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Infrared heat on 4th fl windy terrace - portable 120V vs wall 220V


Context:

  • I am building a townhouse in the northern suburbs of NYC and have a 4th floor outdoor terrace which will have a Brustor 10'x15' pergola (with rotating louvers on top and wind/solar screens on the sides).
  • I hope to spend a LOT of time up on the terrace since it's got a great western view of the river and a beautiful bridge
  • I'm considering infrared heating in order to be able to extend the # of days I can be comfortable out there. (Note: I am leaning towards infrared over normal propane since it's almost always windy from the river.)

Advice needed: Should I go with a wall mounted 220V infrared heater or a couple of portable 120V infrared heaters?


Option 1: I can get a 220V outlet put into a wall of the home so that I can mount a Bromic Platinum 3400W infrared heater.

  • This is a relatively expensive option (approx $2500).
  • Given clearances and location of fire suppression, there is only one place it can be mounted (see diagram below) and the "heat cone/map" won't provide much heat for much of the sitting area below the pergola (the location/dimensions of which are outlined in green with the X).

Option 2: I can skip the 220V outlet and instead buy a couple of standalone/portable infrared heaters that plug into a normal 120V outlet (e.g., https://www.amazon.com/PATIOBOSS-Electric-Infrared-Operation-Standing/dp/B08C2F3L1M).

  • This would be significantly less expensive (approx $230-345 depending on how many I get)
  • It might let individuals have more heat since they can move the heater closer to where they are sitting.
  • I would need to get heavy duty extension cords to run from the single 120V outlet which is in the upper left corner of the diagram, so it wouldn't "look" as clean since there would be wires running across the floor.

Thanks for any and all advice/input!








Comments (3)

  • sktn77a
    last year

    Do it right. Spend a couple extra thou on your million dollar condo. The portables look like a kluge and you'll probably get sued by the clown who trips on the extension cords!

  • Karin Magnuson
    last year

    Thanks. I'm just worried that given the location where it needs to be mounted, that the wall mounted one won't provide much/sufficient heat to the main seating area under the pergola. ᾑ4

  • w0lley32
    last year

    And keep in mind that a standard 120V receptacle can only provide 1500 watts on a 15 amp circuit or 2000 watts on a 20 amp circuit. You won't be able to operate more than one on the same circuit at the highest setting.