Infrared bulb is not only a light source, but also a kind of small heater. This fixture is a compact device that is often made in the format of a standard lighting lamp or its desktop counterpart. Most modifications are screwed into a regular cartridge, some require aggregation with a special seat. Consider the design features and use of these systems.
Design features
Infrared bulbs are classified as autonomous heaters powered by the mains. In fact, these are sources of infrared radiation that heat objects that are within the reach zone of these rays. The elementary version of the device under consideration is a glass bulb with a tungsten internal filament. Most often, glass is painted in a dark red or brown color. The interior has a mirror finish. The element is screwed into the cartridge on some body or simply suspended on the ceiling of the heatedpremises.
The specified device can have a power of 50 to 500 watts. More powerful devices can also be found on sale, but they are mainly focused on purely heating installations. The case is able to warm up to very high temperatures, and therefore the cartridge must be made of thermally stable materials. You should not touch the working flask, as there is a high probability of getting burned.
How does an infrared heating lamp work?
The operating principle used in these elements was created naturally. Many people know that the most powerful emitter of IR fluxes is the sun. The rays of this planet reach the surface of the Earth, heating all objects placed on it. After that, they release warm air into the atmosphere. Consequently, it is not the air itself that heats up from the received rays, but the landscape and all kinds of buildings.
Infrared light bulbs function according to the same method. Their light, reaching certain objects, is absorbed by them, turning into heat energy. You can check this by placing your hand under the source, feeling the spreading thermal energy inside the body part. Such devices heat the room more efficiently than their classic counterparts, saving energy.
Features
The brighter the luminous flux of the device in question, the further its radiation spreads due to short waves. Such devices can heat rooms with a fairly large area. Infrared heaters-light bulbs withlong wavelengths are not as bright. However, they radiate gentle and soft warmth. The second option is safer for living organisms, including humans. When used correctly, such devices are also used in physiotherapy for the treatment and prevention of various diseases.
Varieties
Modern infrared light bulbs come in several types. There are four main types of elements:
- with gray reflector;
- without a mirror;
- blue coated;
- with red reflector.
Models without mirror coating are similar to conventional filament counterparts. They also emit infrared light. It should be noted that light heating elements, available in the design of halogen heaters, also belong to the category of infrared elements, focused on heating large areas.
The rest of the categories of infrared lamps for heating are equipped with a special coating of mirror origin. This feature increases the efficiency of the device and allows you to direct the flow in the right direction. If there is no additional coating, it is replaced by an external analogue, as in halogen IR heaters. Some modifications are a combined system, being a powerful spotlight.
Equipment
The ceramic infrared light bulb is usually made in the traditional style, designed for the E-27 socket. Such items are labeled accordingly. For example,the definition of "X" indicates that the product is not painted, intended for both lighting and heating. The marking "IKZK" indicates a red glass coating, "IKZS" - a blue color.
The considered devices also differ from each other in the following parameters:
- plinth size, standard - cartridge E-27;
- wavelengths (long, short, medium);
- power indicator (specimens are presented in a very wide range);
- supply voltage (in household versions, it is mainly 220 V, in automotive counterparts - infrared bulbs 12 volts).
Dignity
These lamps have several significant advantages over other innovative counterparts. Among them:
- Absolutely quiet operation. Even quiet IR guns are louder because they are aggregated with fan mounts.
- High efficiency in excess of 90%.
- Possibility of spot surface treatment. This is true for farms and other places where animals are kept.
- Compact size. For example, a regular infrared heater in the form of a 500 W light bulb is comparable in size to a standard incandescent lamp.
- Easy installation. To install this element, simply screw it into the cartridge and activate it using a stationary switch.
- Environmental safety (during operation, oxygen is not burned, and harmful gases are not released into the atmosphere).
Cons
You can buy infrared bulbs in Orenburg without leaving your home. It is enough just to place an order on specialized sites. When choosing a similar element, it should be borne in mind that it also has disadvantages. Among them:
- significant consumption of electrical energy, which is typical for all heaters powered by the network;
- the appearance of discomfort when staying in the coverage area of IR equipment for a long time, most often this is due to a violation of the rules for operating or installing the devices in question;
- Increased temperature of the flask during operation, which is fraught with burns.
Heated animals
IR fixtures are great for livestock operations. In chicken coops, infrared heat helps to get the chickens on their feet, and also helps the young to survive in the first days of life, when they are very cold and have a weakened immune system. For adult birds, the devices in question allow generating the required level of heat, which reduces the occurrence of various diseases, and also increases the laying of eggs.
To understand how warm infrared bulbs are, it should be noted that they are used not only in zoos and farms to heat young animals, but also in terrariums. A kind of compartment is formed there, where the rays from the heater fall, being a kind of comfort point, on which reptiles crawl with pleasure for heating. It does not emit bright light, which stabilizes the nervous system of animals and calms them.
Indoor and outdoor heating
Infrared heater is one of the best ways to heat a terrace or gazebo. Short waves allow you to cover a decent area with heat, while not requiring the accumulation of favorable waves in a certain place. Such devices are often used in summer cafes and outdoor dance areas, providing comfort and coziness to visitors. Ordinary convector or ventilation analogues are not suitable for such an action.
The lamp heater of the considered configuration perfectly copes with the heating of residential and non-residential premises. Most often, devices are mounted on the wall and ceiling, creating a maximum comfort zone in the room. Even if the infrared heater bulb burns out, it will take only a couple of minutes to replace it, which will not adversely affect the comfort of people in the room. Such devices are rarely used as permanent sources of heating due to their specifics, but they are excellent as temporary generators of rapid heat generation.
Installation of infrared heaters in saunas
In baths and saunas, infrared lamps are almost indispensable for several reasons. Firstly, they perfectly warm up the body, penetrating to a depth of up to 40 millimeters, which gives a positive warming effect. Secondly, these lamps promote weight loss by burning excess fat in tandem with steam exposure. In addition, they are safe if all installation rules are followed.
As a result of exposure to cumulative factors, the body improvesblood flow, the energy costs of the body increase, calories go away. With regular visits to saunas with infrared devices, there is an improvement in the condition of the skin, the manifestations of eczema and dermatitis disappear. The walls of blood vessels become more elastic, which reduces the risk of cardiovascular lesions.
Construction use
The constructions under consideration are often used for drying varnish coatings and some other materials. This profitable method is practiced both in private workshops and in large industrial plants. Lamp drying makes it possible to accurately influence the treated surface. At the same time, other zones do not heat up. For example, when pasting the hood of a car, only it heats up, the rest of the elements remain in the same temperature regime.
If you work with plastic, then infrared radiation helps to soften and straighten the material. This is important when processing surfaces of complex configuration, when it is required to extrude certain shapes from plastic in hard-to-reach places. Also, such lamps are operated by printing houses, allowing you to remove excess liquid from paper. This speeds up drying and improves print quality.
Medical industry
Now infrared lamps in treatment are not as popular as they were a few years ago. They were used to eliminate pain manifestations in muscle, bone pain and osteochondrosis. Also, this technique was often used in complex therapy for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.processes, influenza, tonsillitis, skin diseases, high blood pressure. It was believed that short-term exposure to infrared devices helps to relieve stress, remove bruises, and increase endurance. Now such devices are mainly popular in the field of physiotherapy. Infrared rays have a beneficial effect on recovery from fractures and bruises, as well as the elimination of acne.
How to connect an infrared motion sensor to a light bulb?
General recommendations for installation of the above equipment:
- height above the cultivated area should be between 2500 and 4000 millimeters, depending on the modification of the equipment;
- when choosing a place to install, it should be understood that the detector is more sensitive to movement occurring across the observation point;
- joint load power of lamps is limited (for incandescent lamps - 60-1200 W, for fluorescent analogues - 0-600 W).
Most often, sensors are connected to modifications that are mounted in sockets of spotlights. Installation sequence:
- First turn off the mains voltage.
- Remove the protective plastic cover.
- Connect the conductors according to the scheme indicated by the manufacturer in the device passport.
- The fixing springs are folded back and directed upwards.
- The sensor is placed in the prepared socket, where it will be fixed with springs.
At this point, the installation process of the infrared motion sensor can be consideredcompleted. At the end of the work, the equipment is tested and adjusted.