Heat rises, so why heat from the ceiling?

Heat rises. So why a heated ceiling?

The first time anyone hears about heated ceilings, one question follows immediately: why put it up there, when heat rises? It is worth taking that objection seriously, because the answer explains the whole principle.

Does heat actually rise?

Start by setting aside what you thought you knew. Warm air rises, certainly, but it is not heat itself that is moving. The distinction is subtle and it decides everything.

As air warms it becomes less dense and rises. Heat, on the other hand, travels in every direction, including sideways and downwards.

The sun, our natural heating

Think of the sun. Despite sitting far above us, its rays warm us effectively. How? Through infrared light, invisible light that warms the skin directly.

A heated ceiling works on the same principle. You do not need to heat the air to feel warm. The system radiates heat, exactly as the sun does.

What a heated ceiling brings that is easy to miss

• Even warmth: no more cold feet and a warm head. The heat is spread evenly across the whole room.
• Lower energy use: by warming objects and people directly, a heated ceiling is often more efficient than a conventional system.
• A room you designed: with no bulky radiators, the layout of the room is yours rather than the heating engineer's.

Convinced?

A heated ceiling is not a passing fashion. It changes how we think about heating a room, by taking its cue from the way the sun works.

Next time you are choosing a heating system, look up.