Halogen light as a space heater.

I have one of those 500 watt Halogen work lights. One of those square ones with the metal grill on the front that you see everywhere. When plugged in these things throw out massive amounts of heat. I'm wondering how efficient as a space heater these things would be as compared to a real 500 watt electric space heater? If they are as efficient then I would use them as an emergency Heat/light back-up running off an electric generator set. That way I would kill two birds with one stone so to speak.

If you are burning gas to heat a place I figure a gas burning heater would probably be more efficient. Depending on the type of electric heater most of the power goes to heat while halogen lights put out a lot of energy as light which probably does less to heat things. I have used 1500 watt electric heaters and they do not put out enough heat to really do much you really need more output to heat more than perhaps a large bathroom or a small bedroom.

They work definitely better as heaters, than as light producers.

However, they do not work very well as space heaters, since they do not heat the air. They heat the material's surface where the radiation is absorbed.

At one time I was working with a chemical reactor, made from quartz glass. We used those 500 W halogen bulbs to heat a black block of siliconcarbide inside the reactor. 5 bulbs, with water-cooled aluminum reflectors, 1000 degrees Celsius inside the SiC block without problem. The glass stayed relatively cool...You couldn't touch it, though...

Heaters, yes. Space-heaters, probably not. Maybe if you put them inside a black metal box, and then blow out the warm (hot?) air with a fan...

I think a heat lamp would work better, if electric is cheaper than gas. One shop I worked at, like all had no heat. Not even the bathroom. Above the turlet was a simple screw in socket with a heat lamp. One of those funnel shape reflector lamps with a red front. It was not that bright, but after a few minutes on the cold john it would keep you from freezing.

When I was in rehab, I had 2 300 watt floor lamps. With both on, one cold night got the room up to 70 degrees.

Heating like that is ok for a small spot (like where you're sitting) as you are mostly heated by the radiant energy.

I have a heat lamp in the master bath in a ceiling fixture outside the shower although mine is clear instead of red. It's basically just a very high wattage (250watt) incandescant reflector but it does throw out a lot of radiant heat as well as enough light to blind you if you stare at it.
(Probably would make the ultimate flashlight but you'll need an extension cord or a portable generator to power it.)

Those halogen work lights will work in the same way but as with all lights, they'll throw out light as well as heat. Maybe ok if you need some emergency heat using a potable generator as you'll get lighting as well but probably not practical for everyday use.

Yup, you could repalce all your incadecent household lights with CCFL in the summer, and in the winter go back to incandecent to heat your house LOL.

That or turn on your computer. My bedroom is smoking hot right now...

That or turn on your computer.

Click to expand...

Works good as well. Great to use some of the energy that normally gets ignored.

Step 1. Overclock processor as fast as it will go

Step 2. Turn the case around so the exhaust fans blow the warm air at you

Step 3. Run Folding@Home or any other CPU intensive application for extra heat :naughty:

I agree with the bulb swap thing. Because of an active imagination, I sleep with 3 lights on. One in bathroom, bed and living room. They help to keep the monsters away. I use those swirlie CF lights year long. I decided to help keep my HVAC from running as it did one winter would swap out the bulbs for regular ones. I did so with 60watts each. I used an extra lamp in the living room for a total of 4. To my surprise it did make the room warmer to the point the HVAC actually cycled off from time to time. The bad side was the bulbs blew out with no warning every 30 days.

My PC aint that hot, nor makes that much heat, but my old hitatchi 21 inch monitor makes the lights blink and can really warm up a room in the summer.