Free checklist
Infrared radiant heater quarterly maintenance checklist
A quarterly infrared radiant heater round is short on purpose: it catches the wear items that fail between annual services. This checklist is sized for a tech with a phone. Every item says what to look at and the photo that proves the round happened. Work is commonly verified against IMC (mechanical code), the applicable fuel-gas code, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo evidence it needs
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Work the list here and watch the gate hold, or load it into RTI and let it enforce the real thing.
Access and the floor below
Lift set up and the floor below closed to traffic
Lift checked and run by a trained operator, the aisle under the heater coned off from forklifts and foot traffic, racking and stock never used as a platform.
Rating plate read and matched to the heater's tag
Model, fuel, input rating and clearance distances read from the plate and matched to the tag and record, so the round logs against the right unit.
Burner and ignition
Burner lights and proves flame on a call for heat
Ignition on demand, flame stable and the right color, flame safeguard proving without repeated lockout or short-cycling.
Gas train and connections leak-free
No leaks at the gas connector, valve and unions, flexible connector not kinked or strained, shutoff accessible.
Draft inducer proves before ignition on tube heaters
On a call for heat the inducer or vacuum pump starts first and its pressure switch proves before the igniter lights, with no rattle or bearing noise at the fan.
No photo
Tubes and reflectors
Radiant tubes and reflectors intact and aligned
Tubes straight and supported, no sag, cracks or burn-through, reflectors clean and aimed to throw heat down, not into the deck.
Clearances and mounting
Clearance to combustibles maintained on all sides
Nothing (stock, racking, lighting, sprinkler branch) encroaching the listed clearance below or beside the heater, hangers and chains sound.
Sprinkler heads near the heater noted with their rating
In sprinklered areas, heads beside or above the heater noted by bulb color or marked rating, and any head inside the label's clearance, or newly moved, reported to the owner.
No photoMounting height and tilt checked against the instructions
Height above the floor and reflector tilt compared with the manufacturer's minimum mounting height and angle, no chain link opened or S-hook spread.
Tube hangers free to swing with expansion on tube heaters
Hangers plumb when cold and free to move as the tube grows, none jammed against a beam, sprinkler pipe or light fixture that would bow the tube.
No photo
Venting and controls
Vent and combustion-air terminals clear on vented units
Exhaust and intake caps outside the wall or roof in place, clear of nests, snow and ice, no staining or soot around the penetration.
No photoController setpoint and schedule matched to the owner's
Thermostat, globe sensor or zone controller showing the owner's setpoint and schedule, the sensor not shaded by stock or sitting in the heater's direct beam.
Clearance problems and defects reported to the owner
Encroaching stock, changed lift paths and other defects reported to the owner's contact the same day, with the heater's tag on the round record.
No photo
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- Combustibles (stock, racking, seasonal decorations) moved up into the clearance-to-combustibles zone below or beside the tubes.
- Reflectors dusty, sooted or knocked out of alignment, so heat radiates up into the deck instead of down to the floor.
- Burner short-cycling or failing to prove ignition, so the space never reaches temperature and the flame safeguard keeps locking out.
Verified against
Common questions
6 answers
- What does this infrared radiant heater quarterly checklist cover?
- 13 items across 5 sections, covering access and the floor below, burner and ignition, tubes and reflectors, clearances and mounting, and more. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The HVAC or maintenance tech on the quarterly heating-season round.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Every quarter through the heating season, because these units hang out of reach and a sagging tube or a pallet stacked into the clearance zone goes unnoticed from the floor.
- Why do these items ask for a photo?
- 8 of the 13 items call for photo evidence, 10 photos in all. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails an infrared radiant heater quarterly inspection?
- Combustibles (stock, racking, seasonal decorations) moved up into the clearance-to-combustibles zone below or beside the tubes. Reflectors dusty, sooted or knocked out of alignment, so heat radiates up into the deck instead of down to the floor. Burner short-cycling or failing to prove ignition, so the space never reaches temperature and the flame safeguard keeps locking out.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident audit trail.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 10 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper evident record behind every line.
See all 508 checklists · 6741 items and 5984 photo requirements in total.