How to Choose a Warehouse Heater for Industrial Use

Choosing a warehouse heater comes down to matching the heater type and kW output to your building. The key variables are floor area, ceiling height (stud height), insulation level, and what fuel or power you have available—diesel, LPG, or electric with single-phase or three-phase supply. Operational costs for heating systems vary by energy source, including diesel, LPG, and electricity.

Across NZ, this plays out in familiar scenarios: 400–800 m² logistics sheds in Auckland, 6 m stud manufacturing workshops in Christchurch, rural farm sheds in the Waikato, and panel beating bays across Canterbury. Each has different demands, but the selection process stays the same. Improving building insulation and installing high-speed roll-up doors can minimise heat loss and improve the cost-effectiveness of heating.

You don’t need complex formulas. An approximate kW range, along with the right heater style—radiant, forced air, or infrared—is usually enough for a solid decision. Other factors, such as insulation, door usage, and overall layout, can impact how much you save on your power bill. Later sections will show real-world sizing examples using the upcoming Remington range (14 kW, 22 kW, 36 kW, 38 kW) to illustrate what those numbers look like in practice.

• The right warehouse heater depends on four main factors: floor area, stud height, insulation quality, and how often doors are open.
• NZ warehouses commonly use diesel and LPG-powered industrial heaters, with electric options available when sufficient single-phase or three-phase power is available.
• Radiant and infrared heaters are best for spot or zoned heating in draughty spaces, while forced air heaters suit whole-space air heating in better-insulated buildings.
• New Remington industrial heaters, (14 kW, 22 kW, 36 kW, 38 kW), offer practical sizing options for typical NZ warehouse scenarios.

Why Heating a Warehouse Is Different from Heating an Office

Offices rely on domestic heat pumps, panel heaters, or convection heaters that warm small, sealed, well-insulated volumes. A 50 m² office with standard ceiling height is easy to keep at a comfortable temperature because the warm air stays put.

Warehouses are different. NZ warehouses typically have 4–8 m stud spacing, uninsulated roofs, concrete floors that radiate cold, and large roller doors that stay open for hours at a time. In a space like a 600 m² Tauranga distribution shed, heated air rises straight to the ceiling and escapes through gaps and doors. Convection-style heating loses efficiency fast.

Industrial settings also bring unique challenges:

• Fumes from forklifts require ventilation, pushing warm air out
• Dust from timber or engineering clogs domestic-style fan heater units
• Safety clearances around flammables affect heater placement

This is why industrial heaters—radiant, forced air, and infrared—are designed to handle tough, cold, damp NZ warehouse conditions rather than just making the air warm.

Key Factors to Consider When Choosing a Warehouse Heater

Before selecting a unit, work through these factors to narrow your options.

Space size and layout: Calculate your floor area (e.g. 500 m²) and volume using stud height (500 m² × 6 m = 3,000 m³). Larger volumes require a proportionally higher kW output.

Ceiling height: Taller studs (6–8 m) result in greater heat loss to the roof. Radiant or infrared heaters deliver warmth directly to people and work zones rather than heating the entire air volume.

Insulation and building envelope: An insulated tilt-slab warehouse in Auckland holds heat better than a thin-clad steel shed in Invercargill. Minimise heat loss through windows by using heavy curtains or other insulation methods—thermal curtains can make a noticeable difference in retaining warmth and improving energy efficiency. Allow extra capacity for single-skin metal walls, leaky roller doors, and other factors such as window and door draftiness.

Door openings and draughts: If your big roller door is open half the day, zoning radiant or infrared heaters along active workbenches or packing lines works better than trying to heat all the air.

Fuel type: Diesel is widely available on farms and industrial sites. LPG works well when a bottled or bulk supply is available. Electric options need a sufficient single-phase (230 V) or three-phase (400 V) supply.

Mobility vs fixed installation: Portable diesel or LPG heaters suit seasonal or changing layouts. Ceiling- or wall-mounted radiant units are suitable for permanent zones such as welding bays.

Compliance: Consider ventilation requirements for combustion heaters, food-grade standards for production areas, and safe distances from flammables like automotive paints or solvents.

Types of Industrial Heaters Available in NZ

There are different types of industrial heaters available in NZ, including fan heaters, radiant heaters, oil heaters, panel heaters, and micathermic heaters. Understanding the specific features and efficiencies of each type is crucial for selecting the most suitable warehouse heater for your needs.

Three main types of industrial heaters dominate the NZ market.

Radiant heaters emit infrared radiation that heats people and objects directly rather than the air. They’re energy efficient because they target objects instead of the air, making them ideal for high-ceiling warehouses and for spot heating along packing benches, machine stations, and dispatch zones in draughty sheds. Even with doors open, workers feel the warmth because the heat goes to surfaces, not the ceiling.

Forced air heaters burn fuel (usually diesel or LPG) or use electric elements to heat air, then push it through the space via a fan. These heaters use a heating element as their core component. Forced air or convection heaters use fans to distribute warm air, providing quick heating in well-insulated spaces. Electric fan heaters are portable and convenient, but may have higher operational costs in large spaces due to inefficiency. These suits are for semi-enclosed or better-insulated spaces needing broad background warmth. They can struggle in buildings with constant door openings.

Infrared heaters are a focused subset of radiant heaters, designed for overhead warmth with minimal light or noise. They’re excellent for workstations, service bays, and loading docks exposed to frequent draughts.

Most radiant and forced air models in NZ are diesel-fired for portability and lower running costs. LPG is popular where gas infrastructure exists. Electric units work where clean, exhaust-free operation is mandatory.

A typical NZ warehouse may combine different types: a diesel forced air heater for general background heat, plus infrared units over specific packing or assembly lines.

Sizing Your Heater: How Much Output Do You Need?

Industrial heaters are rated in kilowatts (kW). A rough guide for lightly insulated NZ warehouses: allow 30–50 W/m³, depending on climate and exposure.

Small workshop example: A 200 m² panel beating shop in Hamilton with a 4 m stud (800 m³) may work well with a heater in the 14–22 kW range. The Remington IRH14 (14 kW infrared) or RPK75R (22 kW radiant) would suit zoning-specific work areas.

Mid-size warehouse example: A 500 m² general warehouse with a 6 m stud in Christchurch (3,000 m³) needs roughly 30–40 kW for active working zones. A single higher-output unit, such as the Remington RPK130R (36 kW radiant) or RPK1300F (38 kW forced air), fits this scenario.

Large spaces: Facilities over 1,000 m² with 7–8 m studs typically require multiple heaters, zoned across loading bays, racking aisles, and packing areas, rather than a single oversized unit. In warehouses with high ceilings, destratification units are often used to minimise heating costs by reducing heat waste, ensuring warm air is circulated back down to working levels.

Poor insulation, constant draughts, and exposed rural locations—such as Southland, Manawatū, and the Canterbury Plains—justify choosing the upper end of any kW range. Consider future-proofing too: two medium-output heaters (e.g. two 22 kW units) offer more flexibility than a single large one if you’re expanding production.

Diesel Heaters for Warehouses

Diesel heaters are popular across NZ warehouses and farm sheds for good reason. Fuel is widely available, per-kWh heat cost is typically lower than standard-rate electricity (roughly $0.10–0.15/kWh for diesel versus $0.20–0.30/kWh for commercial electric), and no fixed gas line is required.

Diesel forced-air heaters use a combustion chamber plus a fan to push warm air through the space. Diesel radiant or infrared heaters deliver quieter, more targeted warmth—often better where dust, air movement, and moisture control are concerns. Controlling moisture is important in industrial spaces, as minimising moisture buildup helps reduce dampness and improve indoor air quality.

Can you use a diesel heater inside a warehouse?

Yes, with adequate ventilation and compliance with manufacturer clearance distances. Some units offer flue kits to exhaust combustion gases outdoors, which are particularly useful in food-adjacent areas. Gas and oil heaters also require proper ventilation to prevent the accumulation of harmful gases such as carbon monoxide. Safety features such as carbon monoxide detectors are necessary when using fossil-fuel heaters in occupied spaces.

For sites with large roller doors that open frequently, diesel radiant or infrared heaters maintain comfortable working temperatures without heating the entire air volume. Maintenance involves regular burner servicing, fuel filter checks, and keeping air inlets clear.

LPG heaters offer similar outputs and responsiveness but are suited to sites where gas cylinders are already on hand.

Recommended Heaters for NZ Warehouses

Once you understand your space, insulation, and fuel availability, match those needs to real heater outputs.

The Remington RPK75R (22 kW radiant) suits small to mid-size workshops or zoning-specific areas—a 150–250 m² picking or fabrication zone in a larger building.

The Remington RPK130R (36 kW radiant) handles higher-stud or colder environments where targeted heat is needed over multiple workstations, such as a production line or dispatch lane.

The Remington RPK1300F (38 kW forced air) provides broader background warmth in semi-insulated spaces—a 400–600 m² warehouse with a 5–6 m stud and fewer open doors.

The Remington IRH14 (14 kW infrared) is a compact option for loading docks, service bays, or rural workshops needing focused overhead warmth at a specific workstation.

A typical NZ solution may combine units: an RPK1300F providing background warmth plus an IRH14 positioned over the coldest loading bay. Modern warehouse heater systems allow for zoning, so you can focus warmth only on occupied areas and leave unoccupied sections unheated. This targeted approach helps save energy and reduce heating costs.