Where to put it, how to mount it, and what to sort out before you buy — so the heat ends up where your people are.
Bromic heaters mount four ways: on a wall, from a ceiling, recessed into the ceiling, or standing free on wheels. The right choice depends on your structure, your fuel, and how finished the space already is. This guide walks through each option with the numbers that matter, pulled from Bromic's installation manuals. Every model is different, so always confirm against the manual for your exact heater before anyone drills a hole. Rather talk it through? Take the 2-minute quiz or request a quote and we'll help you plan the layout at no charge.
Wall mounting: the simplest permanent install
Most Bromic heaters — Tungsten Gas, Tungsten Electric, Platinum Gas, and Platinum Electric — wall mount with a factory bracket. The heater sits high on the wall, angled over the seating area, and stays out of the way year-round.
The numbers that matter (Platinum Electric, from the installation manual): mount the heater at least 71 inches (1800 mm) above the floor, keep at least 39 inches (1000 mm) of clear space in front of the face, and keep combustible materials — wood, canvas, vinyl, plants — at least 3 feet (1000 mm) away. Gas models have their own clearance diagrams in their manuals, which you'll find on every product page.
Ceiling mounting: heat from above
Where wall space is spoken for, Bromic heaters hang from the ceiling on factory mounting poles. The Eclipse series is built for this — heat and light in one overhead fixture, with straight, curved, and twin poles in multiple lengths. Tungsten and Platinum models ceiling mount with their own pole kits.
One rule from the manual worth repeating in bold: never cut or notch joists, beams, or rafters to install a heater. The structure carries the heater; the heater never weakens the structure. Minimum spacing between multiple heaters comes from your model's clearance diagram — this is exactly the situation where our free layout help earns its keep.
Recessed mounting: heat that disappears into the ceiling
This is the premium install — the heater sits flush in the ceiling, and all your guests notice is that nobody's cold. It's also the one decision on this page you have to make before the ceiling is built. A recess kit needs cavity space, framing, and wiring planned ahead. Retrofitting a finished ceiling costs more than planning an unfinished one, every time.
Here's what changed in Canada, and it's good news for renovators: Bromic's current Canadian recessed solution for Platinum Electric is the Low-Clearance Recess Kit. It's UL certified, built to fit within standard ceiling-joist construction, and designed for cavities that would never fit a conventional recess box. The older Standard recess kits are discontinued in Canada; we carry remaining stock while it lasts.
Two things the manual requires that your planner needs to know up front. First, the Low-Clearance kit has an integrated cooling fan that needs its own dedicated power supply, separate from the heater's circuit — your electrician runs two connections, not one. Second, from the 4500W manual: the recessed heater surface must sit at least 94 inches (2400 mm) above the floor with 20 inches (500 mm) of clearance to the nearest wall, and the ceiling frame must fasten to non-combustible structural members.
Tungsten Electric also offers a dedicated recess kit for flush mounting. Planning a shallow-cavity Tungsten install? Ask us first — we'll confirm the right kit for your cavity depth against the factory documentation before you commit.
Pergolas and covered patios
A pergola or covered patio is usually the best heating opportunity on the property: fixed structure to mount to, and a partial ceiling that holds warmth instead of losing it straight up. The same structure also brings the clearance rules into play. Most pergolas are wood — a combustible — so the 3-foot combustible clearance from the manual decides which heater fits where. Measure your beam heights and cross-member spacing before choosing a model, or send us the dimensions with a quote request and we'll do it for you.
Gazebos
Yes, you can heat a gazebo — with the right heater and honest measurements. Clearances get tight under a small pitched roof, and gas models need adequate ventilation under any enclosed cover. For most gazebos, a properly placed electric radiant heater is the cleaner answer. If you're set on gas, talk to us before buying so we can check your roof height against the clearance diagram.
Wind: the Canadian question
Open patio, exposed deck, lake breeze — wind is where radiant infrared earns its price. Radiant heat warms people and surfaces directly instead of warming air for the wind to carry away. For mobile heat, the Tungsten Portable carries a factory wind rating of 8 mph and an anti-tilt base. For anything windier, a wall or ceiling mounted unit aimed at the seating area is the dependable play — no flame to blow out on a gust, no tower to tip. If your patio faces open prairie or a chinook rolls through twice a week, mounted radiant is the answer that keeps working.
Mounting height and clearances: the short version
Example minimums from the Platinum Electric installation manuals — your model's manual is the final word:
- Wall mount height: at least 71 in (1800 mm) above the floor
- Recessed heater surface: at least 94 in (2400 mm) above the floor, 20 in (500 mm) from the nearest wall
- Clear space in front of the heater face: 39 in (1000 mm)
- Distance from combustible materials: 3 ft (1000 mm), more for low-tolerance materials like vinyl or canvas
- Between heaters: per your model's clearance diagram
Every product page on this site links the factory installation manual for that heater. Use it.
Gas vs electric: what installation actually involves
Electric models are hardwired. The manual requires protection upstream of each heater — a residual current device and appropriately rated breaker — and voltage varies by model, so this is licensed-electrician territory, planned before drywall if you're recessing. Natural gas models need a gas line run and connected by a certified gas fitter. Propane portables need neither — wheel them out, connect a tank, done. Still deciding between fuels? Our gas vs electric guide covers the running costs and trade-offs.
When you need a pro
Call a licensed electrician for any hardwired electric heater, any recess kit (two circuits, remember), and any controls installation. Call a certified gas fitter for any natural gas connection or conversion. Do it yourself only when the factory says so: propane portables and plug-in accessories. In Canada, permits and code vary by province — your installer will know the local rules.
Controls and zoning
A mounted heater without a controller runs at one speed: full. Bromic's Affinity Smart-Heat controls add dimming, zones, and app control, so the covered corner and the open rail get different heat instead of one compromise setting. Plan the control wiring at the same time as the heater wiring — one electrician visit instead of two. More in our Affinity controls guide.
Get the layout right before you buy
Heater placement is cheap to plan and expensive to redo. Send us your patio dimensions, roof type, and fuel situation through the quote page, or take the quiz to narrow the model first. We'll match the heater, mounting method, and clearances to your actual space — and if a recessed install is on the table, we'll help you spec the cavity before the ceiling closes up.
What size heater do you need? That's a coverage question — our BTU and coverage guide handles it. Running a restaurant patio? Start with the commercial heating guide.