Infrared heat is radiant heat — the same way sunlight warms you. Instead of heating the air in a room or on a patio, it directly warms people, furniture, and surfaces within its range.

That's why infrared works so well outdoors: there's no air to trap and warm, so the heat isn't lost to wind the way it is with a fan or gas / convection heater.

Like stepping from shade into sunlight. You feel the warmth the moment it reaches your skin or clothing, and it stops the moment you step out of range — and there's no ramp-up time, it's almost instant.

No emissions and no oxygen consumption, so it's safe in more settings including partially enclosed patios. Lower running costs than LPG/propane, no tanks to refill or store, virtually no maintenance, and no combustion smell. It's also instant — full heat output the moment it's switched on.

Kelray heaters are medium-wave. Medium-wave sits at the wavelength that's most efficient at transferring heat to people and objects while running at lower element temperatures than short-wave — we consider it the safest and most reliable option for outdoor use.

No. The infrared spectrum that produces heat is a different part of the electromagnetic spectrum from ultraviolet light. A Kelray heater warms you the way sunlight does, without the UV exposure sunlight also carries.

Our heaters are designed to work in indoor and outdoor environments residentially, and also commercially and industrially. See our Commercial & Industrial FAQs for more information.

It depends on the area you want to heat and how the heater is mounted. As a starting point, people generally need to be within 5m of the heater to feel real warmth, so coverage is really about placement as much as wattage.

Use the heater selection guide on our product pages, or contact our team with your space's dimensions and we'll help you with the model and layout options.

Most people feel comfortable warmth up to 5m from a correctly mounted heater. Mounting height and angle both affect this, which is why placement matters as much as raw wattage when you're heating an area.

This really depends on how many seating areas you have and the mounting height you're working with. Covering your seating areas well matters far more than trying to warm the entire space.

Sometimes one heater — small or large, depending on mounting height — is enough. In other situations, where the mounting height is lower, two or more heaters may be needed to fill the seating space. There are a lot of variables at play, so it's often best to talk to us directly to get the right options for your space.

Often, yes — our heaters are all the same style, just available in different wattages and with different mounting possibilities: height, and whether they're mounted off walls, beams, ceilings, or rafters. It's less about needing a different heater for each setting and more about choosing the right wattage and mounting approach for your space.

Also consider whether where you live is colder (e.g. South Island) or warmer (e.g. North Island), sheltered or windy, whether you feel the cold, and whether people will be sitting or standing in range of the heater — and if sitting, whether at standard tables or bar-leaners.

Multiply the heater's kilowatts by your local electricity rate per kWh. For example, a 3,000W (3kW) residential heater at full power costs on average about $1.20/hr at a rate of 40¢ per kWh.

Commercially it is on average 26c/hr, and industrially it is approximately 23c/hr (MBIE, 02/2026).

Generally, yes. A comparable LPG/propane heater runs closer to $2.80/hr, against roughly 30–40¢/hr for a mid-size electric unit at typical rates. Electric heaters also avoid the ongoing cost of LPG/propane tank refills and have lower maintenance overhead.

Much less than convection or forced-air heaters. Because infrared warms people and surfaces directly rather than the air around them, wind has far less impact on the heat you feel — there's no warm air pocket for a breeze to disperse.

In most cases, no — Kelray heaters must be hardwired by a qualified electrician to ensure safe operation and to keep your warranty valid.

The exception is our 2kW and 2.4kW models, which can be supplied with a cable and plug on request, so they can simply be plugged into a standard 10A socket instead of being hardwired.

Fixed installation. Every Kelray heater ships with mounting brackets for wall or ceiling installation, and flush-mount options are available where a seamless finish is desired.

A heater cannot be mounted vertically, as the element will burn out.

A heater can be mounted on a sloped ceiling, as long as it's kept horizontal across the slope — it must not be installed running down the slope, as the element will burn out at the lower end.

Tilting is a separate consideration. In a horizontal plane, we recommend installing the heater tilted at roughly 45° to spread the heat out across the area. Tilting it slightly further down intensifies the heat over a smaller area; tilting it slightly further up spreads and softens it — a simple adjustment to dial in the comfort level you want.

If a heater is hung directly overhead, it faces straight down and delivers a more intense, concentrated heat, so overhead heaters should be mounted higher than side-mounted ones. See our mounting heights guide for the right height for your model.

Kelray heaters run on single-phase power. In New Zealand, that's 230–240V — and because our heaters are single-phase, it's the amperage on your circuit (not the number of phases) that matters most. Our heaters work fine even in properties with a three-phase supply, since the heater itself simply runs off one phase.

If you're ordering into Canada, Australia, the US, or elsewhere, get in touch and we'll confirm the right voltage and amperage for your market.

Every heater must be wired to a switch to control it — on/off. Dual-element heaters should be wired to a 2-gang switch so each element can be controlled independently.

We also offer controllers, from Teleco, for heaters up to and including 3kW. These add a remote dimming function on top of on/off control: Teleco Dimmer — up to 3400W for infrared heaters. Contact Kelray for details.

Over the years we have found that a controller is not a necessary requirement for our heaters if they have been mounted no lower than the recommended minimum height for the wattage.

Yes — the Teleco controllers we offer can be connected into a smart-home system.

Yes, when installed and used as intended. Kelray heaters produce no open flame, no carbon monoxide, and no exhaust fumes — the main safety considerations are keeping proper clearance from the heater itself and having it professionally installed.

The heater must be wired to an RCD (residual-current device) / breaker at your main switchboard, which takes care of automatic cut-off. This is set up as part of a compliant electrical installation, done by your electrician, rather than a feature built into the heater itself.

We recommend switching your heater off when the area is unattended for an extended period, in the same way you would with any electric heating appliance.

At least 150mm clearance from the back and top of the heater to combustible materials such as canvas awnings or cloth, and a minimum of 100mm from all other surfaces.

To either side, an adjacent wall running at 90° to the heater should be at least 450mm from the heater's front-side edge, and anything in front of the heater should have at least 800mm of clearance.

Yes — they're built for it. Kelray heaters are designed for coastal, alpine, and other demanding outdoor environments and are rated for year-round patio use.

Weather-resistant, rated IPX4 for year-round patio use — that covers splashing water from any direction, which suits typical rain and coastal spray. It should not be operated in the open while raining.

316 stainless steel contains added molybdenum, which gives it meaningfully better resistance to chloride corrosion — the kind caused by salt air and coastal spray — than the 304 grade used in most standard outdoor heaters. It's a major reason Kelray heaters are built to last in exactly the coastal conditions that wear out cheaper units fastest.

A 5-year warranty — among the longest in the industry for outdoor heating.

Marine-grade 316 stainless steel substantially reduces the risk of corrosion compared to standard outdoor heaters, but no outdoor metal product is entirely immune, especially right on the coastline. Occasional tea-staining (light surface discolouration) can occur and is easily cleaned off if it isn't left too long. Regular cleaning is part of keeping your heater in warranty-eligible condition.

A lack of cleaning will negate the warranty for any established rust or corrosion. Tea-staining itself is an acceptable, normal occurrence with stainless steel and can be removed if it's attended to in time.

Turn the heater off and let it cool completely, then clean the whole heater with warm soapy water. Dry thoroughly before switching back on.

Take care with powdercoated finishes: salt crystal build-up left sitting on the powdercoat can scratch the surface and create small wells where corrosion or tea-staining can start. We recommend cleaning every 3 months in typical conditions, or every 6–8 weeks if your heater is within 500m of a beach or a salt-spray zone.

Our quartz elements generally last between 7,000–10,000 hours, depending on how the heater is used.

Elements also carry a separate 1-year warranty for manufacturing defects only. If there's a defect in the glass or the wire, it will generally show up within the first 6 weeks of use.

Kelray was founded in New Zealand with the goal of building the world's most durable outdoor heater, after seeing existing options fail in harsh coastal conditions. Heaters and elements are made in New Zealand, with a dedicated division in Canada serving North America, and are shipped worldwide.

Each heater is built to order. Stainless steel finishes typically ship within 7–10 days; powdercoated finishes take a little longer, at 2–3 weeks, to allow for the coating process.

You have 30 days from delivery to return a heater that is unused, in its original packaging, and in resalable condition. Get approval from our team before sending anything back — we don't use a formal RMA process in New Zealand, so a quick check-in with us is all that's needed. Return shipping is at the customer's expense, and refunds are processed within 21 business days of us receiving and verifying the return.

If you've ended up selecting the wrong size heater, we'll work with you to exchange it for the correct one within 30 days — this may involve additional shipping costs, and powdercoat costs if applicable, plus the relevant charge or credit for the new model.

Damaged or defective units may be replaced or refunded free of these deductions. Installed, used, or modified products, and clearance items, aren't eligible for return. We do not cover any third-party installation or removal expenses.