The Problem With Heating Air
Traditional heating systems — radiators, convection heaters, forced air — all rely on the same principle: heat the air and hope it stays where you want it. In reality, air is constantly moving.
Warm air:
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Rises toward ceilings
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Escapes through draughts, doors and ventilation
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It is displaced every time someone enters the room
This creates:
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Uneven temperatures
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Cold floors and walls
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Hot ceilings no one benefits from
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Heating systems that need to run continuously
In large or high-ceiling spaces, this inefficiency is amplified even further.
Why can’t air Hold Heat Well?
Air has a low thermal mass, meaning it struggles to store heat energy. As soon as a heat source switches off:
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The air cools rapidly
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Surfaces remain cold
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The space feels uncomfortable again
This is why buildings heated by convection often experience temperature swings — warm one minute, cold the next. The system isn’t broken. It’s just working against physics.
The Comfort Myth: “Warm Air = Warm Space”
Humans don’t experience warmth by measuring air temperature alone. Comfort is influenced by:
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Surface temperatures (walls, floors, objects)
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Radiant heat felt by the body
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Stability of warmth over time
This is why a room can technically be “warm” yet still feel cold — especially in older buildings, churches, studios, or spaces with hard surfaces. Heating the air treats the symptom, not the cause.
The Alternative: Heat the Space, Not the Air
A more efficient approach is to heat people and surfaces directly. Radiant heating systems — such as infrared — work differently:
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They emit gentle, radiant heat
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This heat is absorbed by walls, floors, furnishings and the human body
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Warmth is retained within the structure of the room
Instead of chasing warm air around the ceiling, the room itself becomes the heat store. The result:
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Even consistent comfort
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Less heat loss
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Reduced energy demand
Why Radiant Heat Feels Different (and Better)
Radiant heat is how the sun warms the earth — without heating the air in between. This type of warmth:
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Feels immediate and natural
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Doesn’t rely on air circulation
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Remains stable even when doors open
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Works effectively in large, tall or draughty buildings
Because surfaces retain heat, systems don’t need to cycle on and off as aggressively — improving efficiency and comfort at the same time.
Where Air Heating Struggles the Most
Heating air becomes especially inefficient in:
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High-ceiling rooms
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Churches and heritage buildings
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Yoga studios and wellness spaces
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Open-plan homes
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Warehouses and halls
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Poorly insulated or intermittently used buildings
These environments benefit most from radiant heating because the warmth stays where it’s needed — not floating overhead.
So What Should You Do Instead?
If your space:
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Feels cold despite the heating being on
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Suffers from uneven warmth
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Has high energy bills
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Needs quiet, invisible heat
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Is used intermittently
It may be time to rethink how you heat, not just how much. Heating the air is a habit — not a requirement.
Final Thought
Efficient heating isn’t about blasting hotter air into a room. It’s about understanding how heat behaves — and using it intelligently. When warmth is absorbed, stored and gently released by the space itself, comfort improves and energy waste drops. Sometimes, the smartest solution isn’t more heat — It’s better heat.
Real-World Results: Heating Large, Challenging Spaces
The difference between heating air and heating surfaces becomes especially clear in large or high-ceiling buildings.
In a recent installation for a large community space, traditional convection heating struggled to maintain comfort, with warm air collecting near the ceiling and cold conditions remaining at floor level. After switching to a radiant infrared heating system, warmth was delivered directly to people and surfaces instead of being lost overhead.
The result was a noticeably more comfortable environment, improved temperature stability, and reduced reliance on constant heating cycles — all without altering the building’s character or layout.
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