Infratech Patio Heater Brand Guide: W, WD, CD Series Compared

Updated October 2026. Infratech is the Pasadena, California manufacturer that pioneered electric infrared patio heating in the 1960s. The brand sells through authorized dealers only, and FirePits.com is one of them. Every SKU in our Infratech catalog ships with factory warranty intact and authorized-dealer pricing applied.

This guide walks through the three product series, the mounting and wiring realities most shoppers underestimate, and where Infratech wins versus Bromic and the gas-powered alternatives on firepits.com.

Why infrared, not propane

Propane patio heaters warm the air around them. On a windy patio the air gets stolen by the breeze before it ever reaches the seating area. Infrared heats objects and people directly, the same way the sun does — the heat passes through air without warming it and lands on skin, chair cushions, concrete, and tabletops. Wind doesn’t steal infrared heat the way it steals warmed air.

The second difference is permanence. A propane heater is a pole on wheels — fine for a party, awkward as a permanent fixture. Infratech mounts to the ceiling or wall, hides behind a pergola beam, and reads as architectural. For a covered patio where the shopper wants the heating to be invisible when it’s not running, Infratech is the only legitimate pick.

The three product series

W Series is the value tier. Standard black powder-coat housing, quartz heating element, dimmable with the matching Infratech controller. The 1,500W 120V unit is the entry point and works on a standard patio circuit — right pick if the install is a quick upgrade on an existing covered deck without pulling new wiring. The 3,000W 240V W Series is the residential sweet spot.

WD Series is the slim-line residential tier. Same 29-inch housing length as the W Series but with a slimmer profile and a two-color finish choice (black or bronze). The 3,000W output matches the W Series at the top end. Pay the premium for the WD Series when the install is architectural — a pergola beam, a cedar ceiling, a covered modern patio where the heater needs to disappear into the design rather than hang off it.

CD Series is commercial-grade. 61-inch housings pulling 4,000W to 6,000W per unit, duty-cycled for continuous operation on restaurant and hotel patios. Marine Grade 316 stainless upgrade available for coastal commercial installs. Overkill for most residential installs — if the covered area is bigger than 500 sq ft (large pool deck, outdoor kitchen with full dining and lounge zones), the CD Series is the right call.

Coverage math — how many units for my patio

The honest number is one 3,000W WD Series unit covers 50–75 sq ft of seating area when mounted 8–10 feet high. A standard 12×12 (144 sq ft) covered patio with a four-person conversation set needs two units for even coverage — one at each end of the seating zone, both aimed at the center.

Mounting height matters more than most buyers realize. At 7 feet the heat throws a tighter, more concentrated beam that reads too hot directly below the unit and too cold at the edge of the seating zone. At 10 feet the beam opens up and reads even across a 7-foot diameter zone. Infratech publishes a mounting-height chart for every SKU; stay inside their recommended range.

Dimming and controls

Every Infratech series is compatible with the brand’s dimmer controllers — Solid State (manual knob), Universal Control Package (wall panel with timer), and the Comfort Control App (Wi-Fi, zoneable, scheduleable). The dimmer isn’t just a comfort feature; it extends the element life meaningfully by letting the unit run at 60–70 percent for most of its use hours instead of 100 percent.

For most residential installs the Universal Control Package is the right pick — a wall-panel timer that pairs with 1 to 6 heaters and lets the shopper set the heat level without a phone app. The Comfort Control App upgrade matters for multi-zone commercial installs where different seating areas need different heat levels at different times of day.

Wiring reality — what the electrician needs to know

120V W Series (1,500W): a standard 20A patio circuit works, usually shared with existing deck lighting. One dedicated circuit per two heaters is the clean wiring plan.

240V W Series and WD Series (3,000W): dedicated 20A single-phase 240V circuit per heater. The run from the main panel to the ceiling junction box has to be sized for amperage — most installs run 12-gauge wire the full length. The electrician needs to know the heater is a continuous-duty load so they size the breaker and conductor at 125 percent of nameplate amperage.

240V CD Series (4,000–6,000W): dedicated 30A 240V circuit per unit, 10-gauge wire minimum. GFCI protection required for all outdoor-location circuits regardless of series. The CD Series install is almost always done by a commercial electrician familiar with restaurant kitchen equipment wiring — the amperage draw and the duty cycle are more similar to a commercial dishwasher than to a residential appliance.

Infratech vs Bromic

Bromic’s electric Platinum and Tungsten lines compete directly with Infratech on the covered-patio spec. Both are legitimate premium picks. Here’s how we route shoppers between them.

Infratech wins on the dimmer control ecosystem (deeper integration options, better multi-zone commercial hardware), on 60+ years of US manufacturing history, and on the Marine Grade stainless upgrade for coastal installs. The pricing lands slightly below Bromic at the comparable wattage.

Bromic wins on the natural-gas and propane side (Platinum Smart-Heat Gas is their flagship) and on the tungsten-filament look that reads warmer than Infratech’s quartz. For a shopper who specifically wants a gas-fired permanent heater or who’s matching an existing Bromic lineup on a larger property, Bromic is the right pick.

What we’d buy from Infratech right now

For a covered 12×12 residential patio: two Infratech WD Series 3,000W units in bronze, one at each end of the seating zone, with the Universal Control Package wall panel. Clean architectural read, even coverage, dimmer-controlled for shoulder-season nights where full output isn’t needed.

For a 20×20 pool deck install with full-perimeter seating: four Infratech WD Series 3,000W units in the corners aimed inward, Comfort Control App for zoneable scheduling. The bronze finish disappears against cedar ceilings and bronze-finish fixtures.

For a coastal install within a mile of saltwater: upgrade to the Marine Grade W Series or WD Series with 316 stainless. The 304 stainless on the standard housing starts to show salt-crystal etching inside 24 months in direct ocean exposure; the 316 lasts 10+ years clean.