No More Feeling Cold in Old Age

In old age many people feel cold even in a heated home, because sensitivity to cold can have health causes too. Infrared heating does not treat these, but it can greatly improve the sense of comfort: by radiation it warms the body, the furniture and the walls directly, and gives a more even heat distribution than heating that circulates air.

Why do older people feel cold more?

Many know the situation: in winter we arrive at our parents' in a thin sweater, and they open the door in a heated home in several layers of clothes, wrapped in a blanket, in thick slippers - and they are still cold. Sensitivity to cold can also have a medical background. MedlinePlus, the health encyclopaedia of the US National Library of Medicine, mentions among the possible causes, for example, anaemia, circulatory problems, an underactive thyroid and generally poor health, and also writes that older people with little body fat often tolerate cold less well. With persistent or strong feelings of cold it is therefore worth consulting a doctor too.

Many people find that their hands and feet cool first, and the winter months are particularly burdensome then. Heating the home harder is not always the answer: warm air rises under the ceiling, it stays cooler near the floor, and a higher air temperature also shows on the heating bill.

How is infrared heating different?

Infrared heating releases heat by radiation. It first warms the people in the room, the objects and the walls, and only these pass the warmth on to the air. That is why comfortable warmth is felt in a short time, and the difference between the temperature measured near the floor and at head height is smaller than with heating that warms the air. For someone who sits or rests a lot, the difference is felt at the feet too.

Because radiant heating does not circulate the air, it stirs up less dust. It is important to be clear, though: infrared heating is not a cure. If an illness lies behind the feeling of cold, a doctor has to treat it - the heating "only" adds an even, pleasant environment.

Installation options

Infrared heating can be set up in many ways: as underfloor heating, ceiling heating, wall heating or outdoor heating. When this article was published, in 2021, we sold 3rd-generation heating film for this; today we install 4th-generation heating film, with an enlarged carbon-paste surface. In a finished home, if you do not want to break up the floor covering, heating film built into the ceiling or an infrared panel mounted on a wall or ceiling can also be a solution.

Costs and operation

Infrared heating is electric heating. The investment can be favourable because no boiler, pipe network or radiator is needed, and the system needs no regular maintenance. The running cost depends on the price of electricity, the insulation of the house and usage habits, so instead of promises it is worth calculating for the specific home. We give a 15.5-year warranty on 4th-generation heating film if we carry out the installation.

Instead of one more cardigan and thick socks, this can make the home of our parents, who feel cold in the cold months, evenly warm. If you need help with this, request a quote (installation is available in Hungary).