Propane Patio Heater

 Propane heaters come in stand-alone and table top models. This page refers mainly to the free standing variety. Most of the free standing units use liquid propane tanks that are just like the ones you use with your outdoor grill. They are easily refilled and exchanged at bix box and hardware/grocery stores.

How powerful a heater do I need?

Heaters are rated by BTU, which stands for British Thermal Unit (the amount of heat needed to heat one pound of water by 1 degree F). To find out how many BTU you need:

• Calculate the volume of the space to be heated by multiplying square footage by height.
• Multiply that number by 4 if you are using it outdoors, 3 if indoors in an average insulated area, or 2 if it's in a well insulated area.

One great unit I have come across that puts off a large amount of heat to cover a good amount of entertainment area is the Uniflame 153100 Endless Summer Residential Outdoor Heater, Liquid Propane which disperses 40,000 BTU's to heat up a 20 ft diameter space. It comes with a piezo rlectric starter and a tilt switch to shut off the heater if it were to be knocked over.