Heating a church has always been a challenge. Tall ceilings, thick stone walls, single glazing and occasional use mean that traditional systems often run for hours, or even days, before a service just to take the chill off. Infrared heating takes a different approach: instead of trying to warm the whole volume of air, it warms the people, pews and surfaces directly. This article explains why that suits church buildings so well.
Why churches are hard to heat
- Large air volume: warm air rises and collects under the roof, far above the congregation.
- Intermittent use: many churches are used for a few hours a week, so slow systems waste energy warming an empty building.
- Old fabric: listed or historic buildings are difficult to insulate, and pipework or large radiators can be hard to fit sympathetically.
- Condensation and damp: cold surfaces and warm, moist air from a full congregation lead to condensation that can damage the interior.
- Carbon targets: the Church of England has set a net zero carbon target for 2030, and many churches are moving away from oil and gas boilers.
How infrared heating helps
Heat where people sit. Infrared heaters warm the people and surfaces in front of them, much like sunshine, so the congregation feels comfortable even though the air high in the roof stays cool. Draughts do not blow the heat away the way they do with warm air.
Fast warm-up. Infrared heaters reach working temperature within minutes. With a timer or programmable thermostat they can be switched on shortly before a service and off when everyone leaves, rather than running all day.
Zoning. Different areas, such as the nave, the choir, a side chapel or a meeting room, can be heated separately, so you only heat the parts of the building in use.
Kind to the building. Warming surfaces rather than air helps reduce condensation, and there is no water in the system to leak.
Low maintenance and lower carbon. Infrared heaters have no moving parts and need no annual service. Because they run on electricity, the carbon footprint falls as the grid gets greener, or further still on a renewable tariff or solar panels.
Which heaters suit a church?
- Pew heaters fit under the pews and gently warm the legs and feet of the people sitting there.
- Pew and desk panels fix to the back of the pew in front and warm people from the front.
- High output radiant heaters mounted high on walls or beams cover larger areas and work well in tall spaces.
- Infrared panels are ideal for vestries, offices, halls and meeting rooms.
Most churches use a combination: pew heating for the congregation, high output heaters for open areas, and panels in the ancillary rooms.
Running costs
Running costs depend on the building, the heaters chosen, how long they run and your electricity tariff. The biggest savings usually come from heating only when and where the church is being used, which slow, whole-building systems cannot do. We are happy to calculate the heaters and expected running time for your building.
Installation
Infrared heaters are much simpler to install than a wet heating system: there is no pipework, boiler or plant room. The heaters must be wired by a qualified electrician to suitable circuits with appropriate controls. Our official installation partner, Standard Electrical Services, can install the system if you need an installer.
Get a free heating design
Send us the size of your church (length, width and ceiling height), how it is used and some photos, and we will design a heating layout and quote for the equipment. See our church heating page or request a quote, or call 01342 645021.