How do you mount an electric patio heater?
What's the best place for my heater?
There's no answer to this question that applies to everyone. The place where you mount your heater depends on your garden situation and the area you want to heat in particular. In general, we recommend mounting the heater in such a way that it radiates towards your face. People often prefer heat coming from the front. Just think of the heat radiation from the sun, we often prefer to sit with our faces towards it. It may not always be convenient to mount the heater from the front, which is fine. It's not a requirement, just an extra tip.
Mounting height
There are guidelines to determine the height of your patio heater. Mounting your heater at a random height isn't a good idea. If you don't follow the guidelines, you might not feel the heat radiation very well or get too hot. That's why it's important to follow the guidelines.
You can also look at the guidelines the other way around. If you're tied to a certain height, you can adjust the power according to the mounting height. That's useful if you want to mount your heater above your window, for example. Make sure that you don't hang the heater directly above your window. It's best to keep 10cm between the frame and the heater. That way, you don't see it hanging from the inside.
Guidelines
| The capacity of your heater | The best mounting height |
|---|---|
| 1400 to 1500W | Mount the heater at a height of more or less 210cm from the ground |
| About 2000W | Mount the heater at a height of more or less 250cm from the ground. |
| About 3000W | Mounnt the heater at a height of more or less 270 to 30cm from the ground. |
Fire safety distance
You can mount electrical heaters to many types of ceilings or walls, but not all materials are suitable for this. Plastic deforms if the temperature becomes too high, for example. A wooden wall is fine, but only if you use the standard mounts to mount your patio heaters. Stone is the strongest material, but you have to use the right plugs and screws to mount your heater. There's a good chance that it'll come loose from your brick wall. A good a rule of thumb is to keep a 45cm distance between your patio heater and your ceiling. If you want to be sure, you can always check the recommended distance in the manual.
Spacing
Sometimes, you need several patio heaters to heat your room. It's important that you don't mount them too far apart. If you mount them within about 80cm from each other, you create an overlap of heat radiation. People who sit in this overlap may feel the heat more intensely. If you mount the patio heaters too far apart, there's no overlap and they work separately.
IP Value
Every electric heater can hang under a canopy or roof, but not every heater can hang outdoors completely. That's why it's important to carefully check the IP certification of your patio heater. It indicates to what extent it's water-resistant and whether you can mount it in outside or not. For example, the 2 of IP24 indicates the dust protection class and the 4 indicates the moisture protection class. Is the moisture protection class 4 or higher? The patio heater is resistant to rain and you can easily mount it outside.
Connect
Enough things to take into account before you mount the heater. It's wise to check this carefully. Once it hangs, you won't move it again any time soon. With electric heaters, a wall or ceiling mount is included by default. Usually, you don't need anything else.
Prevent your fuses from blowing
Now that you've determined where you want to mount it, you're going to install the heater. A standard house installation has 16-ampere electric circuits. You can connect products with a total capacity 3600W to such a group. Patio heaters with a high output require a so-called peak current when switched on. For a fraction of a second, that peak current is higher than 16 amperes. Some installations can't process this peak current, which causes the fuse in your fuse box to fail. There are 2 ways to solve this:
Method 1
For the first way, you need the help of an installer. You can then have your fuse in the fuse box replaced by a C-type fuse. These are made to withstand peak current.
Method 2
The second way is to use soft starters to switch on or dim your patio heating. A soft starter reduces your peak current in such a way that your electric circuit doesn't trip. In addition, soft starters extend the lifespan of your heater with about 30%.
Conclusion
Depending on your garden situation, you can determine where you want to hang your heater. Take the mounting height into account. Based on your power, you can determine at what height the heater has to be mounted. Or the other way around, you can determine how much power you need based on the height. Want to mount the heater completely outside? Carefully check the IP certification, which indicates how water-resistant your patio heater is. When you've determined where you want to mount it, connect the heater. Use our tips to prevent a fuse in your fuse box from blowing.
