Indirect fired heaters are quickly becoming the most popular choice for heating job sites across the country. They are safer than direct fired heaters, produce less fumes, and keep your operation running on the coldest days. At BCI-Concrete we often get asked about some of the advantages of our rental indirect heaters, and in this article we’re going to cover some of the basics that you should be aware of when choosing your next heater.

We have heaters available for rent on our website here.

What are the benefits of an indirect heater?

One of the main reasons to rent an indirect heater for your project is the fact that it does not produce a direct flame. We’ve all seen and used those old school torpedo heaters, and while they are effective at heating up a space quickly they are also a safety hazard for a few reasons. They produce fumes which are harmful in confined spaces over time, they usually smell (especially the kerosene or diesel fired heaters!) and they are really only suitable for certain projects.

Indirect fired heaters are ideal for almost any project because they solve many of the issues mentioned above. There is no direct flame used to heat the area, so you no longer have to worry about what might fall in front of the heater and potentially get caught on fire. Indirect heaters use air ducts to pipe the heat into your work area, and exchange the air from within the site. This means you aren’t constantly trying to heat cold outside air. Instead, you are exchanging the air you are already warming up inside the job site.

Additional benefits of using an indirect heater for your project include:

  • Portability: Our heaters can be towed to any site and positioned where they are needed most.
  • Choice of fuel: Most of our units can be operated with propane or natural gas.
  • Thermostat control: Maintain a set temperature depending on the needs of your team and environment.

Our rental indirect heaters run on propane and natural gas, which allows for a much cleaner burn. This eliminates those harsh fumes you usually get from direct fired heaters that are running on kerosene or diesel. While this is less important in an open outdoor space, it can be a major issue in an enclosed area such as a warehouse or office space.

Interested in renting an indirect heater for your next project? Click here.

Should I rent or purchase an indirect heater?

This question depends entirely on you, the customer. If you are a contractor or construction firm doing quite a bit of work in the winter, having a few indirect heaters available can significantly increase productivity. The question then becomes: Do you want to own them or rent them?

There are major benefits to renting a heater from a company like ours.

We have full time staff on hand who work on heaters day-in and day-out. We send out heaters to your jobsite that have been fully maintained and well cared for their entire life. If anything were to happen to a heater of ours on your jobsite, we can swap it out very quickly and have you back up and running in no time.

When renting a heater from us, you don’t have to worry about cost of ownership. You don’t have to worry about finding a safe place to store it during the summer.

That being said, there can be advantages to owning your own indirect heater as well. We do occasionally sell some of our rental fleet and offer great deals on used units. If you are considering purchasing a used indirect heater, give us a call or check out our indirect heater equipment page!