The Warmth of the Sun in Our Bathroom

A bathroom has a higher heat demand than the rest of the home, and with a wet body we feel cold surfaces and draughts more. It therefore needs heating that gives direct, pleasant warmth quickly. An infrared panel does this well: like the warmth of the Sun, it heats by radiation, it can be fitted later without demolition on the wall or ceiling, and it can work as supplementary or main heating.

Why is the bathroom different?

The bathroom is one of the most important rooms in our home: our day begins and ends here, and even if it is only a few minutes, it is good if they pass in comfort. The 20–22 °C usual in a living room is not enough here for many people; for bathing and showering, the heating should be able to reach 26–28 °C. The bathroom is also typically small, with a lot of cold floor and wall covering, and because of the humid air the condition of the walls needs attention too.

How does an infrared panel heat in the bathroom?

Infrared heating does not primarily warm the air. The panel's radiation is absorbed by the floor and wall coverings, the furnishings and the person in the room, and the warmed surfaces then pass heat on to the air. The feeling is like standing in sunshine – which is why a panel fitted in a bathroom is sometimes called a "mini infrared sauna". Because warm surfaces also improve the sense of warmth, with radiant heating the thermostat can often be set lower than with heating that warms the air; how much saving this means depends on the room's heat loss and on usage.

With radiant heating the temperature difference between floor and ceiling within the room is smaller, which is especially welcome to wet, more sensitive skin. Less moisture condenses on the warmer walls, so the chance of mould is also lower. We write in detail about bathroom heating film and protection against mould in our other bathroom article.

Where should the panel go? Safety in the bathroom

A bathroom is a wet room, so placement and wiring are the most important things here:

• Choose only a panel approved for damp rooms. Many infrared panels are not made for bathroom use. Check on the manufacturer's data sheet whether the type, with the required protection rating, can also be installed in a bathroom.
• Away from water. The panel should not go directly next to the bath, shower or washbasin, but in a place where splashing water can reach it at most minimally. In a smaller bathroom this is most often the ceiling; in a larger bathroom a wall farther from the water points may also do.
• Professional wiring. In a wet room, leave the wiring and the shock protection to an electrician.
• Ventilation. Heating does not replace regular ventilation: the moisture has to leave.

Economical and low-maintenance

An infrared panel can be controlled with a thermostat as needed, so it heats only when the bathroom is in use – good for your wallet and for the environment. It has no wearing, moving parts that would have to be replaced, it needs no regular service, and an occasional dusting is enough. With many other heating solutions the system has to be inspected by a professional every year, which raises the cost of heating further.

Heating solutions for the bathroom – webshop

You can choose from the three solutions below; you will find the current types and prices on the product pages.

• Infrared panel – on the wall or ceiling, as supplementary or main heating.
• Mirror infrared panel – it heats and can be used as a mirror at the same time, so it plays a double role in the bathroom.
• Towel warmer – it dries and keeps the towel warm, and also gives supplementary heating. We have collected the selection criteria in our buying guide.

Who do we recommend it to?

An infrared panel is a good choice for the bathroom for anyone who does not want to spend much on installation and break up floor coverings, likes warmth similar to sunshine, and wants well-controllable heating. If you are renovating the bathroom completely, it is worth considering heating film built into the floor or wall as well; you can read about the differences between panels and film on our infrared panel page.