How to fit a wall-mounted garden heater
At the time of writing this, it’s the end of August, and my Facebook feed is full of photos of friends and family enjoying the local parks, campsites, beaches, and beer gardens; of course.
We all know that the weather tends to change for the worse towards the end of September though, and as the winds get chillier you might not want to spend so much time outdoors.
That is unless you have some good garden heaters to keep you feeling snug through Autumn and winter, and a powerful, wall-mounted garden heater can really make a difference, allowing you to enjoy your garden all year round.
Wall-mounted garden heaters aren’t the only option for creating warmth on your patio or decking, and we will talk briefly about other options for you later on, but the main focus of this article is going to be wall-mounted garden heaters and how to fit them. We haven’t included how to switch them off, as we thought you’d be able to work that out, although it looks like that is a bit too complicated for this person-
Got up to loo at 4am. Thought the sun was rising. Orange glow through the window. I opened door to look out. The patio heater was still on!!!!!!! 🤷🏼♂️
— Richard Quinn Geoghegan 🥂 (@RichardGeogheg9) August 25, 2021
What is a wall-mounted garden heater?
A wall-mounted garden heater is a device that is designed to provide heat to an outdoor area and is; surprise, surprise, meant to be mounted on a wall, hence the name.
Although there are a ton of different designs and numerous brands available, they can all be categorized as either gas or electrically powered, and which type people choose usually boils down to a mix of factors, such as personal preference and the area they are trying to heat.
Electric wall-mounted heaters tend to be the easiest to set up, often just needing to be mounted and then plugged into a power source. This reliance on your mains electricity might limit where you can place your heater though unless you use an extension lead or cable reel. To be on the safe side, I would recommend getting an electrician to hardwire your electric heater if you think there’s a chance of it getting wet.
Gas-powered garden heaters, whether they are running on natural gas or propane, are more difficult to install, and might even need to be done professionally in the case of natural gas. On the other hand, they heat areas much faster than electric heaters, and there are some really nice designs out there.
The space you want to heat might play a big part in your decision when choosing which type of wall-mounted heater that you’ll buy. Open, well ventilated, areas are great and you can choose either a gas-powered or electric heater, but if it’s a smaller, closed-in space, you have to consider the fumes from gas models and it might be more sensible to go with electric.
if you’d like to know more about electric and gas heaters in general, here’s a video that might interest you-
What alternatives are there to wall-mounted garden heaters?
If you would rather have a more traditional feel to your garden heating, you could always buy yourself a fire pit, or even build your own. You can get fire pits that burn wood, or more modern versions that run off gas, but they all have models with classic styling that give you a more ‘campfire’ vibe. In addition to that, you can get some really cool designs with themes if you shop arund.
Chimineas can be used for both cooking and heating, but the warmth they produce isn’t usually enough for anything more than a small area. They do look fantastic though, and as I said, you can have fun trying to cook things in them.
You can also choose to have a hanging garden heater, rather than a wall-mounted one. Obviously, this can help to keep the heat source centrally located to make sure everyone gets a fair share of the warmth, but you do need to have a strong enough ceiling over your patio to hang one from.
Then there are tabletop garden heaters, and just like wall-mounted ones, they can be powered by either electricity or gas, or even ethanol. There are a wide variety of designs, but most are small and compact while still providing a good bit of heat for a small area.
You can also check out our article on how to design your garden to trap heat so that you can make the most of whatever type of heater you decide to buy. Just by following a few tips, you can really make a difference, and maybe save a few quid while you’re at it.
Check out this cool Pheonix fire pit design that I saw on Twitter. I’ve been seeing a few like this lately with everything from dinosaurs, to Freddy Kruger.
I need this fire pit 😍 pic.twitter.com/4OtczxYD46
— Daughter of Morrigan 🌛🌚🌜 (@solitarywitch87) August 23, 2021
How to fit a wall-mounted garden heater
In this section, we will teach you how to install a wall-mounted garden heater. As we already mentioned earlier, if you are going to buy a natural gas wall heater, it is our advice that you get it professionally installed, as messing with your mains gas supply is very dangerous.
However, it is fairly quick and easy to fit an electric or propane wall-mounted heater, just as you are about to find out. So, grab yourself a brew and we’ll get started.
1. The first step is to open the box your heater came in and check that there are no components missing and that there’s no damage. Your wall-mounted heater should have come with brackets to help hold it in place, but if not, you’ll need to buy some. Also, for heaters that run off propane, you’re going to have to buy a regulator as most products don’t have these included.
2. Once you’ve checked you’ve got everything you need to start your installation, the next step is to decide on the location for your wall-mounted garden heater. The size of the unit, the area it will be heating, your garden furniture layout, whether it is an electric or gas heater, and several other factors will all come into play here, but my advice is not to rush it. Take your time and get everything just right at the start to avoid problems later.
3. With the general position chosen, you can now get a tape measure and something to mark the wall with, such as a pencil or piece of chalk, and mark out the places where you’ll be drilling the holes, using your brackets as a guide. If you’re fitting a propane heater, you’ll need to consider the hose too and allow for enough space, and maybe even have to make another hole for it with a larger drill bit. When you’re happy that your markings are accurate, it’s time to grab your drill.
4. Using a masonry drill bit and a power drill, drill the holes that will house your screws and then pop some expanders in them to help hold the fittings in place securely. With help, align your brackets correctly and make sure they aren’t tilted or sloping using a spirit level, and then fix them into place on the wall. Test them for strength and stability before attempting to mount the heater.
5. After you’ve checked that your handiwork with the brackets is up to par, you should have no problems slipping the heater onto them, but if it’s high up, use a good step ladder or tripod ladder. When doing so, make sure you are not trapping or obstructing any power cables or gas hoses and double-check that the heater is sat on the brackets properly. You don’t want to end up with the heater dropping on your head later!
I got a friction burn from my carpet this morning and now a bump on my head from where I smacked it on the corner of my desk this afternoon… one of those days pic.twitter.com/BEfBbnNW4P
— Bee⁷🪐🌙🌼💎 | ⁸/₀ (@mlkjoon) August 25, 2021
6. Finally, you just need to connect the heater to either your electric or a propane tank. As already mentioned, if you are installing an electric heater in an exposed place and there is a danger of water dripping or rain getting blown onto it, you should really get a professional to hardwire it. In the case of a propane heater, spend a little more on a quality regulator for that extra bit of safety.
That’s all there is to it really. Obviously, each product will be slightly different, but we think that the steps we have laid out above will be fairly universal. If you’d like to check out reviews of the best wall-mounted heaters, tabletop heaters, and more, simply use the search box at the top of the page and we’re sure you’ll find what you’re looking for.