Making Your Patio Heaters Actually Smart
We build our IP55 infrared heaters to take a beating from the weather. Rain, dust, wind—they don’t care. But the real magic is how they heat. Instead of trying to warm up the entire outdoors (which is basically impossible), they send out waves that hit you and your guests directly. It’s instant. You turn it on, and you feel it immediately. No waiting around for the air to warm up while you’re shivering in a coat.
The Nitty-Gritty of the Setup
To get these things talking to your phone, we ditch the old-school manual dial. Instead, we use a heavy-duty relay or a PWM controller. The IP55 shell keeps the guts of the heater dry, but the “brains” usually run through a Zigbee or Wi-Fi bridge. Here is the part where you have to be careful: you need a smart switch that can actually handle the load. These heaters pull a lot of power (usually 2kW or more). If you use a cheap, undersized relay, it’ll arc and burn out. Fast.
No More Lag
The best part? There’s basically zero wait time. When you tap a button on your phone, the signal hits your hub and flips the switch. Since infrared elements glow hot in seconds, the warmth is there before you’ve even put your phone back in your pocket. I love pairing these with outdoor temperature sensors. You can set it up so that the second the patio hits 15°C, the heaters kick in automatically. You don’t even have to think about it.
A Quick Warning on Power
Here’s the thing: high-wattage heaters create a massive power spike the moment they start. Please, for the love of everything,do not use a cheap smart plug. They aren’t built for this and they will melt. It’s a fire hazard. Make sure your wiring gauge and circuit breaker are up to the task. Your best bet is to go with hard-wired smart relays tucked away in a weatherproof junction box. It’s cleaner, safer, and it actually works.