Carbon Neutral Systems to Electric radiators vs Infrared. Which is best?

This is a question that can cause much debate.

Both systems have strong plus points; they are both 100% efficient; maintenance free and can be easily zoned, meaning that those areas of the church that are not being used, do not need to be heated. These facts alone can represent significant savings in the overall long-term running costs of a system.

The choice between the two systems should depend on the needs of the church itself; how old is the building? How often is it used?

If your church is of a 'muscular' construction ie medieval, Victorian, etc, with thick walls, it will probably be more suited to a radiator system that will help to warm the fabric. As the building is heated, the walls will retain some of the heat, rather like a storage heater. It will also help to stabilise the humidity, which is very important in older churches.

If you have a church that was built in the sixties, seventies or later, then an infra-red system may be more practical. These churches were usually constructed using pre-stressed materials so keeping the fabric warm when unoccupied is not always necessary. Infra-red heating warms the congregation, the pews or any object directly in its path, much like the sun does on a sunny day.

Aesthetics are also important. Radiators in older churches are quite discreet as they can be colour coded to blend in with their surroundings. Infra-red heaters cannot usually be disguised, so in an older church this may be obtrusive, whereas in a more modern church, this tends to be less of an issue.

Many people are drawn to infra-red because of the almost instantaneous heat. At face value, a 10 minute warm-up time is usually sufficient for infra-red heaters to reach temperature, while in contrast, depending on the size of church, a radiator system typically takes approx. 45 minutes to an hour to reach temperature. However, this does not always translate to lower running costs.

Once a radiator system reaches the required temperature, it only needs to operate for approx. 15 mins an hour to 'top-up' and maintain the temperature. However, just as heat from the infra-red units is almost instantaneous, so is the drop in temperature once they are switched off. This means that it is far more likely that infra-red heaters need to operate constantly through the time of occupancy. Also, due to architectural features in an older church, it is sometimes necessary to site the heaters at a higher level, so larger heaters may have to be used to compensate for the heat loss.

On balance, I think that the running costs of either system with the same output, would be very similar.

The longevity of a system should also be taken into account. Radiator systems tend to have a substantially longer life expectancy than infra-red which generally have a 2 year warranty, but our ChurchEcoMiser radiators are backed by a 25 year manufacturer's warranty.

There are of course, situations where the ideal solution would be a combination of both types of system.

For my part, I need to see a church or at least see photographs of it, and have a sense of how the church is going to be used before I could offer proper advice on which system would be the most suitable.

Any church will of course carry out due diligence before making their final decision, as the real answer to the question should always be 'What is going to be the best solution for the church in the long run'.

It costs nothing to have a conversation, so if you feel I can offer you any advice, please feel free to contact me.