Outdoor Heaters for Michigan
A heater is what turns a Michigan patio from a four-month space into an eight-month space. We install heaters on pergolas, under roofs and on open patios all over West Michigan. There are three ways to do it, and the right one depends mostly on whether you have a structure overhead.
The three types
Electric infrared (Infratech, Bromic)
These are the slim fixtures you see mounted to pergola beams and porch ceilings. A quartz or ceramic element glows and throws infrared heat, which warms people and surfaces directly instead of warming the air. They work in wind. No flame, no fumes, no tank. Infratech and Bromic are the two lines we carry. Infratech's W-Series and WD-Series are the common residential units; Bromic's Platinum and Tungsten Electric are the equivalents. Both come in several lengths and wattages, with flush-mount, wall and ceiling options, and both can be dimmed with a controller.
Propane mushroom heaters
The tall freestanding heater with a dome on top and a 20 lb cylinder in the base. It puts out a lot of heat, usually in the 40,000 BTU range, in a circle around the post. Nothing to install. You can also move it. The downside: it is an open flame burning propane, so it cannot go under a low roof or pergola without clearance, it is top-heavy in wind, and a tank lasts an evening or two. Bromic makes a well-built version in the Tungsten Portable.
Natural gas heaters
Bromic's Platinum Gas and Tungsten Gas are wall or ceiling-mounted infrared heaters that run on a plumbed natural gas line. They throw more heat per unit than electric and never need a tank. They need a gas line and real clearance above and in front of the heater, so they suit tall open structures and commercial patios more than a residential pergola.
Why we recommend electric under covered structures
- Clearance. Electric infrared heaters mount close to a ceiling or beam. Gas heaters need much more space above and around them. Most residential pergolas and porch roofs do not have it.
- No combustion. No carbon monoxide, no moisture, no smell under a roof.
- Louvered pergolas. On a louvered aluminum roof, an electric heater is the only thing that makes sense. We mount them to the beams and run the wiring inside the structure.
- Control. Dimmers, timers and smart controls let you run two heaters at half power instead of one at full. Gas is on or off.
Coverage
Infrared heat is line-of-sight. If you can see the element, it is warming you. A typical residential electric unit at 7 to 9 feet of mounting height warms roughly a 6 by 8 to 8 by 10 foot zone below it, give or take with wattage and wind. Plan one heater per seating zone, not one per patio. A dining table for eight usually wants two units. A long bar or sofa run wants a heater every 6 to 8 feet. We lay this out on your plan before you buy.
Mount height matters. Too high and the heat spreads thin. Too low and it is uncomfortable on your head. Manufacturers publish minimum and recommended heights for each model; we follow them.
Electrical requirements
This is the part people underestimate. Electric infrared heaters are high-draw appliances.
- Small units run on 120V, but most residential heaters worth installing are 240V.
- A typical 240V heater draws 2,000 to 6,000 watts. Divide watts by 240 to get amps. A 4,000-watt heater is about 17 amps, so it needs its own 20 or 30-amp circuit.
- Three or four heaters on a pergola can mean 60 to 100 amps of new load. Older panels may not have room. Have an electrician look at the panel before you order heaters.
- Controllers (dimmers, timers, smart relays) have their own wiring requirements and usually need a box inside or in a weatherproof enclosure.
We coordinate with your electrician, or bring ours. The wiring is usually run during the pergola build, so if you are planning a structure, decide on heaters before the posts go in.
Mounting on pergolas and under roofs
Electric units mount to a beam, a wall or a ceiling with factory brackets, or recess into a soffit with a flush-mount frame. On aluminum louvered pergolas we mount to the beams, not the louvers, and we run the wire through the frame so nothing shows. On wood pergolas and porch roofs we follow the manufacturer's clearance to combustibles, which is small for electric but not zero.
Winter use
Electric infrared heaters are rated for outdoor use and run fine in freezing weather. They will not make a 20°F night feel like July, but under a roof with the wind blocked, they make a 35 to 45°F evening comfortable in a jacket. Propane struggles in deep cold because the cylinder cannot boil off gas fast enough; a tank that is low on a cold night gives you a weak flame. Natural gas has no cold-weather penalty. For a space you actually want to use in November, pick electric under a cover, or natural gas in a tall open structure.
What to tell us
What is overhead, the size of the area you want warm, whether you have natural gas at the patio, and whether an electrician has looked at your panel.
Talk to us
Call (616) 610-4235 or request a quote. We lay out the heaters, size the circuits with your electrician and install within about 50 miles of Holland, MI. Browse patio heaters.