Outdoor Patio Heaters – What To Look For
The popularity of outdoor patio heaters is increasing at an incredible rate. This is not only due to their versatility and in extending the usage of your patio into the cooler months but also because of the wide range of styles available and their reasonable prices.
There is nothing better than to be able to sit outdoors on your patio and enjoy a barbecue or drinks with friends and family. But once the season changes and the weather becomes cooler, the patio usually becomes that area you look at through the kitchen window. Well not any more, simply light up your outdoor propane heater and presto, you have an almost instant warm, cosy area.
These portable gas heaters can be moved around, are safe and can be used in all but windy situations. But what do you look for when buying a patio heater? Aesthetics aside, let’s first look at features.
Most outdoor heaters have instant start, automatic shutoff to prevent overheating and in the event of windy conditions and anti-tilt switches. They have heavy bases so are very stable.
Being rust proof is important. Although these heaters will not be in direct rain they are subject to the weather so ensure the one you choose will not corrode. There is stainless steel, copper plated, anodised and a myriad of different finishes that will provide protection from the elements.
What size area do you need to heat? These portable propane heaters have varying heating capacities which is measured in BTU’s (In North America, the term "BTU" is used to describe the heat value (energy content) of fuels, and also to describe the power of heating and cooling systems, such as furnaces, stoves, barbecue grills, and air conditioners ( Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_thermal_unit ). The more BTU’s the heater puts out, the greater the area it will heat. Generally the output of patio heaters varies from around 7000 BTU’s to 40000 BTU’s. This is an important factor to look into.
There are different types of gas heaters you can choose from. There are free standing ones and table top ones. Free standing veranda heaters are tall, usually over 6 feet high with heavy bases for stability. They usually have a greater heat output than table top gas heaters. Tabletop propane heaters are shorter, also with a weighted base and have a lower heat output
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There are many styles of patio heater available. The most popular are stainless steel heaters because of the durability of the finish. There are different covers and styles of base available. Cost of heaters will determine the features they have and their finish. Naturally a beaten copper gas patio heater will cost more than a similar stainless steel model. Tabletop patio heaters are usually cheaper than free standing ones.
Also available are propane outdoor fireplaces in stone finishes that can also be used to warm patio areas.
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Tags: fireplace, fireplaces, gas, heater, heaters, outdoor, patio, propane, veranda
March 29th, 2010 at 8:29 pm
Thanks so much for this information