What’s the best type of heating for loading bays, receiving and shipping areas?

In this article we explore :

• The different types of heating ;
• Loading bay features ;
• Why electric infrared heating is particularly effective on loading docks.

The different types of electric heating

In commercial and industrial environments, different heating options are available to warm the space and the employees.

Radiant electric heating

Radiant electric heating heats surfaces and people directly with infrared rays from an infrared tube or lamp.

Electric forced-air heating (unit heater)

The electric forced-air heater is a convection heater that heats the air with an element and a fan. This type of heating is generally quite noisy.

What are the special features of loading docks that make it possible to identify the best type of heating system?

Loading dock features

Several garage doors

Since loading docks are made up of several garage doors, there’s a lot of draught coming in from outside to cool the space and prevent heat from building up.

High ceilings

Reception docks generally have high ceilings to store equipment. Warm air tends to rise towards the ceiling.

Large heating volume.

Reception docks are often attached to large warehouses. These need to be heated in their entirety, or only certain sections need heating.

Loading docks have all the features that make electric infrared heaters stand out in this type of environment.

Why infrared is the best type of heating for loading docks

Electric infrared heating performs very well in situations with one or more of the following: high ceilings, zone heating, spot heating and draughty environments.

Effective with high ceilings

The higher the ceiling, the more effective an infrared heating solution. Infrared rays first heat people, objects and the ground they touch. In contrast, a warm-air system heats the air and the warm air tends to rise towards the ceiling.

Ideal for zone heating

With a heating system such as a unit heater, it’s not possible to efficiently heat a single section of a large volume. An electric radiant system, on the other hand, heats a precise section. Fostoria ‘s MTM series units have a 96% radiant efficiency, which means that 96% of the energy heats precisely the desired section and only 4% heats the air to be distributed throughout the space.

Excellent for spot heating

The most important feature for reducing energy costs for loading bay heating is the possibility of spot heating with electric infrared heating. In fact, the sensation of warmth from electric infrared heating is instantaneous, so you can keep the temperature low all the time the space is not in use, and only switch on the heating when the space is in use.

The only option for draughty spaces.

As mentioned earlier, some infrared devices have a radiant efficiency of 96%. This conserves 96% of the energy used for heating, even with the garage doors open, since 96% of the heat is transferred directly to people, objects and the floor, rather than being lost in draughts as with a warm-air system.

Conclusion

Electric infrared heating is preferred for loading docks. It offers the best energy efficiency and therefore the most energy-efficient solution.

Technirep’s expertise

Since 1997, Technirep has specialized in the design of electric infrared heating solutions. Our team makes sure to prepare the best solution for each and every project.