When people choose an industrial heater, they usually focus on the type and the output. Those matter, but where the heater goes matters too, and it is often decided almost by default. Mounting position affects how evenly the building heats, how simple and safe the heater is to maintain, how much usable floor space you keep and even how long the equipment lasts. Getting it right is part of a good installation. This guide walks through the options.

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Wall-Mounted Heaters

 

Wall mounting is one of the most common arrangements for warm air unit heaters. The heater is fixed to a wall or a structural column at high level, above head height and out of the way of operations, and discharges warm air out into the space.

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The advantages:

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• Keeps the floor clear: The heater uses no floor space, leaving the full floor area for racking, machinery and movement

• Out of harm's way: Mounted high on a wall, the heater is away from forklifts, vehicles and day-to-day knocks

• Good distribution: Discharging from height lets the warm air throw out across the space, and positioning units around the perimeter walls gives even coverage

• Straightforward installation: A solid wall or column provides a simple, strong fixing point

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The trade-offs: Maintenance is carried out at height, which means access equipment and working at height precautions. The heater must also discharge in a direction that suits the space, so positioning needs thought to avoid blowing warm air straight at a wall or short into an obstruction.

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Suspended or Roof-Mounted Heaters

 

Where there is no suitable wall, or where heat is needed in the middle of a large open space, heaters can be suspended from the roof structure. The unit hangs from the steelwork at high level and discharges warm air downward and outward.

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The advantages:

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• Heat where you need it: Suspended units can be placed anywhere there is suitable steelwork, including the centre of a large building far from any wall

• Keeps the floor clear: Like wall mounting, suspending the heater uses no floor space

• Flexible layout: Multiple suspended units can be arranged to give even coverage across a large floor plate

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The trade-offs: The roof structure has to be able to take the weight, which needs checking. Maintenance is at height and often more awkward than a wall-mounted unit, since the heater is out over the floor rather than against a wall. Gas-fired suspended units also need their flue routed up through or out of the roof, which means roof penetrations. This matters for roof integrity and is worth considering in buildings with rooftop solar panels.

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Floor-Standing Heaters

 

Floor-standing units sit on the floor of the building. This arrangement is typical of the largest heaters, including cabinet heaters and air rotation units, where the output and size make wall or roof mounting impractical.

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The advantages:

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• Easy maintenance: Servicing is carried out at ground level, with no access equipment and no working at height. For a heater that needs regular attention, this is a real practical benefit

• Suits very high outputs: The largest heating units, which can deliver hundreds of kilowatts, are floor-standing because of their size and weight

• No roof or wall loading: The weight sits on the floor, so there is no need to suspend a heavy unit from the structure

• Fewer roof penetrations: A floor-standing unit with an appropriate flue arrangement can reduce the number of roof penetrations compared with a fleet of suspended heaters

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The trade-offs: The obvious one is floor space. A floor-standing unit occupies floor area that could otherwise be used, though the footprint is usually small relative to the building it heats. It also needs to be positioned where it is protected from vehicle and forklift movement. The Hadar Cyclone air rotation system and cabinet heaters such as the Hadar Zephr are examples of floor-standing units.

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External Weatherised Heaters Ducted Into the Building

 

There is a further option that is easy to overlook: siting the heater outside the building altogether. An externally located warm air heater is a weatherised unit, similar in principle to an internal floor-standing heater but built to withstand the elements, that sits outside the building and is ducted through the wall to deliver warm air inside and draw air back out.

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The advantages:

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• No internal floor space used at all: The heater sits outside, so you keep the full internal floor area as well as the full internal height, with no unit standing on the floor or suspended overhead

• Easy ground-level maintenance: Like an internal floor-standing unit, an external heater is serviced at ground level without access equipment, with the added benefit that the engineer is not working inside the operational space

• No internal flue or roof penetration for the heater: The combustion and flue are handled outside the building

• Frees the building envelope: Useful where internal space is at a premium or where there is simply nowhere sensible to put a unit inside

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The trade-offs: The main one is cost. A weatherised external unit costs more than the equivalent internal heater because of the weatherproof construction, and there is the added cost of the ductwork through the building envelope to carry warm air in and return air out. The ductwork also needs to be planned so the supply and return are well positioned for good distribution. In short, you are trading internal floor space for the cost of weatherproofing and ducting, which can be well worth it where internal space is valuable.

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A Note on Radiant Heaters

 

Radiant heaters follow a different logic, because they work by radiating heat downward onto the area below rather than circulating warm air. They are mounted at high level, either suspended from the roof or fixed high on a wall, and angled so the radiant heat reaches the floor where people are.

For radiant heaters, the key positioning factors are the mounting height and the angle. Mounted at the correct height for their output, they cover the working area effectively. Mounted too high, the heat spreads too thinly. Gas-fired radiant tube heaters such as the Space-Ray LR are suspended at high level along the area they serve, while electric radiant heaters can be wall or ceiling mounted to cover a specific zone.

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How to Decide

 

Choosing the mounting position comes down to balancing a few factors:

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• Heater type and output: Smaller warm air unit heaters suit wall or suspended mounting. The very largest units are floor-standing by necessity. Radiant heaters go at high level

• Building height and structure: The available walls, columns and roof steelwork determine what can be mounted where, and whether the structure can take the load

• Floor space: If floor space is precious, wall-mounted or suspended units keep it clear. If you can spare a small footprint, floor-standing units bring maintenance benefits. If internal space is at a real premium, an external weatherised unit ducted into the building keeps all of it

• Maintenance access: If easy servicing matters, floor-standing units are serviced at ground level, while wall and roof-mounted units need access equipment

• Roof considerations: If you want to minimise roof penetrations, for roof integrity or because of rooftop solar, fewer floor-standing units can be preferable to many suspended ones

• Heat distribution: Wherever the heaters go, they must be positioned to distribute heat evenly across the space and discharge in a sensible direction

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In practice the decision is rarely about preference alone. The heater type and output, the building and the way the space is used usually point clearly to the right arrangement. The value is in thinking it through at the design stage rather than mounting heaters wherever is easiest and discovering the drawbacks later.

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Where to Start

 

Mounting position is one of the details that separates a heating installation that works well from one that disappoints. It is worth getting right at the design stage, alongside the choice of heater type and output.

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Hadar Industries supplies industrial heating across the UK and can advise on the right equipment and the right installation arrangement for your building. Contact us today for a free site survey.

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Frequently Asked Questions

 

Where should an industrial warm air heater be mounted?

Most industrial warm air unit heaters are wall-mounted or suspended at high level, above head height and out of the way of operations. This keeps the floor clear and lets the warm air discharge out across the space. The very largest units are floor-standing because of their size and output. The right choice depends on the heater, the building and how much floor space and maintenance access you need.

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Is it better to wall-mount or suspend a heater?

Wall mounting is simpler and gives easier access where a suitable wall or column is available, and is usually preferred for perimeter coverage. Suspending a heater from the roof is the answer where heat is needed away from any wall, such as the centre of a large open building, but the roof structure must take the weight and maintenance is more awkward at height.

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Why are some industrial heaters floor-standing?

The largest heaters, including cabinet heaters and air rotation units that deliver hundreds of kilowatts, are floor-standing because their size and weight make wall or roof mounting impractical. Floor mounting also makes maintenance much easier, since servicing is done at ground level without access equipment, and it reduces roof penetrations compared with a fleet of suspended units.

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Do floor-standing heaters take up much space?

A floor-standing heater does occupy floor area, but the footprint is usually small relative to the building it heats. The trade-off is floor space in exchange for easy ground-level maintenance, very high output capability and fewer roof penetrations. The unit should be positioned where it is protected from forklift and vehicle movement.

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How high should a radiant heater be mounted?

Radiant heaters are mounted at high level and within the height range specified for their output, so the radiant heat reaches the floor and covers the working area. Mounted too high, the heat spreads too thinly and the area below stays cold. The correct height depends on the specific heater and its output.

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Can an industrial heater be located outside the building?

Yes. A weatherised warm air heater can be sited outside the building and ducted through the wall to deliver warm air inside and draw air back out. This keeps all of the internal floor space and height free and allows ground-level maintenance outside the operational area. The trade-off is the higher cost of the weatherproof unit and the ductwork through the building envelope.