Heat lamps are the best example of radiant heaters. Other examples include some gas and kerosene heaters. Heat lamps will burn animals or pen materials if kept too close. Temporary heaters may be practical during cold snaps other infrequent times heat may be needed. Heat Exchangers Heat exchangers do not create heat, instead they recapture heat that that would normally be lost through ventilation.
Exchangers typically run cold incoming air alongside ducts containing warmer exhaust air.
This allows heat transfer to occur, resulting in a warmer incoming air stream. Heat exchanges must be kept clean to remain effective. While the air coming from geothermal systems are too cool to warm a building in cold weather, this air requires much less heat energy than outside air during winter to heat to the appropriate temperature. Fuel sources LP and natural gas are convenient, burn cleanly, and are fairly cheap Electric heat is also convenient convenient, and clean, but is usually more expensive than fuel driven systems Fuel oil is cheap but produces more combustion fumes than LP or natural gas. In class, I will present a figure known as a nomograph from which costs of heating can be calculated based on the type of fuel, the efficiency, and the amount of heat needed.