Hal Major © 2009
BobVilaContractors.com
Patio heaters provide enough warmth to take the chill out of the air allowing you a little more time outdoors before the end of the day. Patio heaters are available in electric and gas fueled models. They provide the perfect answer to keeping your patio or deck comfortable most of the year.
Electric Patio Heaters
Electric patio heaters use radiant heat to warm the objects and people around them instead of trying to warm the air. They generally use a quartz heating system that radiates an orange glow. In fact, everything in the path of the glow looks orange. Furniture, cushions and people.
Unlike gas-fueled patio heaters, they're unaffected by wind -- and of course you don't need to worry about refilling a propane tank. However, electric patio heaters do consume electricity and the larger the unit the more power it takes.
A 1500 watt electric patio heater is equivalent to a 11,000 BTU gas heater. Electric heaters come in free-standing models, units that hang on a wall or fence and models that can be placed in the ceiling if your patio has one. You can expect to warm an area of 15 to 25 feet from the heater. If you need to heat larger patios and areas, you�ll want a gas heater.
Gas patio Heaters
Gas patio heaters provide more portability than their electric counterparts do. The gas heaters use propane from tanks like those on barbeque grills. Gas heaters are rated in BTUs rather than watts like the electric models.
If you have a rather large area to warm, the gas patio heaters are probably your best bet. They range in size from 10,000 BTUs to 50,000 BTUs and can warm an area 30 feet by 30 feet. These large gas heaters are occasionally called umbrella heaters, high hat or mushroom heaters due to their shape. You've probably seen them at outdoor cafes, restaurants, and coffee bars. They look like huge metal lanterns that stand about 7 or 8 feet tall. They have a propane tank hidden in their base.
How do patio heaters works? They are usually powered by either natural gas or propane fuel. The heating element radiates the heat out into a 20' to 30' diameter around them. You can raise the surrounding temperature by 150 to 250 F. Their domed, shielded tops help radiate the heat down rather than allowing it to escape up and away from the patio.
