Fight mold with Infrared lamps

Infrared lamps are an excellent solution to prevent the formation of mold on the walls. The operating principle of infrared lamps ensures healthier environments. With infrared lamps, the air isn’t heated but the elements inside the room, including the walls. In this way, with hot walls there are no cold spots where the humidity present in the environment usually condenses. The high level of humidity in our homes especially during the winter is a serious problem for our health. Mold spores can create serious health problems especially for children and the elderly. They can also cause allergies and promote asthma.

Causes of the spots that develop this problem

Mold is created where moist air comes in contact with colder surfaces. Condensation doesn’t need to develop. It’s already sufficient that the relative humidity of the air is between 70% and 80%. In addition, mold isn’t very sensitive to temperatures. The ideal temperatures are between 15 and 30 degrees, but it can resist even with temperatures from 0 to 60 degrees.

Mold spores primarily need several factors to thrive:

Humidity: about 40-60% of humidity is still in the frame
Temperature: together with humidity, it forms relative humidity
Food not stored at the right temperature
An adequate pH (5-7)
Oxygen

In living spaces, hot and humid air is usually responsible for mold growth. Generally due to insufficient ventilation, congestion of temperature and humidity, there’s a lack of circulation and exchange of air. The humidity in the room solidifies in the corners and provides the basis for the spread of mold spores. To avoid the spread of mold, there’re various systems, the most important of which is to properly ventilate the premises. Turning on a dehumidifier is a simple and immediate method of lowering the humidity in the air. But it doesn’t solve the problem, it doesn’t change the air and it doesn’t heat a cold room.

Infrared lamps, on the other hand, heat objects. And therefore they also heat the walls! Consequently, the appearance of mold on the surfaces is prevented.

Condensation leads to mold growth

Structural deficiencies such as the escape of steam on the internal insulation or on the poor construction of the roof are often causes of mold. Moisture can penetrate there and promote the production of mold. Furthermore, from defective water pipes in the masonry, it can also get humidity in the building structure. Perfectly insulated windows are very important and indispensable so as not to disperse the temperature outside. But this is where insulation leads to the humidity problem. There is no longer any exchange of air from the outside as in the case of old windows. If you forget to “let the room breathe” frequently during the day, the humidity content may increase excessively.

Frequent temporary mold growth

For mold to spread, it must first be present in the form of spores. The bad news is that these are present in practically every living space. Mold spores move everywhere. The house is a suitable place to thrive. Obviously, this should be avoided. At first glance, the temperature and humidity of the air are somewhat paradoxical. In fact, traces of mold usually appear at high temperatures, but it is still advisable to heat the rooms to prevent the growth of mold.

Preventing mold with infrared lamps

To avoid this problem, it helps periodic ventilation as a general rule. So it’s essential to make sure to keep the humidity low and the room temperature high. Optimal would be to maintain 60% humidity. While it can be taken as a maximum ambient temperature from 19 ° C to 21 ° C. Unlike convection systems, the infrared heating system heats firstly the solid bodies present in the environment and not the air. Since the walls are heated more than the air, the steam will not condense. The opposite even happens: the radiant heat facilitates the release of moisture from the walls into the air, which then dry out. This means that they not only prevent the development of mold, but also increase the insulation quality of the walls since drier walls are better insulators.

Avoid the problem in the bedroom

Mold in the bedroom often results from the fact that the body exhales a lot of moisture during the night. If it’s not expelled the next morning, it cannot exit the open window and condenses. Complete ventilation in the morning is therefore very important to prevent mold, because in the bedroom in particular, mold is a high health risk.

That’s why we recommend that you equip your bedroom with an infrared panel. Not only does it heat the air, the temperature is then distributed widely in the room, but above all it heats the objects and walls of the room. The colder air, which can absorb little humidity, coupled with warm walls that better insulate and are kept dry by thermal radiation. These elements are a guarantee to reduce the risk of mold.

Avoid the problem in the bathroom

In the bathroom, humidity is increased regularly when taking a shower or bath, which is why this problem in the bathroom is also common. In tile joints or on the ceiling, mold in the bathroom is common in all homes but should be avoided. Again, infrared heaters are essential for the prevention of mold in the bathroom.

As already explained, in the causes, in particular a hot air temperature associated with cold surfaces are dangerous. Moisture is better retained by the air, condenses on cold surfaces and settles where mold will thrive. In contrast, infrared heating helps to heat objects instead of air. Thus the walls of the bathroom remain dry and free of mold.