Training › Step 2 of 6
How to choose the right heater
Buying your own bed bug heater? Two things decide which model is right: how much space you treat at one time, and how much power the building can supply.
Match the heater to your space and your power.
Each Mosebach heater is sized for a floor area and needs a set number of household circuits. Check both before you order.
Measure the rooms you’ll heat.
Multiply each room’s length by its width, in feet. Add every space that opens into it — closets, an ensuite, a hallway — because the heat has to fill all of it. Split an L-shaped room into two rectangles and add them up.
- Ceilings over 8 ft mean more air to heat.
- Concrete, plaster or block walls soak up heat — expect more time and about 50% more power.
- Outside walls, big windows and drafts lose heat faster.
Why it matters for your heat treatment: the heater has to be big enough for the largest area you heat at one time. Choose a model rated above your number, with headroom if the room has concrete walls, high ceilings or big windows. A larger space can be split into sections with a temporary wall and treated one section at a time. See the setup guide
Know your outlets.
These heaters run on the building’s own electricity — no generator. All three plug into ordinary 120 V wall outlets, and the two bigger models add a 240 V circuit for extra heat. These are the outlets to look for.
One cord, one circuit.
Each 120 V heating element draws 13–15 amps — almost all of a 15 A circuit. That’s why the heater maker tells you to put every power cord on a separate circuit, with nothing else sharing it.
- 1Label your panel. Switch off one breaker at a time and note which outlets go dead — a lamp or phone charger makes a good tester.
- 2Count the free circuits near the room, plus any 240 V dryer, air-conditioner or range outlet.
- 3Keep your fridge and freezer on their own circuits. Don’t plug a heater cord into those.
Why it matters for your heat treatment: a heater only makes heat from the power you give it. Where a room has only ordinary 120 V outlets, the BK10-3 is the model that runs at full power. The BK15-3 and BK20-3 need their 240 V circuit to reach full output, and a room that heats slowly takes longer to reach 50 °C at the coldest spot. Learn how your panel works
Three Mosebach heaters. Pick yours.
All three are made in the USA by Mosebach, run off household circuits and have a built-in thermostat and fan. They differ in heat output and the power they need.
BK10-3
About 300 sq. ft.
- 6 × 120 V (15 A)
Small rooms and buildings with limited power. Runs on ordinary wall outlets only.
Weight 27 lb
BK15-3
About 600 sq. ft.
- 4 × 120 V (15 A)
- 2 × 240 V (20 A)
Most rooms. Adds heat from a 240 V dryer or air-conditioner circuit.
Weight 48 lb
BK20-3
Up to 800 sq. ft.
- 6 × 120 V (15 A)
- 1 × 240 V (50 A)
The largest rooms. Needs a 240 V, 50 A range circuit.
Weight 50 lb
Quick pick
- Only ordinary 120 V outlets→BK10-3
- A 240 V dryer or air-conditioner outlet as well→BK15-3
- A 240 V, 50 A range circuit, and the largest rooms→BK20-3
Figures at full power, from the Mosebach BK10/15/20-3 spec sheet. The area a heater can treat depends on insulation. Heaters ship anywhere in Canada; price on request.
Measure your space and map your circuits.
Three short how-to videos. They play on YouTube in privacy-enhanced mode.
Ready to choose your heater?
Tell us your square footage and the outlets you have. We’ll recommend a model and send you a quote. Heaters ship anywhere in Canada.
