Tag Archives: heat
A Review of Superior Radiant Infrared Tube Heaters (Page 1 of 3)
We’re often asked “what sets Superior Radiant apart from other brands of infrared tube heaters?” That’s a great question since all tube heater manufacturers are equal in their intent, that is – to heat building space using the infra-red heating principle.
Those who specify infra-red tube heating systems (ie., mechanical engineers) are particularly concerned that the brand they choose as the basis of their specification will stand the test of time and provide reliable, hassle-free performance for years to come. Simply put, they want to avoid potential complaints, costly callbacks and the responsibility of remedying a problem inherent in an inferior product they themselves recommended. To aid in your search for the best tube heater on the market, we offer the following:
Five Criteria for Choosing a Brand of Infra-Red Tube Heater
1) Reflector Design 2) Heat Uniformity 3) Serviceability 4) Construction Quality 5) Representation
Almost all tube heaters utilize a 4″ dia. steel tube emitter. A burner on one end forces hot gases downstream through the tubes (between 10′ and 70′ in length – depending on burner size), emitting infra-red “radiant” energy around its’ circumference. An optical reflector suspended over the top of the tubes is used to force the infra-red energy downward. This energy is then absorbed by floors and objects below, which heat up to warm the surrounding air.
Superior Radiant offers the only 10-sided reflector among all manufacturers. Its multi-faceted configuration reflects virtually 100% of the infra-red energy out and away from the emitter tubing, putting the heat where it is needed – the people zone. Infra-red energy “bounce-back” onto the tube is virtually eliminated and convective heat loss is minimized. Translation: more heat to the floor means less heat wasted at the ceiling – which means greater fuel savings and enhanced creature comfort.
By contrast, the poorest reflector consists of a flat top with two angled sides and may have a radiant effectiveness of only 50%. The Superior Radiant reflector is also the “deep dish” style, which means that the emitter tubes are recessed up inside, with 0% exposed below the sides of the reflector. Compare some other brands which may have up to 30% or more the tubing exposed below the bottom sides of the reflector, resulting in a high amount of energy loss into thin air that could have otherwise been reflected to the floors as usable heat energy.
An added benefit of Superior’s 100% efficient reflector design is that it helps eliminate the “hot spot” effect. That’s where back radiation of infrared energy onto the combustion tube can create excessive heat pile-up within the first several feet of the burner (where the flame is located and is at its hottest). A poorly designed reflector can cause the combustion tube to overheat and cause thermal breakdown of the tubing. The remedy – expensive tube replacement in as short as 5 years, usually at the owners’ expense. Superior Radiant tube heaters eliminate that problem.