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How to use an infrared heater

Updated: October 2026

Warm legs and cold air behind the sofa are line-of-sight heat. A remote with no battery, or a lead that stops at the bracket, can look like a dead element. This is how to use an infrared heater from the twelve listings in the [Steinfeld infrared heater comparison](/hub/heating/steinfeld-infrared-heater). If the cold is the wrong wattage, the [infrared heater buying guide](/hub/heating/steinfeld-infrared-heater/sub/steinfeld-infrared-heater-buying-guide) separates that choice from a fault. The Products Compared editorial team used the amazon.co.uk files checked on 15 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

Warm legs and cold air behind the sofa are line-of-sight heat. A remote with no battery, or a lead that stops at the bracket, can look like a dead element.

Our top picks

Warmlite Warmlite WL42013

Best overall

Warmlite Warmlite WL42013
8.8/10about £56.46
View offer
Harrier Harrier 2,000 W patio heater

Preis-Tipp

Harrier Harrier 2,000 W patio heater
8.8/10about £48.99
View offer
Könighaus Könighaus 450 W Smart Dual

Alternative

Könighaus Könighaus 450 W Smart Dual
7.6/10about £99.90
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Point it at the person, not at the ceiling void
  2. 2.Clearance and a hot face
  3. 3.First switch-on, smell, and the remote
  4. 4.When the lead is the problem
  5. 5.When to stop

Point it at the person, not at the ceiling void

Radiant heat warms the surface it reaches. You can feel it on your shins and still find the far side of the room unchanged. Herschel’s notes, for their own panels, put the panel high on a wall or on the ceiling, off a window line, with the heat felt at about 2.5 to 3 m. The Warmlite WL42013, at 500 W or 1,000 W with 70° oscillation, is the indoor example. Reviewers describe warmth within about a minute when they sit in front of it.

Clearance and a hot face

Follow the manual for the unit you bought. Herschel’s instructions say 400 mm in front and 200 mm at the sides, and curtains must not blow onto the heater. Those distances are not printed on the Könighaus listings, so 400 mm would be a guess for that brand. On the Könighaus 450 W, one reviewer put a sensor above 100°C on the front. On the INGRIKT 50 W panel, one reviewer measured about 78°C. Infrared Heaters Direct says keep panels off curtains and peel off the protective film before first use.
Warmlite Warmlite WL42013

Testsieger

Warmlite Warmlite WL42013
8.8/10about £56.46
View offer

First switch-on, smell, and the remote

A burning smell on first use comes up more than once in the Könighaus 450 W reviews. Remove the protective film before you judge it. Switch off if the smell continues, if you see scorching, or if the panel arrived damaged. One Könighaus 800 W unit arrived bent on one edge inside an undamaged outer box. If the remote does nothing, check the battery. Devola reviews say the remote is the only switch on the body. One review names a CR2032, and that cell is not in the specification table. Fit the cell the review names, then try again.

When the lead is the problem

The Harrier states a 1.8 m lead, and several buyers say it does not reach past the base. The Pro Breeze file gives 182 cm. Move the heater to a suitable existing socket, or ask an electrician for a new outdoor socket. About 3,000 W is 13 A at 230 V, the top of a BS 1363 plug, so do not lengthen that flex. The watt gap is on the infrared panel versus patio heater page.

When to stop

Unplug if the panel is bent, if water is inside the case, if the flex is cut or heat-damaged, or if the RCD trips as soon as the heater comes on. A new outdoor socket and any new connection around a bath or shower belong on that same call. Energy Saving Trust says to ask an assessor before infrared is the only heat in the home.

Common questions

How far should it sit from curtains and the sofa?
Use the manual for your heater. Herschel’s instructions say 400 mm in front and 200 mm at the sides, and curtains must not blow onto the heater. Those figures are not on the Könighaus listings here, and one US manual uses 1.8 m, so one clearance does not fit every brand. Keep loose fabric off a face measured at about 78°C and, on one 450 W panel, above 100°C.
Is a burning smell on first use a fault?
On the Könighaus 450 W, a burning smell on first use comes up more than once. Remove the protective film first, which Infrared Heaters Direct lists for panel installs. Switch off if the smell continues, if you see scorching, or if the panel arrived damaged. One 800 W unit arrived bent on one edge inside an undamaged box. That is a return. Waiting on a smell does not straighten the metal.
The remote does nothing. What is missing?
On the Devola wall heaters, reviews say the remote is the only switch on the body. One review names a CR2032, and that battery is absent from the specification table. The freestanding SOUTHEATIC also arrives without the remote battery. Fit the correct cell and try again before you treat the heater as dead. If you are outdoors and the lead misses the socket, the battery is the wrong suspect.
The outdoor lead does not reach. What now?
The Harrier states 1.8 m, and reviews say the flex stops around the base. The Pro Breeze file gives 182 cm. Use a suitable existing socket, or have an electrician add an outdoor socket. Do not lengthen a 2,000 W or 3,000 W flex yourself. A 3,000 W load is about 13 A at 230 V, the top of a BS 1363 plug. A cut flex on that load is a stop for an electrician.
When do I stop and call someone?
Stop if the panel is bent, if water is inside the case, if the flex is damaged, or if the RCD trips when the heater comes on. Call an electrician for a new outdoor socket, water in the housing, that damaged flex, or any new connection around a bath or shower. A bent panel, including the 800 W edge that arrived bent in an undamaged box, goes back to the seller. Keep washing off the hot face.

Related pages

Infrared heater in a bathroom

Steinfeld infrared heaters 2026

Best infrared heater UK: indoor pick, outdoor value

Infrared heater buying guide: job, watts and the IP

Infrared panel vs patio heater: watts, glow and cost

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison. Listings captured 15 October 2026. Page updated October 2026.

  1. Energy Saving Trust: Infrared heating explained (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. Ofgem: energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: placing energy-related products on the UK market (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. Approved Document P (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. GOV.UK: use a competent person scheme (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. DESNZ: infrared heating evidence review (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. Herschel: bathroom splash protection (retrieved 15 October 2026)