Why we put our heaters through the “humidity torture test”
If you’re putting an infrared heater in a bathroom or out on a patio, you know it’s going to take a beating. Steam, condensation, random splashes—it’s a brutal environment for electronics. Now, we build our heaters to IP55 standards to keep the moisture out. But here’s the thing: a rating on a spec sheet isn’t enough for us. That’s why we put every batch through some pretty intense damp-heat aging tests.
The hidden problem with steam
IP55 is great for blocking dust and water jets, but the real enemy in a bathroom is vapor. Steam is sneaky. It gets into seals that liquid water just can’t touch. Once that vapor sneaks inside, it turns back into droplets on the circuit boards and terminals. This creates “tracking,” which is basically electricity crawling across a damp surface. If that happens, you’re looking at a short circuit or a dead heater. Not a great way to start your morning.
How we actually test them
We don’t just give the units a quick spray with a hose and call it a day. Instead, we lock them in a climate chamber. We crank up the heat and the humidity and leave them there for hundreds of hours. We flip the power on and off over and over again. Why? Because that forces the seals to expand and shrink. If a gasket isn’t sitting perfectly or a sealant is a bit too brittle, the moisture finds a way in. We keep a close eye on the insulation resistance. If those numbers dip even a little bit, the design fails. Simple as that.
Finding the sweet spot
It sounds like we should just seal the whole thing in plastic, right? But there’s a catch. If we make the unit completely airtight to fight the humidity, the internal wiring can’t breathe and it overheats. It’s a balancing act. We have to pair that IP55 shell with smart venting—enough to let the heat escape, but not enough to let the water in. Nobody wants a heater that quits after one damp winter. We do these tests so that when you flip the switch, it just works. Every single time.