THE SOOTHING RADIATED WARMTH ...
The monolith depot gives off most of its heat as soothing, long-wave radiated warmth. The radiated warmth arises from the warm surface of the natural stone casing.
So what is radiated warmth, what does it do, and why does it feel so good?
The radiated warmth of the monolith consists of long-wave infrared radiation. This radiated warmth passes through the air without heating it up very much, like solar radiation, and then it encounters solid objects such as floors, walls, furnishings, etc., and warms these up. The objects and walls heat up and then they in turn give off warmth. This creates an optimum heat distribution throughout the room. Air temperature both horizontally and vertically is very even. Strong air circulation leading to dry, dusty air is suppressed. The outer wall surfaces are warmed with radiation heating, so they also contribute to the feeling of comfort to a degree. Excess atmospheric humidity from cooling air can no longer condense on the walls because its temperature is controlled.
Radiated warmth "gets under your skin"1
A person's skin has an area of approximately 1.5 to 32 square metres, and has more than four million receptors, which makes it the largest and most sensitive of human organs. It regulates our temperature and moisture balance. A quarter of our blood flows through our skin, and a third of our water reserves is stored here. The gentle radiated warmth now spreads a particularly soothing effect all over our bodies through our skin: our muscles relax, the entire organism is revived – people just feel better.
Radiated warmth - a perfect example
WHO DOESNT'T KNOW THIS FEELING FROM SKIING...
... THE AIR TEMPERATURE IS THE SAME EVERYWHERE – RADIATED WARMTH WORKS IN THE SUN BUT NOT IN THE SHADE ...
The mode of operation of radiated heat is very noticeable when skiing. In winter, the air temperature is cold. But if you stand in the sun, you perceive the temperature to be many degrees warmer than in the shade. This is radiated warmth at work.
THE MODES OF ACTION COMPARED
In general, heat can be emitted by a stove system in two different ways: as convection heat – that is to say warm air, as radiated heat or a mixture of these two heat forms. A classic representative of mainly convection heat is the steel fireplace, for example.
Mode of action of convection heat
e. g. steel fireplace
Convection heat heats the air up. sets it in motion, generates vertically varying heat zones. Temperature differences of several degrees Celsius (floor cold – ceiling hot) are the result. In addition, the cold walls reflect cold back into the room.2
Mode of action of radiated heat
e.g. monolith depot
Radiated heat spreads smoothly throughout the room from the fireplace in long waves, creating a homogeneous heat zone, warming people, objects and walls. All of these objects and walls then radiate the warmth back themselves.2
1Source ADK website. 2The diagrams serve only to illustrate the mode of heat emission., they do not represent an actual proportion of radiated or convection heat relative to the fireplace type.