be delays to our normal delivery levels…Read more

Panels are to be signed for ONLY if there is NO damage to the packaging on delivery. If there is any damage to the packaging please do not sign for the goods. Contact Customer Services at Herschel, +44 (0)1473 760059, within 24 hours of receipt to notify us of the…Read more

 

Functional & Technical

SAP10 is coming and the future is electric. SAP10 is the UK’s Home energy assessment regulation, which sets the benchmark for many other countries with similar climates and energy sources in Europe and the world. The proposed introduction of SAP10 has significant implications for electric heating given the revision of…Read more

With overnight economy tariffs, you are probably paying a higher rate for daytime electricity than on a standard tariff. If you intend to run your Herschel panels overnight and also run other appliances overnight then it could make sense to stay on your overnight tariff. However, depending on your circumstances…Read more

There are no maintenance and servicing costs related with Infrared heating panels. There are no moving parts or liquids or gases that require any form of annual maintenance contract. The other major benefit of Infrared panels is that in the rare case one should go wrong, you only need replace…Read more

Modern immersion heaters and well-insulated cylinders provide a simple and fast means to raise, and store, hot water. Thermostat controls ensure the heater is cost-efficient to run. If you have solar PV you can divert surplus solar electricity to an immersion circuit, rather than sell to the grid. This does NOT effect your…Read more

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…Read more

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%…Read more

There are some disadvantages to infrared heating panels compared with other forms of heating, but these are far outweighed by the many advantages. The main consideration is that the infrared heating panels must not be obstructed by furniture. Infrared heating panels radiate invisible light (which carries the heat). If they…Read more

Can I paint the panels so they match the same colour as my walls? Our best advice, following testing in-house, would be to use heat resistant paints such as radiator paint. Normal emulsion doesn’t bond very well (you can easily scratch it off). Please note, we are unable to give…Read more

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

We could get really geeky on this but will try to keep it simple… Whilst both Herschel Inspire and Select XLS panel ranges 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…Read more