I propose a new type of household heater. Working the same way as a Microwave oven. You will be able to warm the people in the house with no fire danger. I am unsure that it would be safe but it would be really cheap to heat.
-- dave950, Sep 01 2004

No problem...except for blindness http://www.naturals...les/microwaves.html
[ldischler, Oct 04 2004]

The history of the microwave: http://www.gallawa....rotech/history.html
Dr. Percy Spencer "baked" this 58 years ago. [Amos Kito, Oct 04 2004]

Central Heating Of The Future http://www.wired.co...01/pain-beam-centr/
[xaviergisz, Dec 04 2009]

So what's new about it?
-- ldischler, Sep 01 2004


Is it safe to assume that this is essentially a microwave oven with a set of plastic heat exchanger coils running through the cooking area to heat the water? Interesting concept. I have no idea if this would be any more efficient than ordinary resistive electrical heat, but bun for the concept.

A prototype would not be difficult to build, either. Who wants to try it?
-- Freefall, Sep 01 2004


I think he means to heat people directly.
-- ldischler, Sep 01 2004


...and take that foil hat off!
-- po, Sep 01 2004


er. radiation + people is not a good equation.

People with tooth fillings will spark at the mouth although now I've written that, I'm unsure if that's a negative point.
-- jonthegeologist, Sep 01 2004


er. radiation + people = bad equation is a good equation.
-- yabba do yabba dabba, Sep 01 2004


Actually, radiation + people = eyesight. Infrared radiation + people = warmth (i.e., quartz heater). Microwaves + people = fishbone.
-- bpilot, Sep 02 2004


I was thinking about a microwave space heater and figured someone must have done one here. And Walla - here it is. Heat wet things, not dry things. I bet that at a distance there would not be that many sparks off of metal but given that I have no idea why that occurs in the oven, it might occur in the living room.
-- bungston, Dec 03 2008


I'm certain this would work as a free-standing heater insofar as:
1) people are mostly water, and
2) you're not giving off so much radiation as to boil them.

The downside is you're heating the person, not the environment. What does that mean for the rest of the house? Also, small pets might experience...side effects.

I'm unsure if it would be more efficient or not. Will the walls of a typical home reflect microwaves?
-- phoenix, Dec 04 2008


// Also, small pets might experience...side effects// Bun.
-- coprocephalous, Dec 04 2008


//more efficient than ordinary resistive electrical heat//

Resistor-based electrical heat is essentially 100% efficient in turning electrical energy into heat, so it's hard to improve upon. Any routing through additional stages (E > uwave > heat) will just spread the heat around, generally wasting some.

Direct radiant heating is more effective in placing heat where you want it.
-- csea, Dec 04 2008


But direct radiant heating is tough on the piano.
-- bungston, Dec 04 2008



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