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in reply to: Infrared vs Traditional heat??? #10570
Thank you Tim
Perhaps you can clarify something then: I have heard many people say that infrared heaters heat the person more effectively than they heat the space?
Hi Gabrielle,
good question. I just want to make something clear. I am yet to come across the perfect system, whether forced hot air or infra red. Most of our customers have had to make tweaks to the system hear and there (either by adding more heaters, changing the heaters, changing the controls, upgrading the power supply, adding a humidifier, reducing the heat, increasing the humidity, etc) in order to get the right balance for the class and those practicing. There certainly does seem to be an art to getting the conditions right, not just for the teacher but more for those practicing hot yoga.
Infra red heaters have many benefits, not only being a more natural form of heat for the body (as the infra red waves are the same as those given from the sun), but also for the way the infra red waves penetrate the muscle tissue and produce a (healthy) stress response within the muscle that mimicks moderate exercise. Studies have been performed using infra red heating for muscle rehabilitation and also to monitor the actual physiological change the muscle goes through when subjected to infra red heat. The studies have shown an increased cardiovascular capacity after exercising in this type of heat, and muscular structural repair after the muscles were placed under the infra red heaters. The research has been taken even further by Professor Minson, at Oregon University, where he has been involved in building heat chambers for athletes to train in.
So to answer your question:
Plain and simply, forced hot air systems will heat the air very well, but will not necessarily penertrate the muscle tissue at such a deep level.
Inra red heaters will heat the surfaces of the room and the people inside first, and then the air temperature will increase. If the room is pre heated by turning the infra red heaters on 30-60 minutes prior to the class starting, and you have enough heaters in the room, you can raise the air temperature to over 40C without hot air blowers. The added benefit is the quiet operation of the infra red heaters and comfort (no air blowing around).
If a studio owner wants to combine hot air and infra red, they can reduce the heat up time, AND use infra red to really target the body and produce this exercise like response within the muscles and surrounding tissue immediately.
It all depends on preference, target market, aesthetics, control, etc, etc, etc.
Hope that helps.
in reply to: Infrared vs Traditional heat??? #10553Hi Tim
Thank you for your posts.
Perhaps you can tell me how you integrate infrared systems with humidifiers and thermostats. I am pleased to see that you have figured heat and humidification (heat index) into your thinking. How controllable is the system? Do you integrate the heating with humidification (or even dehumidification for those that need it) so that it’s a set and forget system?
I had a thermostat designed to turn on banks of heaters. There was a high set point and a low set point and the system kept the temperature within 0.3 degrees of target. Is that possible with infrared systems? There was a timer. I had it set for seasons and for holidays. This meant we didn’t have to turn it on or off except in exceptional circumstances. It was instantly adjustable if the day was particularly humid. We could turn the high set point down for that class or turn it off early. I have rarely found another system that could do that. I would like to know if one could work in that level of dependability into an infrared system.
Can you help me understand something by commenting on the following please? I was told by another heating specialist that infrared was not advisable because the heat sensors were in the floor (ie under the heaters) and therefore the mats or people could be in the way and therefore the control was diminished and often very poor.
Looking forward to reading your response.
Namaste
Gabrielle 🙂
Hi Gabrielle,I will try and answer your post in three points:
1. We CAN integrate the system so that it is set and forget, however, most of our clients are happy to use a seperate timer, thermostat and humidistat controls system that sits within the room, and can be adjusted as the class progresses and the temperature and humidity increase.
Our experience has been that the studio owners (perhaps it is different in U.S.) like the ability to control the temp/humidity manually. Even with a timer system installed, many of them like to have a hands on approach. Having spoken to various teachers and studio owners, some like to manipulate the controls during the class and others don’t – it is comes down to preference.
2. Any thermostat that is high specification enough, can control the temperature to within 0.1 deg C. It is more a matter of how much you want to spend on the controls system.
3. The heating specialist that gave your opinion is incorrect. All of our clients have sensors on the wall to control the ambient conditions within the room. Some have gone further by installing an independent room temperature monitor to verify the temperature reading is correct, and the controls system is adjusting accordingly. There is an option to have the sensor on the floor, however, this is usually for underfloor heating.
in reply to: Infrared vs Traditional heat??? #10417Hi Dave
I am hoping someone can enlighten me on some heating experience too.
I just received an email from someone whom I asked to post in the forum who has had a ‘disastrous’ experience with infrared (her words, not mine).
The problem with most companies offering infrared heaters, is that they do not provide enough/right type of infrared heaters. We started supplying the white flat panel type but the surface temperature was not hot enough(100C) to raise the temperature to above 32C, and it would take 3-5 hours to heat the room!
We had to start looking at different heaters to take the heat up to 42C, and in quick time. We have a few customers who run other classes in the studio, so they need a quick heat up time. We use the FRICO EZ200 heater. So much more effective than the flat panel heaters. OK, they don’t look as nice as the aforementioned heater, but at least they will do the job.
We’ve supplied to 25 different types of studio, and believe me we have made a lot of mistakes along the way. So, we know what works and what doesn’t.
in reply to: Infrared vs Traditional heat??? #10416I know this is a fairly old email thread, but as I have just joined I wanted to give my 10 pence (or cents!) worth.
Infra red and hot air systems differ in a number of ways, but the noticeable point our clients make is the deep penetrating, heating effect of the infra red heaters. We recommend one particular panel for the studios we supply in the UK. They heat to a high temperature very quickly and provide enough heat to (with enough heat up time) to heat the air.
In climates of low/medium humidity, the humidifier is a must. We have had many studio owners go for the heating system only, and leave out the humidifier. What happens? Their clients/yogis/yoginis complain of the studio not being hot enough.
Once the humidifier has been installed – the feedback is positive, and there is less worry about people complaining about the heat. It’s like being in the jungle versus the desert. It can be the same temperature in both, but with added humidity it will feel 2-5 degrees hotter.
Hope that helps……
in reply to: Custom Yoga Room + Heat = Studio Workout? #10415Interesting thread. We specialise in providing humidifiers for hot yoga studios in the UK, and we definitely notice that our clients’ clients complain of the humidity not being high enough.
What they tend to actually say is that they are not hot enough, as they are not sweating. It isn’t so much they are not sweating, it is just that because the air humidity can get very low when taking the temperature so high, the sweat literally evaporates off the surface of the skin so fast you can’t see it!
By creating a more humid environment (much like Robert has alluded to) you will get more of a sweat effect.
Most domestic humidifiers are not really capable of adding enough humidity to a hot yoga room, so you’d need to go down the commercial route. Either a couple of portable units, or go for something a bit more heavy duty.
Something along the lines of a HygroMatik mini steam will do the trick. I don’t know where you are based, but if you need help with this let me know. Whether you buy from us or not, it doesn’t matter, I just want to reinforce the need for having a humidifier installed to get the most out of your practice.
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