Infrared Heat lamp

[Relemitty]

My house is getting cold and I remembered that long ago I had infrared heat lamps for my Chinese Water Dragons.
I pulled one out and it still works!
I know the dragons couldn't see the light and it helped heat the terrarium.

So if I put the infrared light above my orchids do they "see" the infrared light that is on all night?
Will that effect the growth, life etc. of the orchid?
I can put the light about 3 feet above my plants and I have a thermometer next to the plants.

[Ray]

I have read a lot of debate about that. For me, my concern is that while IR can certainly heat the foliage, does it do much to keep the potting medium and roots warm?

[estación seca]

Remember the lizards could move away from the lamp. The lamp heats objects the light hits, heating different objects to a greater or lesser degree. A space heater with a fan moves warmed air through a space, heating everything evenly. I wouldn't use the lamp on plants. You could consider shining it upward onto the bottom of a heat resistant shelf, but I would have constant air flow on the other side.

[Relemitty]

The weather went cold early and I was not ready to turn on central heating.
I set the light up last night as an experiment.

I set the heat lamp about 30 inches above my non-Phal orchids.
I stayed up to see how much the temps would rise and it was 69 to 70 degrees at the level of the media but warmer at the leaf level --Like you said ES.
The room temp was 62.

I like the idea of putting the lamp underneath since the table is aluminium with a towel over it.
That will be the experiment tonight.

I think that ultimately I will get a seedling heat mat for overnight.