[Greenbuilding] Quartz Infrared Heaters

[nick pine]

"elitalking" <elitalking at rockbridge.net> writes:

>... in this device, the lamp is inside a box that includes a fan to 
>distribute the heat convectively...  My guess is that a lamp is used to 
>heat up copper plates and a fan blows this heat to deliver to space.

Multiple tubular lamps inside multiple copper tubes... a $300 version of a 
$15 space heater that delivers the same amount of heat with the same 
electrical power consumption. I'm just back from the PA Energy Fest. I 
complained about Edenpure's misleading advertising last year ("Does not burn 
or dry out house air like other space heaters!") I also complained about a 
space heater that electrolysed water and then burned the H2 and O2 to 
produce "Five times more heat than other space heaters!" It turned out the 
guy who was selling these had a day job as a puppeteer :-) I was pleased to 
see that these guys weren't a part of this year's Fest. Nor were the people 
selling power factor correction capacitors for houses, altho one DIYer gave 
a talk about his free energy device, citing Wilhelm Reich of orgone box 
fame. When I spoke up and said it was bullshit, one audience member spoke up 
and said "Isn't this supposed to be a brainstorming session, with no dumping 
on ideas?" Others told me they were happy I spoke up.

How about a kotatsu http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kotatsu or a 12 V 
motorcycle vest to stay warm in a cold house?

A timber framer asked our "Ask the Renewable Engineer" table "How much 
distributed weight will 24" deep x 12" wide x 30' long swing beams on 16' 
centers support, if they are made from prime #1 doug fir with a 2400 psi max 
fiber strength?" I said "128 pounds per square foot," but suggested he check 
that with a civil vs electrical engineer :-) He had forgotten the simple 
beam calcs he said he learned in 1974.

Nick