Patio Heater Reviews
Overview
Thanks for checking out Patio Heater Reviews. Here you will be able to find manufacturers of all
types, prices and styles of patio heaters. It wasn't long ago that patio heaters were too expensive for home use
and found primarily in restaurants and outdoor events. Thanks to a huge demand and many different choices being manufactured today
you can obtain a basic patio heater for as low as $150 or get some really neat designs
for just slightly more.
Just imagine how great it will be enjoying your outdoor living space into the crisp cool nights of early fall
and winter. There are many different size and fuel options on the units available today. Your choices are
going to be driven by the location you are wanting to use it and others are just a matter of preference. When
evaluating the various options consider the following items:
- Fuel requirements – electric,gas,propane and how much does it
consume per hour of use?
- Safety Features – most devices will have a tilt switch in case you
accidentally turn them over.
- Location and Use – Will it be in an area where you are mostly
sitting or standing?
- The heat generation capability – either in Btu's or distance of
heat comfort range
- Size
- Finish- Painted, stainless steel
- Warranty/Service and Return
policy
Table Top Patio Heaters
Table top patio heaters are
the ideal choice for outdoor situations where you will primarily be seated. Some of the reviews have stated that
having the heater on a low table or sitting higher than the table on stools allows the heat to radiate upwards
and provide a more comfortable arrangement. A normal seating height arrangement
is alright too, but you might consider a more powerful heat capacity unit to ensure adequate heating distance
in all directions. Most units will have a mushroom top on them to help radiate some of the heat downwards.
The size of these units is typically going to be 24-42” with a base of around 12”. Make sure you have a
stable and adequate size table top to place it on.
Propane Patio Heaters
Propane heaters come in
stand-alone and table top models. There are primarily two fuel source alternatives for these units. The more
portable heaters typically use disposable propane bottles and the standalone units come in both disposable bottle
units and ones that offer a LPG cord that attaches to larger propane tanks that can be purchased and
refilled. The models that use disposable canisters do give much more portability but the
tradeoff is a higher fuel cost, canisters only last 2-3 hours, and more waste created by the disposable bottles. If
you are going to use your heater for longer than 2-3 hours at a time you might want to focus on those units that
have the refillable LPG tank option.
Gas Patio Heaters
Natural Gas Patio heaters
are the most fuel efficient and least costly alternative to operate. Natural gas will typically cost as little as
1/3 of the cost of Propane. Even though the fuel costs
are much less natural gas heaters are the least purchased model because they typically require professional
installation, and cost more. Also even standalone propane models can be moved easily. A natural gas unit has zero
portability as it has to be located near an available natural gas
outlet. You might also find that where you want to locate the unit will require the
installation of more gas line and outlets outdoors which can get expensive in a
hurry. If you already have an outlet available where you want to place the heater
you should consider this option, otherwise look to one of the other
alternatives.
Coleman Patio Heaters
Coleman offers several portable propane heaters that are good for spot heating around
your outdoor living areas and are preferred by many sportsman because they are really designed to be taken easily
on camping and hunting trips. Many of their portable units use larger propane bottles than can deliver up to 14
hours of heating comfort.
Electric and Infrared Patio Heaters
Infrared Patio heaters are typically electric units which draw about 1500 watts. If you
have an electrical outlet nearby your location you might want to consider this option. They usually give
instant heat once turned on and are silent in operation. Electricity is still cheaper than LPG to operate.
Again because of a corded connection you do lose some portability.
Patio Heater Covers
If there is one accessory that you should definitely purchase when you buy your
heater it is a patio heater cover. A cover will greatly extend
the life of your unit. By keeping the
weather, insects, and dust out of the unit it will be less prone to failure of internal parts which are
usually the source of problems you are likely to have.
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