Who is using patio heaters?

Those that love to entertain outdoors, love having a patio heater. Whether they are entertaining on their deck, patio around the pool or in the backyard, patio heaters mean they can get outside earlier in the year and stay outside long past the time of year that their neighbors have all gone in. Restaurant owners find they work great on their patios as well. Not only are the customers more comfortable but it means extra seating for more months of the year.

Deciding where you need heat:

While patio heaters heat in a circular fashion, electric heaters warm up a more focused area. Patio heaters usually run on propane or natural gas. Electric heaters are either hardwired or can be plugged into a regular outlet. It all depends on where you need your heat. Over the patio table? In an enclosed area? Over a 20-foot radius? You need to know where you want your heat and then choose a heater that is capable of doing the job.

What type of heater do I need?

Portable - Portability may or may not be important to you. If it is, and you are buying a propane heater, you will want it to have wheels attached. If a tabletop heater is what you need, these are much lighter and can be moved easily from table to table. Electric heaters are usually much lighter, although some of the freestanding ones come with wheels as well.

Tabletop - Tabletop heaters are smaller and sit in the middle of your table or on a side table. They can be powered by a smaller propane tank or by electric outlet. These heaters are great for those that don't have much floor or ground space and only need/want heat near sitting areas.

Wall Mounted - Heaters that are mounted to the wall are powered by electricity, either hardwired or by plugging into a regular household outlet. They may or may not be moved easily, depending on the model. They are also great for those without much floor space as the are mounted up and out of the way and throw focused heat where it is needed.

Hanging - These are also electric heaters and work by hanging from above. They are also great space savers and can be hung down closer to the table or sitting area than a wall mounted heater.

Things to think about:

Type of Fuel - Propane patio heaters normally use a 20lb propane tank. The smaller ones will use a disposable propane cylinder. Propane heaters are powerful with commercial ones being the most powerful. If you have natural gas hooked up, then a patio heater that is permanently fixed to your natural gas line might be what you want. These are the most powerful type of heaters. The only drawback is that they are not portable.

Electric heaters that are either plugged into the wall or hardwired in can save money on fuel but they aren't as powerful. If you want heat in a smaller, focused area then these are a great alternative. Infrared electric heaters are the most efficient of them all because they heat objects rather than the surrounding air. This means that they are not affected by cool breezes or even higher winds.

Maybe you enjoy the crackle, snap, pop of a real fire. If so, you may want to consider a wood burning outdoor firepit or fireplace.

Power - As mentioned, propane and natural gas heaters are the most powerful. They are rated in BTU's which will help tell you the amount of heat they will give. The higher the BTU's the higher the heat and heating area. If you are looking at electric heaters, then you want to check the wattage, if available.

What are they made of - Quite a few of the patio heaters on the market today are made of steel. Some of your more basic heaters may include some aluminum as well. You will get what you pay for. You want to make sure it is made of stainless steel or in the very least weather treated steel. These will help extend the life of your unit. Vinyl covers are also a good idea to protect it from the elements when not in use.

The dome - You will see the dome on top of the patio heater. Check the size as a larger diameter dome will distribute the heat more efficiently.

Electronic ignition - Most propane heaters these days come with an electronic ignition or a Piezo ignition. Rather than manually lighting your heater, and risking the hairs on your hand, you just push the button which causes sparks that will interact with the fuel.

Safety - Some important safety features that you will want to check for include how it is constructed as far as stability. Many patio heaters have a weighted base and are built in a way that makes it very difficult to tip them over. Just to be extra safe, you will also want to check and see if it comes with a tilt shut-off switch. This will shut off the power supply in the rare instance that the heater gets knocked over.

Resourceful Links from the author: The author recommends http://www.solamagicshop.com/da/ for patio heaters or as called by the Danes terrassevarmer.