Often bathrooms -- other than the master bathroom -- in a house have limited floor and wall space. During cool weather, keeping warm while showering or taking a bath when there isn't room for floor or wall heaters can be problematic. Ceiling-mounted bathroom heaters solve the space problem, while providing comfortable warmth. A number of different models are available, with basic types including infrared lamp, fan-driven forced-air, and exhaust fans that heat the air.
Infrared Lamp Heaters
These units give warmth to cold bathrooms without expending energy to keep the bathroom constantly warm. Infrared lamps don't heat the air directly, but create heat when the light strikes an object, such as a person or clothing. There can be one, two or four infrared lamps in a heater. Lamps are mounted with an exhaust fan, which ranges from 70 to 90 cubic feet per minute. Infrared lamps are usually 250-watt, but can be as high as 275. An advantage of infrared heating is that relative humidity and oxygen levels are not impacted, because the air itself is not heated.
Forced-Air Heaters
These are the most common ceiling-mounted heaters in use. They consist of a nickel-and-chromium heating element that warms up when an electric current is passed through it, causing electrical resistance and heat. A fan is mounted in the heater that draws cold air in from the side, passes it over the heating element, then forces it out the other side. Heaters come in two sizes: 120-volt, 1,500-wattage models that can heat 1,500 square feet and 240 volt, 2,000-wattage models that heat 2,000 square feet.
Combination Exhaust Fan and Heater
Some heaters combine an exhaust fan -- which takes air outside the bathroom to help control humidity -- with directional heaters and even lights. The amount of air moved by the fan correlates with the square footage that can be exhausted. A 100-cubic-foot-per-minute, or CFM, fan evacuates a 100-square-foot bathroom; a 70-CFM fan a 70-square-foot room; and a 50-CFM fan a 50-square foot bathroom. Heaters range from 1,500-wattage to 1,300-wattage. Lights incorporated into the unit can be either incandescent or fluorescent.
Installation Concerns
Ceiling units should not be mounted in walls or in sloping ceilings. They work best where ceiling heights are not greater than 8 feet. Installation of a thermostat is a good safety feature, as well as an energy-saving device. You don't have to worry about manually shutting off the heater before leaving the bathroom or the house, if the unit is thermostatically controlled. The thermostat can be set to come on at a desired setting, keeping electricity costs down. Thermostats should be placed on internal walls away from drafts and where air can circulate freely around the thermostat sensors.
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