Getting the Heat Right in Your Bathroom
When you’re picking out an infrared heating lamp for your bathroom, your first instinct might be to just grab the one with the biggest number on the box. But here’s the thing: more power isn’t always better. It’s really all about the size of the room. If you go too big, you’re just throwing money away on your electric bill and turning your bathroom into a sauna. Go too small, and you’ll be shivering in your towel wondering why it’s still freezing in there. Finding your sweet spot Think about the space you’re actually heating. For a tiny powder room, something in the 250W to 400W range usually does the trick. It keeps things cozy without creating those annoying “hot spots” where one side of you is roasting and the other is cold. Now, if you’ve got a massive master bath, you’ll need more muscle—maybe 600W or even 1000W. Just a heads-up, though: these heavy hitters pull a lot of power. Before you plug one in, make sure your wiring can actually handle the load. You don’t want to be tripping your circuit breaker halfway through a shower. Why placement is everything Infrared is different from a standard space heater. Instead of warming up the air, it sends out waves that heat you and the things around you directly. Because of that, where you put the lamp is the most important part. Put it exactly where you’ll be standing. And try to angle the beam down toward you, rather than letting all that warmth drift up toward the ceiling where it doesn’t do anyone any good. A few pro tips to make it last Sure, a higher wattage lamp warms up faster. It feels great. But if you run a powerful lamp at full blast in a room with no airflow, you’re asking for trouble. The sockets can get too hot, and the contacts might burn out way sooner than they should. My advice? Get a simple timer or a thermostat controller. It keeps the lamp from running at 100% all the time. Your electricity bill will look better, and the heating element will last much longer. It’s a win-win.