Click one of the questions below for a detailed answer.

• What is quartz heating
• Are the heaters expensive to run?
• Are quartz heaters controllable?
• How long does it take before the quartz heaters are fully effective?
• Are quartz heaters safe to use?
• Is there any UV output from these lamps?
• How long do the quartz lamps last?
• Are quartz heaters suitable for outdoor use?
• Are specialist installers required?
• Can quartz heaters be used in hazardous areas?
• Do quartz heaters emit any light?
• Why choose an electric heater, rather than a gas heater?
• How can I estimate my cost of operation?
• Are quartz elements better than "short wave" halogen elements?
• How small of a heater can I use?

• Can I operate Crown heaters from home lighting controls or home management systems?
• Choosing the right kind of patio heater
• Short wave lamps
• What to look for
• Don't pay for features you don't need
• Consider ways to make cost savings
• Low Capital & Installation Costs
• Low Running & Ownership Costs
• Environmentally Friendly
• Safe
• Efficient
• Life style
• Design
• Energy consumption
• "Hassle-free"

Q: What is quartz heating?

• A: Quartz heaters work like the sun, radiating their heat instantly to the person or objects within their beam. It is the most effective way to warm people, as there is no warm up period. Also, as the air in between remains unheated no heat is lost to draughts, open doors or high roof spaces. This form of heating is ideal in part-occupied buildings as the heating can be zoned and controlled.
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Q: Are the heaters expensive to run?

• A: No. Correctly designed heating schemes will establish exact heater requirements. All running costs can be calculated in advance and no warm up periods are required.
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Q: Are quartz heaters controllable?

• A: Yes. Crown offers a unique range of variable controllers which offer maximum flexibility. Using proven microprocessor technology, these controllers can offer savings of up to 70%.
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Q: How long does it take before the quartz heaters are fully effective?

• A: They are 92% radiant efficient within one second of switching on.
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Q: Are quartz heaters safe to use?

• A: Yes. Philips and GE infrared quartz lamps are similar in operation and safety requirements to normal Halogen floodlight lamps, and as such, given normal, correct usage are a low-risk product.
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Q: Is there any UV output from these lamps?

• A: No. our quartz heaters project pure infra-red heat.
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Q: How long do the quartz lamps last?

• A: Depending upon the type of heater and its use, the lamps have an average life span of 7,000 hours, with a constant level of heat throughout their life.
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Q: Are quartz heaters suitable for outdoor use?

• A: Yes, quartz heaters produce the only type of heat which is instant, directional and does not blow away. Also, as they do not use gas they are completely safe to use. Crown has developed a range of quartz heaters which are suitable for outdoor use, and which have been specially coated to prevent rust.
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Q: Are specialist installers required?

• A: No. Any competent, qualified electrician can install our fixed heaters. Our mobile heaters simply plug in to a standard socket.
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Q: Can quartz heaters be used in hazardous areas?

• A: No. Short wave infrared heaters must not be installed within any hazardous area. No part of the electrical control equipment associated with such heaters should be installed in such an area unless it is installed in conformity with BS 5345. If in doubt, check with the Factory Inspector.
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Q: Do quartz heaters emit any light?

• A: Yes. As a by-product 9% of the output is light, which gives a gentle illumination.
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Q: Why choose an electric heater, rather than a gas heater?

• A: Simply put, electric heaters look better, are more efficient and are easier to operate and maintain. Electric heaters are over 90% efficient and are perfectly safe for use indoors or outdoors. They are also economical to operate and require little maintenance beyond periodic cleaning. Unlike gas heaters, there are no valves, ignition components, moving parts or burners to maintain or repair. In addition, electric heaters produce no sound, odors or toxic emissions.
  
  An electric heater is also easier to use. Enjoying electric comfort heat is as easy as flipping a switch. You can adjust the intensity of an electric heater infinitely from zero to 100% of power. By contrast, gas heaters only produce infrared energy on their highest possible settings.
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Q: How can I estimate my cost of operation?

• A: Electric heaters are economical to operate. It is easy to estimate your operating cost by multiplying the total kilowatts by your local power rate for a "kilowatt hour" (kwh). Standard power rates vary from market to market. Your rate should appear on any monthly utility statement. For example, a typical 3,000 watt (3 KW) heater, at full power, would cost 27 pence per hour based on a utility rate of 9 pence per kwh. Also keep in mind that your electric heater has a lower acquisition cost.
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Q: Are quartz elements better than "short wave" halogen elements?

• A: If you are concerned about ambience, the appearance of your décor and creating a more relaxing environment, Crown infrared quartz elements are always the best choice. Crown quartz elements provide comfortable medium wave heat. Competitive products with short wave halogen elements produce more intense heat while emitting very bright and harsh-colored light. By contrast, Crown medium wave elements effectively heat your space, while providing a soft, warm glow that is practically unnoticeable.
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Q: How small of a heater can I use?

• A: Always choose a heater size with the appropriate heat output for the mounting height and area to cover. By selecting a smaller unit, you may require more heaters to get the same amount of heat output. If you are choosing a dual element unit for aesthetic purposes, you will be concentrating more heat into a tighter space. Again, this may mean that you will possibly require more fixtures to provide total coverage of your area. Patio heating is often a compromise between functionality and finding the desired look.
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Q: Can I operate Crown heaters from home lighting controls or home management systems?

• A: Yes. We an provide remote control and full integration with your controls designed to accept a 0-10-volt DC signal from the home management system, to vary the intensity of the heaters.
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Q: Choosing the right kind of patio heater

• A: For convenience in a commercial setting electric radiant heating is likely to be the method of choice, as there will be no gas cylinders to order, store or change.
  
  There are, however, significant disparities between the kinds of electric radiant heaters available; and major differences in their efficency in an outdoor setting.
  
  The principle of radiant heating is well-known, and there are important distinctions to be made between long wave and medium or short wave emitter quartz lamps. For example, the radiant efficiency of a short wave infra-red heater is up to 96% and that of a medium wave heater around 40%.
  
  Electric infrared energy travels outward in straight lines from the heat source, diffusing over distance, and is directed into specific patterns by optically designed reflectors. For successful comfort heating, there must be reasonably even levels of heat throughout the area to be heated. Proper mounting heights of the individual heaters, accurate heater spacing, reflector beam patterns, and heat wattage must all be specified to generate the proper heating levels.
  
  Short wave high intensity quartz radiants work like sunshine and have a warming effect the instant the heaters are switched on. Short wave heaters warm people and objects within the beam rather than the air; resulting in a pleasantly fresh rather than stuffy environment, whereas long and medium wave heat has comparatively poor heating characteristics, especially when used outdoors, as it relies on heating the air and does not penetrate the skin to warm up the person.
  
  In addition long and medium wave heat is susceptible to air movement and is not directional.
  
  The wavelength is inversely proportional to temperature. As the temperature goes up, the wavelength goes down. In reality, a medium wave filament, which only heats up to around 900° Celsius, is more suitable for curing and drying processes rather than for outside heating applications, although cheap heaters with medium wave filaments can be purchased as exterior heaters. Long wave heaters are most suited to heating inside areas where a low level of heat is required and it is acceptable for the heaters to be in use for some time to pre-heat the area before it is occupied. Ceramic plaque heaters fall between medium and long wave, heating up to around 500° Celsius but, again, are of little use for alfresco heating as they warm the air rather than penetrating through it and warming the person.
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Q: Short wave lamps

• A: Short wave halogen heat lamps consist of a tungsten filament heated by the passage of an electric current to a temperature of some 2200° Celsius. At this temperature most of the emission is in the short wave infra-red band.
  
  The moment they are switched on, a warming effect can be felt, so the heaters only need to be switched on when an area is occupied, and the ambient temperature dictates that heating is needed.
  
  For heating applications a ruby sleeve or gold dichroic coating encloses the halogen heat lamp to filter out the intense white light and provide an aesthetically pleasing warm glow.
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Q: What to look for

• A: When selecting short wave electric quartz heaters, it is important to consider the place in which they will be mounted. As a rule, ordinary lamps should only be mounted horizontally, and will burn out in a vertical position. Crown offer quartz heaters with lamps which have been specially designed to operate either vertically or horizontally and these must be specified at the time of ordering. Always look for a quality branded lamp inside the heater, for example, Philips or GE, as they offer maximum reliability.
  
  A quartz linear heater should always have a highly reflective, long-lasting aluminium reflector which directs a focused 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, and one which will impact both on the heater's performance and on its life span. High grade Miro 4 aluminium is always used for reflectors in Crown's heaters since its reflectance is 90-95% in the IR-A range, giving the high heat levels which are required when the heaters are mounted at a high level. Many imitation quartz patio heaters only have around 1/3 of the output of a Crown 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. 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. Specify heaters with side reflectors as they keep the heat away from the critical part of the lamp, helping to prevent premature lamp failure and significantly improving the output of the heater.
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Q: Don't pay for features you don't need

• A: Some heaters are marketed with a high IP (ingress proof) rating, for example, IP65. Before paying extra for it, ask for proof, as many heaters don't carry any IP rating whatsoever. Also, consider whether it is really necessary for your application. Many heaters are installed under some cover, an awning or umbrella, which in itself provides protection. If they are not, then IP24 is usually a sufficient rating for permanent outdoor installation.
  
  If a heater has an IP65 rating, check whether it can be re-lamped. In a heater with a wire guard, 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, which is both expensive and inconvenient as the heater will be out of service for some time.
  
  Beware cheap Chinese copies of quartz patio heaters - the old adage "you get what you pay for" applies to most things in life including patio heaters. These heaters only use ordinary glass which does not allow heat to pass through and can shatter under the heat duress. The component parts give poor heat output and an inadequate lamp life of around 12 hours rather than 1,100 - 7,000 hours, depending on the heater model, from Crown.
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Q: Consider ways to make cost savings

• A: The running cost of a Crown electric quartz radiant heater is just 9p per kilowatt hour, and there are ways to ensure that costs are kept to a minimum without compromising on comfort for those using the outside space. As we have seen, the efficient nature of short wave heaters mean that they can be left switched off when the area is not in use; as they work instantly when heat is needed. Crown also provides a range of variable control systems, which enable heat output to be varied between 30 per cent and 100 per cent, as the ambient temperature varies and user preference dictates.
  
  The system is highly flexible and allows heaters to be controlled over a range of 6 metres (20ft) either from the main base unit, which is fitted to an inside wall, or from a remote control handset. So a heater operating at 30 per cent of its capacity makes an energy saving of 70 per cent.
  
  Increasingly creating an area for smokers is a pressing need for many businesses hoping to avoid a downturn in business as bans on smoking in enclosed public places make their impact felt. A little research into the available options for heating will ensure that the heated outdoor area can help to bolster profits, rather than becoming yet another drain upon them.
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Q: Low Capital & Installation Costs

• A: Quartz electric heaters are very easy to install, ensuring installation costs are kept to a minimum. It doesn’t require any pipe-work, simply a connection to the electrical circuit[s], so they can usually be installed in a matter of minutes. For new build properties this means it can go in at the second fix wiring stage. And for refurbishments and replacements, it means minimal disruption. What’s more, because the heaters can work as stand-alone units or as a system, it is easy and cheap to add heaters to a system at any time as budgets permit.
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Q: Low Running & Ownership Costs

• A: There is often confusion about the running costs of quartz electric heating compared to other forms of heating. 92% of the energy used is converted directly into heat within one second of switching on: the remainder is converted into light as a by-product of the process, giving a welcoming glow.
  
  The cost of energy for different heating systems is only part of the true running cost equation. The true cost to consider is the lifetime costs of the system, which not only take into account the energy used, but the hidden maintenance costs – both monetary and time - over its lifetime.
  
  Because quartz electric heaters have no moving parts, heaters can be expected to last for many years. Whilst average lamp life varies from heater to heater, when used in accordance to Crown’s instructions, lamps can last up to 7,000 hours and maybe longer.
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Q: Environmentally Friendly

• A: Quartz infrared heaters do not burn oxygen, or produce any CO² emissions whatsoever, unlike gas heaters which do produce CO² emissions. The level of CO² emission is directly linked to how the electricity is produced in the country (O if it is green electricity). In the UK it corresponds to the following:
  
  1,5kw/h for the IR short wave electrical base.
  Then Total CO² indirect Emission = 0,64 kgCO²
  
  A gas heater directly emits over 4 times more CO² that an electrical IR heater does indirectly
  
  15kw/h for the typical gas heater.
  Then Total CO² direct Emission = 2,85 kgCO²
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Q: Safe

• A: End Users are often concerned about the safety of gas heating. By contrast, quartz electric heating has a proven track record regarding safety.
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Q: Efficient

• A: Infrared heating is considered very efficient because it only heats a particular area instead of the whole room. It does not heat the air (convection heating), but its warmth is pleasantly transmitted like sunshine to the people who are in its path (directional heating). Infrared produces an immediate heating effect and consequently consumes less energy. It is the best way to heat large buildings, such as churches, aircraft hangars and train stations as no pre-heat time is needed and the heat does not rise to the ceiling.
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Q: Life style

• A: People want to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Infrared heaters are more efficient than gas heaters, as they are not affected by windy conditions. They are unaffected by drafts indoors as well.
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Q: Design

• A: An infrared heater saves valuable floor space as it can be installed remotely (on a terrace wall or installed in terrace furniture (sunshade, canopy, windscreen), unlike a gas mushroom heater.
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Q: Energy consumption

• A: If combined with PIR (presence detector), and/or remote control, an infrared quartz heater can easily be adjusted in heat output and energy consumption, to suit the actual needs of the consumer and the ambient temperature.
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Q: "Hassle-free"

• A: Infrared heaters offer convenient heat that doesn’t need refilling with bottles that tend to run out in the middle of lunch/dinner time! No gas bottle storage is required either.
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