Commercial Patio Heaters

Commercial Patio Heaters for Restaurant Patios, Hotel Terraces, and Rooftop Bars

A commercial patio heater is among the most direct shoulder-season investments a hospitality property can make. Every evening a terrace stays comfortable at 52 degrees is a table that didn't move inside, a cover count that wasn't lost, a bar check that didn't disappear because guests retreated to a warm interior. The commercial heaters in our range are part of a broader commercial patio furniture program — specified for daily service, not occasional residential use, with output and durability ratings that match the demands of a commercial hospitality environment.

Infratech Electric Infrared Heaters: The Commercial Standard

Infratech electric infrared heaters are the specification choice for commercial hospitality applications across the country. They work by converting electricity directly into radiant heat that warms people and surfaces rather than the surrounding air, which means wind dissipation is not the performance variable it is with gas or propane alternatives. Guests sit comfortably under infrared heat at air temperatures where convective heaters lose their effectiveness entirely. For covered terraces, rooftop bars, pergola installations, and semi-enclosed outdoor dining areas, infrared heating is the technology that performs reliably.

Ceiling-Mount and Wall-Mount Configurations

Commercial infrared heaters are typically overhead-mounted for two reasons: clearance safety requirements and coverage geometry. A ceiling-mount or rafter-mount installation delivers radiant heat from above at the optimal downward angle, covers the largest per-unit seating footprint, and places all electrical connections and hardware completely out of the guest experience. Infratech's Motif Collection and C Series are the standard specification for restaurant and hotel installations. Double-element units from 4,000W to 6,000W cover a standard four-top dining table with meaningful warmth at 10-foot ceiling height; single-element units in the 2,000W to 2,600W range provide supplementary coverage for perimeter zones or tighter architectural spaces.

Selecting Output for the Space

The key specification variable is wattage per square foot of covered outdoor seating area. As a general planning guideline, 10 to 15 watts per square foot of heated space delivers comfortable warmth at temperatures in the low 50s for guests in standard attire. A 10-by-20-foot dining section at 200 square feet would call for 2,000 to 3,000 watts of installed capacity, achievable with two single-element units or one double-element 4,000W unit used at partial output. Infratech units include variable output dimmers that allow each fixture to step down on milder evenings, which extends the shoulder season while managing energy cost over the operating period.

Electrical Specification and Installation Requirements

Commercial infrared heaters operate on 240V circuits, which requires coordination with an electrician and building management before finalizing quantities and placement. Infratech provides detailed installation specifications for all models, including conduit routing, dedicated circuit requirements, and weather-rated enclosure standards for outdoor electrical connections. For rooftop applications, confirm structural load capacity before finalizing fixture count and placement. For permanent covered terrace installations, hardwired configurations are standard; for seasonal semi-permanent setups, surface conduit runs are common in restaurant environments.

Good infrared heater placement is almost always done in consultation with someone who has installed them before. An architect or interior designer spec'ing heaters for the first time often underestimates the electrical infrastructure requirements or miscalculates coverage zones — and a heater system that falls short means guests still request indoor tables on cool evenings. Patio Productions has been specifying commercial outdoor heating for restaurant and hospitality properties since 2007. Free design consultation is available for any commercial heater project, and our trade program provides dedicated account support for hospitality groups, restaurant operators, and commercial buyers placing large orders or managing multiple locations.