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INFRARED HEATING SOLUTIONS

Infrared Heating for Churches

THE APPLICATION

Churches and places of worship present some of the most challenging heating environments. High ceilings, large internal volumes, historic construction and intermittent occupancy mean a church heating system needs to be designed very differently from one intended for a typical home or modern commercial building.

Traditional radiators, boilers and warm-air systems generally rely heavily on heating the air. In a high-ceilinged church, warmed air naturally rises away from the congregation, making it difficult to provide useful comfort at seating level without heating a considerable volume of space above.

Infrared heating takes a different approach. Rather than relying primarily on raising the temperature of the entire air volume, radiant energy is directed towards people and surrounding surfaces. This makes infrared particularly useful where the priority is heating occupied areas such as pews, aisles, chancels, choir areas and community spaces.

For churches that are only occupied at particular times, the system can also be divided into heating zones. This allows the heating strategy to reflect how the building is actually used rather than assuming every part of the church needs to operate together.

Infrared systems are electric and do not require the boiler, water-filled radiators and associated pipework of a wet central heating system. This can be particularly useful when planning heating for historic interiors, although heater positioning, electrical routes, mounting and any applicable conservation or consent requirements still need careful consideration.

Our detailed guide on how to heat a church efficiently without damaging the building explores these considerations in more detail.

Infrared Heating Supplies is an approved supplier through Parish Buying, supporting churches looking for a practical electric heating solution for both modern and heritage places of worship.

If you are researching your options before planning a project, read our Complete Guide to Efficient Church Heating. It covers heater selection, high ceilings, zoning, controls, running costs and the considerations involved in designing a church heating system.

You can also see a real church installation in our Baildon Methodist Church case study.

For guidance on choosing the right type of control, see Built-In Thermostat vs Non-Thermostat Heaters.

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Infrared Heaters for Churches and Places of Worship

Infrared heating can be particularly useful in large, high-ceilinged spaces such as naves, aisles, chancels and congregation seating areas because radiant energy can be directed towards the occupied areas below rather than relying solely on heating the complete air volume.

High-output infrared heaters can be positioned around the church to create useful radiant coverage of the congregation and other occupied areas. The final positioning should be designed around the architecture of the building as well as the required heating output.

Churches with different patterns of use can also be divided into heating zones. For example, the main congregation area, choir, side chapel or community area may not always need to operate at the same time. Where independent zones are required, each needs an appropriate control arrangement.

High ceilings still need to be considered carefully. Heater output, mounting height, position and spacing all affect how effectively radiant warmth reaches the intended area. Our guide to infrared heating for high ceilings explains this in more detail.

Church Heating Guides and Resources

For the heating equipment itself, explore our Heritage Infrared Heating range for churches and historic buildings.

Infrared Heating for Churches infrared heating

Calculate the right infrared heating for your space

Use our wattage calculator to determine the correct infrared heating setup based on room size, insulation, and how the space is used.

Calculate your heating requirements

Church Heating Performance, Controls and Heritage Considerations

Designing an effective church heating system starts with understanding the building rather than simply selecting a heater from the floor area.

Important factors include:

  • Floor dimensions and overall internal volume
  • Ceiling height
  • Building construction and insulation
  • Heater mounting height and available positions
  • The location of pews and occupied areas
  • How frequently different areas are used
  • Required heating zones
  • Electrical installation requirements
  • Heritage, listed-building or conservation considerations

How Much Heating Does a Church Need?

There is no single watts-per-square-metre figure that is suitable for every church. A small modern chapel and a large stone church with a vaulted ceiling can require very different heating strategies even when their floor areas appear similar.

Use our Infrared Heating Wattage Calculator as a starting point for estimating the required heating output. For larger church projects, heater quantity, mounting positions, zones and controls should then be considered as part of the overall system design.

Zoning and Heating Controls

One of the advantages of electric infrared heating in an intermittently occupied church is the ability to organise the system around different areas of use.

Rather than assuming the entire church needs to operate whenever heating is required, separate zones can be designed for areas such as the main congregation, choir, sanctuary or community spaces.

Thermostatic control and scheduling can then be planned around the way each zone is used. Where separate independent zones are required, the electrical and control arrangement needs to be designed accordingly.

Our Netmostat Smart Thermostat provides an external control option for compatible infrared heating installations.

Church Heating Running Costs

The running cost of an electric infrared heating system depends primarily on the total active heater output, the length of time the heaters draw power and the electricity tariff.

The basic maximum active-cost calculation is:

Total heater output in kW × operating hours × electricity price per kWh = electricity cost.

Actual energy use can differ depending on the system design, thermostatic operation, zoning, schedules and how the church is used. This is why we do not recommend relying on a blanket percentage saving when comparing church heating systems.

For worked examples and a more detailed explanation, see How Much Does It Cost to Heat a Church with Infrared?.

Historic and Listed Churches

Infrared heating can be considered for historic and listed churches because it provides an electric radiant-heating option without the wet pipework associated with a traditional boiler-and-radiator system.

That does not mean every installation is automatically non-intrusive. Heater mounting, electrical routes, fixing points, visual impact and the building's conservation requirements still need to be considered carefully, and any required permissions should be established before work begins.

Our dedicated guide explains more about planning infrared heating around the requirements of a historic church.

Environmental Considerations

Infrared heating is electric, so gas or oil is not burned at the point of use. The overall carbon impact of the system still depends on the source of the electricity, the total amount of energy consumed and how the heating is operated.

Targeted heating, zoning and appropriate controls can help avoid unnecessary operation in unused areas, while an electric system can also operate with electricity supplied from renewable sources where available.

Read more about the environmental considerations of switching church heating to infrared.

See Infrared Church Heating in Practice

For a real example of an infrared heating project in a place of worship, see our Baildon Methodist Church case study.

If you are planning a church heating project and would like help with heater selection, positioning or system sizing, contact Infrared Heating Supplies with your building dimensions and project requirements.

FAQS

Frequently asked questions

Is infrared heating suitable for historic and listed churches?

Infrared heating can be considered for historic and listed churches, but the installation still needs to respect the building, its interior and any applicable conservation or consent requirements. Heater positioning, mounting and electrical routes should therefore be considered as part of the project design.

Can infrared heating work in churches with very high ceilings?

Yes, but ceiling height is an important part of the system design. Heater output, mounting height, position, angle and spacing all influence how effectively radiant warmth reaches the congregation and other occupied areas.

Can churches heat only certain areas?

Yes. A church infrared heating system can be divided into zones so that different occupied areas can be controlled separately where the system has been designed with the appropriate electrical and control arrangement.

Which infrared heaters are suitable for larger churches?

For larger and high-ceilinged church interiors, higher-output heaters may be more practical than using a large number of smaller domestic panels. Our Heritage range includes 4800W and 7800W infrared heating options. The appropriate model and quantity depend on the individual building and proposed layout.

How much does infrared church heating cost to run?

Running cost depends on the total active heater output, operating time and electricity tariff. Zoning, schedules and thermostatic control can affect actual consumption, so costs should be calculated for the proposed church heating system rather than using a universal percentage saving.

How do I calculate how much infrared heating my church needs?

Start with the building dimensions, ceiling height, construction and insulation rather than floor area alone. Our Wattage Calculator provides a starting estimate, while larger church projects should also consider heater positioning, quantity, zoning and controls.