Warm Enough for Animals

In an animal building – a cage, pen, dog kennel, stable or outbuilding – heating film can be installed in the wall, the ceiling or the floor just as it would be in a home. Which surface is right depends on the animal and the size of the space: in a large stable the ceiling is usually the better choice, in a kennel the inner side of the roof, and in both cases a thermostat controls the temperature.

When snow and frost arrive, pets fall into two groups: those who get to stay in a warm home, and those who spend their days outdoors in a kennel or pen even in harsh weather. Livestock overwinter in stables and outbuildings anyway. None of them has to shiver – warmth can be provided simply and at a reasonable cost.

Why are a blanket and a radiant heater not enough?

A thick blanket in the kennel is a well-meant solution, but in lasting cold even animals with thick fur start to feel it after a while. Radiant heaters and iron stoves, still common in stables, rabbit hutches and other animal housing, have a weak point in cost: to be warm enough near the animals they have to run at high output, which means considerable running costs.

Infrared heating works on a different principle: radiant heat warms the surfaces and living beings in its path rather than primarily the air. That is why the temperature feels comfortable even at a lower thermostat setting. In our experience, in a larger room with a high ceiling it can be enough to set the heating to 20 degrees to get the feel of 23 degrees, and the heat is distributed more evenly than with conventional heating.

Where should the heating film go?

We cover the heating of riding halls and stables in a separate article: Infrared heating instead of blankets. The ways of heating a dog kennel are compared in the dog kennel heating decision guide, and for smaller pets there are heated beds among our products for pets (Hungarian-language shop, delivery within Hungary).

Control: air and surface temperature separately

A practical feature of infrared heating is that both the air temperature and the temperature of the heated surface can be measured and controlled. So you can raise or lower either one as needed – with a thermostat on site, or from a mobile phone with a smart home solution. With animals this is convenient: if the weather suddenly changes outside, you do not have to go out to the pen or the stable because of it.

What to watch for in an animal building

• Cables and connections: they must be placed so that the animals cannot reach them, chew them or get hurt.
• Environment: pens and stables have dust and moisture, so the installation location and the layer structure must be planned for the conditions of the room.
• Moderation: overheating is bad for animals too. Set the temperature to the needs of the animal, not to your own comfort; for old, sick or young animals, also ask your vet.

Is it worth it for the farmer?

In Hungary few animal keepers heat with renewable energy so far. Yet infrared heating combined with a solar panel system can be an option for an animal-keeping business too: solar panels can reduce the electricity cost of heating, and radiant heating delivers the heat precisely where the animals are. How a given investment compares to, say, a heat pump system must always be calculated for the specific building; we have collected the considerations in our up-to-date cost comparison of heat pumps and infrared heating.