Wall Heater Buyer's Guide

Starting to feel that cool draft in your home or office space? It is probably from the winter chill coming.

If you want to heat up the entire space, you can use your HVAC system or other methods. However, if you need to heat up a smaller space, you can use a wall heater for the winter.

Wall heaters are a great addition to residential and commercial spaces. This blog discusses the basics of wall heaters and why they are helpful heating solutions.

A wall heater mounts flush in (or on) a wall and is hardwired to a dedicated circuit. Because wall heaters don’t need ductwork, they are fast, cost-effective ways to heat individual rooms. Use electrical wall mounted heaters in bathrooms, small bedrooms, and office suites without expanding ducted HVAC systems.

Read our blog about the pros and cons of wall heaters to learn more about what wall heaters are.

Wall heaters take in the surrounding cool air and heats it using an internal heating element. The heated air is then released into the room until the desired temperature is reached.

Use the chart below to choose wattage, voltage, and control type quickly. As a rule of thumb: use 10W/sq.ft for average insulation (increase this amount in corner rooms, high ceilings, or rooms with poor insulation)

Protect your bathroom, garage, or outdoor outlets with weatherproof GFCIs that meet code and keep your space safe.

Cadet 750W Com-Pak Wall Heater has a compact, quiet, with optional built-in thermostat.

• Voltage/Wattage: 750W at 240V
• Use case: Bathrooms, Small offices, Apartments
• Mounting: Horizontal/Vertical; recessed mounted with wall can. Ceiling mountable.
• Installs at least 6-inches away from adjacent surfaces and 4.5-inches from the floor.

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Most wall heaters use wiring for the voltage and thermostat. For the voltage, you will find that smaller heaters use 120V, which is a three-wire cable. However, there are also 240V wires. This voltage is for more powerful heaters.

Thermostats can either be line voltage or low voltage.

Line voltage:

• Single-pole (SP) Thermostats: Shuts off power on one side of the circuit. The heater still has a live wire when turned to the “off” position.
• Double-pole (DP) Thermostats: Disconnects power on both sides of the circuit. Completely cuts electricity to the heater, recommended for 240V units and a true-OFF position.
• Most common type used in electric wall heaters

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Low-voltage:

• Uses thinner wiring than line voltage counterparts
• Requires a transformer or relay kit to control the heater’s higher voltage circuit safely
• Normally used with central controls or building automation systems

• Connect to a dedicated circuit sized to the heater’s amperage (apply the 80% rule per local code).
• Wire gauge: Use 12 AWG on a typical 20A circuits; for 30A circuits use 10 AWG (verify with nameplate).
• Voltage: 120V for small rooms; 240V for higher output/longer runs.
• Bathroom/near-water: follow local code and GFCI requirements.
• Hard-wired: In-wall fan heaters do not plug into outlets; they are wired to the panel using a wall can/box.

Tips for professionals

• Rough-in: Verify the wall-can cutout and clearances from flooring and adjacent surfaces
• Load calc: Confirm the electrical panel capacity before adding multiple heaters
• Label, Label, Label: Mark breaker and thermostat locations, record each setpoint for occupants
• Noise Reduction: Check sone and airflow (especially important in offices and classrooms
• Controls: Install vacancy sensor or programmable thermostats to cutdown runtime in unoccupied spaces

When installing a wall heater follow the checklist below:

1. Confirm square footage, voltage, & amperage
2. Pull correct gauges and install a dedicated breaker
3. Set clearances and install wall can at level
4. Make splices per manufacturer; torque lugs as specified
5. Mount heater & grille; verify fan rotation and element alignment
6. Wire thermostat (SP/DP line-voltage or low-voltage and relay)
7. Test: press to call for heat, verify the cut-out at the install point
8. Label the circuit; note amps/volts/model for service model

Wall heaters are a great way to keep warm in specific rooms without heating the whole house. They come with modern technology and use thermostats and wiring to help warm the area.

If you are looking for other ways to stay warm around your home, check out baseboard heaters, patio heaters, and gas fireplaces! You can also find electric wall heaters and ACs, also known as mini-splits as well! For kitchens/vanities, add supplementary kickspace heaters.

Winter Promo ends Jan 31. Contractor pricing and pallet discounts available.