As a rule, ordinary lamps must not be operated in an angled position, they will burn out. Tansun offer quartz heaters with lamps which have been specially designed to operate either horizontally or at an angle and these must be specified at the time of ordering. Always look at the lamp inside the heater and ensure that it is branded HeLeN Gold lamp.
A quartz linear heater should always have a highly reflective, long-lasting aluminium reflector which directs a focussed energy beam on an area as required. A special benefit of the adjustable beam direction is that high intensity radiant heating can be provided at low level even though the heater is mounted at a high level.
Always look for heaters with a dedicated reflector; not ones relying on the surface of their extrusion to reflect heat back. The method of extrusion production leaves draw marks on the surface and it is usually not of mirror quality so cannot act as a true reflector. It is merely a cost saving measure for the manufacturer. High grade aluminium is always used for reflectors in Tansun’s heaters since its reflectance is in the 85-90% visible range and rises to 90-95% in the IR-A range, giving the high heat levels which are required when the heaters are mounted at a high level. Cheap imitation quartz patio heaters only have 30% of the output of a Tansun heater as they use low grade lighting material which is just 0.2-0.4mm thick; it has insufficient reflective coating and absorbs the heat, eventually closing up around lamp.
It is essential that the parabola shape of the reflector is accurate and the lamp is placed in the correct focus within the reflector in order to obtain maximum heat output. Tansun utilises Computer Aided Design technology to produce the reflector, the most critical part of the heater. If the focal point of the lamp mounting is incorrect, it will retain heat in the body rather than projecting it outwards, resulting in premature lamp failure. The pinch temperature on the lamp mountings is very critical and should not exceed 350ºC, if it does it will again cause premature lamp failure. The lamp should be mounted in such a way to dissipate heat away from the ceramic on the lamp towards the heater body, which in turn will act as a heat sink. Always look for heaters with side reflectors as they keep the heat away from the critical part of the lamp and significantly improve the output of the heater.
Some heaters are marketed with a high IP (Ingress Protection) rating e.g. IP65. You are paying extra for it but do you really need it? Many heaters are installed under some cover, an awning or umbrella, which in itself provides protection. If they are not, then IP24 is a sufficient rating for permanent outdoor installation. If a heater has an IP65 rating, check whether it can be re-lamped. The wiring is normally such that the heater will either need to be stripped down by an electrical engineer for re-lamping or returned to the factory.
Beware cheap Chinese copies of quartz infrared patio heaters – the old adage “you get what you pay for” applies to most things in life including outdoor and patio heaters. The component parts are of an inferior quality, again giving poor heat output and an inadequate lamp life of maybe less than a hundred hours rather than 3,000 – 7,000 hours, depending on the heater model, from Tansun.
Substantial technological improvements have occurred since the very first Quartz Infrared outdoor heater came on to the market over 10 years ago. Tansun’s improving infrared heater range incorporates all these improvements.