Abstract: A quartz heater, an elongated, rectilinear heating element which lies in a horizontal position in front of a reflector in an improved housing designed to enable the outer surface of the housing to remain cool during operation without the aid of an active cooling system such as a fan or water cooling system. This is accomplished by drawing cooling air from beneath the heater to bathe both front and rear surfaces of the reflector and further preventing air in the front of the heater from being drawn into the heater. The cooling air upon entering the interior of the housing is divided into two flow paths, one of which exhausts at approximately a 45.degree. angle toward the front of the heater and the second exhausts directly from the top of the heater.