Bathroom Heat Lamps

What Are Bathroom Heat Lamps

Bathroom heating and ventilation is a staple of a modern home. Apart from providing a comfortable, pleasant environment, heaters and fans promote a healthy environment free of bacteria, mould, and other issues. 

Bathroom heat lamps can provide both heat and light. This category comprises a variety of multifunctional infrared or incandescent light fittings, which generate a powerful source of heat while doing other jobs at the same time. 

Standard heat lamps typically come with an infrared warmer. While more traditional versions feature a halogen bulb as a central light source, modern designs prefer an energy-efficient LED fixture.

Advanced models and 3-in-1 systems also include a bathroom extractor fan. Added functionality of air ventilation while keeping the bathroom pleasantly warm eliminates the need for multiple fixtures - an asset particularly handy in tiny bathrooms. 

Bathroom Heat Lamp Technology

Modern bathroom heat lamps have optimised filaments rather than tungsten versions featured in traditional light bulbs. Optimised filaments are typically made out of quartz, known to resist electricity, in order to produce excess amounts of infrared radiation. 

Heat lamp bulbs also come with internal reflectors. They concentrate the heat and light to a specific area, which allows them to heat the human body directly. This is where they differ from other types of bathroom heaters, that heat the air rather than objects. 

Pro's and Con's of Using a Heat Lamp

Bathroom heat lamps are very handy, yet, just like any products, they have potential disadvantages too. 

On the good side, heat lamps are affordable and easy to install and run. They come with the benefit of extra functionality, offering secondary assets such as a light source and an incorporated exhaust fan. Even better, infrared light has proven wellness effects, able to relieve pain and improve metabolism.    

Heat lamps are most suitable for small bathrooms, shower rooms, and toilets. They can warm the space faster than under tile heating, although the latter provides more permanent results. 

On the minus side, their operational model makes them unsuitable for heating large rooms. Infrared rays have a limited range in which they are effective and work best on objects in proximity. Not too close proximity, though - just as any other source of heat, they can also burn skin or nearby objects. 

Bathroom Heat Lamp Bulbs

Modern heat lamps are designed to be compact and more attractive than the unsightly and huge bulb heat lamps of the past. Modern technologies made it possible to create light balls that resemble standard light bulbs while producing infrared radiation to heat the room. As soon as switched on, they heat up and start emitting hot rays towards all nearby objects. Heat lamp bulbs are designed to withstand moisture and splashing for a long time. 

Bathroom Heat Lamp Placement

A bathroom heat lamp can be mounted on the wall or ceiling. It's vital to place it high, pointing down. The best position for a heat lamp is where it can easily focus its rays on a standing body - not too close, but not too far either. There should always be enough space remaining to allow free movement, whether maneuvering the towel or dressing up.  

It is good to place the heater in the middle of the room, as long as it's not too close to the wet areas. Mounting it directly over a bath or inside a shower enclosure is not the best idea. Also, no towel racks and wooden elements should stay near the heat lamp. 

Things to Consider When Buying Bathroom Heat Lamps

Some heat lamps come with a range of additional features, including different control options. The automatic thermal cutout provides peace of mind with its ability to detect overheating and shut off the heat lamp before it causes any damage.

Bathroom heat lamps typically consume up to 250 watts of energy, which puts them into a category of energy-efficient sources. With intense radiation in a limited range, they can warm up a small bathroom in no time, earning additional sustainability points.  

The average life span of a heat lamp is around five years.

Larger heat lamps typically use more bulbs and emit more power than smaller ones. Most heat lamps feature either one, two or four bulbs. In a small bathroom, a single bulb lamp may suffice, while a larger space needs two to four bulbs to warm it quickly and properly.

Some heat lamps are quieter than others, so it's good to consider the noise aspect, too. Otherwise, a loud lamp may turn relaxing rituals into a source of stress. 

Other solutions exist to easily heat the bathroom such as heated towel rails. 

If you need assistance to find the right best bathroom heat lamps for your home or office, ArchiPro provides a connection to the various professionals, ready to assist with all requirements and questions. Simply click "Contact supplier" on the product's page, or visit the supplier's website directly from the product's page.