Sunday 6 February 2011

All You Wanted to Know About Patio Heaters

Patio heaters are becoming a craze with people living in countries having cooler climates. It's always good to extend your evenings on a cold autumn day when a patio heater warms the chilly air. You can sit by the outside heater and enjoy the evening with your family and friends. Patio heaters are also being widely used for commercial purposes. There are many countries that have banned smoking in public places like café, restaurants and also in enclosed spaces like pubs. Smokers can enjoy a cigarette huddled around a heater in a pub or a bar.


There are different types of patio heaters. The type that best suits you depends on your patio. For example if you have a large patio table you should go for one that should radiate heat downwards. If your patio table is small you could go for one that radiates heat sideways. There are also outdoor heaters that can be moved as they come with a built in wheel. The heat can be adjusted according to your needs.


There are also electric patio heaters. These are slightly better than the propane heaters as they do not lose the heat to the surrounding, which a propane heater generally does. It is also environment friendly. Patio heaters that run on natural gas are also an environment friendly option. There are a few models that have a thermometer attached to them. You can simply set a required temperature and these will automatically shut off after reaching the required temperature or if the heater is tipper over or a block. This ensures that your risk of fire is reduced. The one downside to an electric model as opposed to propane or gas is that you can not more them where the propane/gas models allow for portability.


Another common model is the patio gas heater. They either use propane or butane. They are good for places where there is no electricity and also these heaters heat up a bigger area using very less power. You can buy a magnetic gas level indicator that will allow you to buy a replacement gas cylinder before it is empty.


Commercial patio heaters are a boon to every person from the hospitality industry as this means extended hours of business. Most commercial outdoor heaters are available at a price range of $500. However it is not difficult to find a good quality unit for around $300. Most commercial outdoor heaters have average heater rates of about 45,000 BTUs which are enough to heat a 200t foot circle. BTU or British thermal unit is the measure with which heaters power is rated.


Ideally patio heaters are built to be safe for use. But as with any product these should be handled with care to avoid any unforeseen circumstances. Some basic precautions to be taken would include switching off the gas supply once you are finished using it. Never place awnings, tents should not used over a patio heater. This increases the risk of fire.


Tag : patio heaters,gas patio heaters,outdoor patio heaters,propane patio heaters,table top patio heaters