Buying a Patio Heater with Confidence

Outdoor Patio Heaters can be found on offer at numerous ecommerce stores as well as major brick and mortar stores. The question then becomes where to buy from and more importantly which brand is going to give the best bang for the buck. Another very important consideration is the fuel source that you have available to you at your location.

Price isn't everything - Test their Outdoor Heater Knowledge

Where to buy from – it is so important to be sure of all of the needs above are dealt with that you should ask questions and run as fast as you can if you are not given specific answers that you can verify. On-line stores generally offer best pricing, but I recommend that you call and speak with their customer service as you do need to ask the questions. If they do not appear to be knowledgeable about the product call another company.

Which Outdoor Patio Heater is Right

Look for outdoor electric and gas heaters that operate on the principal of generating the heat via infra-red rays. The benefit of this that the heat generated does not heat the air but heats the object. The object being, the human body, concrete/tile floor etc. One should also be aware that although gas heaters are sold as infra-red heaters, for them to operate in this manner, they need to be run on their high heat setting.

Which is the correct heater for your needs – outside heaters are available in versions running off liquid propane, natural gas and electricity. From a cost of running perspective, natural gas is generally the most cost effective followed by the other two forms at about an equal cost? For the casual user the cost of running will not be a significant issue due to the generally low hours that the heater is used for on a daily basis. For commercial installations this can very quickly become an issue. Both electric and gas heaters come in formats that are free standing or wall mounted. Where possible a wall mounted heater is the preferred choice due to the fact that you then free up floor space and avoid loose wires or gas feeds to trip on.

Outdoor Electric Heaters

Electric heaters are available predominantly in 120V or 240V format. The power rating of the heater is limited by the voltage. You therefore will not see 120V heaters running at more than 1500W which is equivalent to most ladies hair dryers. These 120V heaters are mostly used where you have one or two chairs closely situated and you would place the heater next to the chair or between them and receive very localized heat. In moving up to 240v electric supply your power options increase substantially with the 6000W heater generally being about the most powerful unit that you will find. At this point it becomes very important that you select the correct heater based on your criteria. You need to look at the height at which you will be able to install the heater, how large an area you want to heat and what your prevailing temperature will be at the time that you want to use the heater. With outdoor electric heaters matching the heater to the installation height is critical. By not being aware of this criterion you will invariably find that you have less heat than what you expected or needed or if the heater is too powerful for the installation height, you will constantly be uncomfortable with a feeling of being overheated or worse yet cooked. It is best practice to install a heater that is slightly more powerful than what you estimated your need to be and then be sure to use a controller that allows you to control the heat output as needed.

Gas Patio Heaters

Gas heaters – come in free standing versions and wall mount and as mentioned, use propane or natural gas as the fuel, otherwise know as, outdoor gas heaters. Free standing heaters have an average output ranging between thirty to fifty thousand BTU. The available brands and models range in price from $199 to $1500. As is the case in most instances in life, you get what you pay for. The low cost versions generally burn at a lower heat than advertised, don’t have parts availability and will need replacing far sooner than the better quality units. Wall mount gas heaters are available in versions that use a low voltage electrical current to ignite the heater from a switch on the wall or via a remote.

Whatever your choice or installation, it is always recommended to purchase from a company that is knowledgeable about their product.

Fire Pits and Patio Heaters - Warmth for Family and Friends

Patio fire pits and heaters are becoming widely used, as more and more people seek to take advantage of their leisure time. The use of these products serves two purposes. One of these is the ambiance that is created by their use. The second is the very practical provision of warmth to the surrounding area.

Whereas the fire pit will generally provide warmth to one side of the body, the outdoor heater because it is mounted above head height, in many instances provides all-round warmth to the user. To better understand this, consider the situation where friends and family are seated around a fire pit in the back garden or at the beach. Although you might have a blazing fire burning in the in your outdoor fireplace, people will still complain of a nasty chill being felt from the back. In a situation like this an electric or gas heater positioned behind the people would serve to remove the chill.

It is common to find outdoor fireplaces located on backyard patios, and again you are in a situation where the air coming in behind the people creates a chill. Needless to say the warmth to their backs can be provided by an electric or gas patio heater.

Fire pits can be purchased in the standard format that makes use of dried wood as the source of fuel or in variations using liquid propane or natural gas as the fuel source. The pits themselves are manufactured from a variety of metals and in some instances stone. Core Ten steel is one of the newer types of steel that is being used. It has the property of forming a rust colored coating on the outside and will not rust as long as water is not allowed to collect on it. It is widely used in the manufacture of buildings and artwork due to the beautiful finish.

Another new variation on fire pits today is the use of fire glass. It is available in various colors and creates an aesthetically appealing finish to the outdoor fire. The gas is fed up through the glass and you have a resultant dancing flame above the glass.

No matter your choice, today there are many options to continue the outdoor patio and backyard gatherings, while keeping family and friends comfortable and warm.

Patio Heaters - What your Patio Heater Manual Doesn't Tell You

An outdoor patio heater, just like any other appliance needs periodic maintenance. When checking your patio heater manual, you will probably have very good instruction in how to assemble and operate your patio heater. There may even be some useful troubleshooting information, if your patio heater doesn't operate properly. But there is something the patio heater manufacture doesn't bother to let you to know.

The warmer seasons are ending and you pull your patio heater storage, ready to warm up those brisk mornings and nights. You turn on the natural gas supply or make sure you have a full propane tank. Friends and family are eagerly waiting to stand by the patio heater, so you go to light it up. Using the patio heater before, you know to turn the knob to pilot and depress the igniter button . . . click, and it doesn't light. Okay, you try it again, click and it doesn't light again. Your guests continue to wait patiently to gather around your patio heater, but slowly start to move indoors and out of the chill. You check the gas supply again and try the ignition process a few more times, but decide to move the party inside.

The next day you check the patio heater instructions and troubleshooting guide, but still can't get your patio heater to light and think you may need a new outdoor heater to move the gathering outdoors once again. However, if you knew a few maintenance tips, you might be able to save yourself the the cost of a new patio heater and once again be the life of the party.

What most patio instructions won't tell you is that a covered or stored patio heater is a favorite home for spiders and other little creatures. The cool, dark and confined space makes for a perfect nesting location for our eight legged friends. The debris, nest and spider webs created during the period of non-use of your patio heater, blocks the important functioning parts of your heater, allowing not to work properly or at all. Unfortunately, without dismantling a couple key parts, you would never be able to see the problem created by the web, debris or nest. If your patio heater is more than a year old, more than likely it is out of warranty and the patio heater manufacturer won't offer much help.

So what yo you do now to get your patio heater back in operation. Almost all natural gas or propane patio heaters contain the same components of a control valve, a pilot, a thermocouple and a main burner. Getting to and cleaning these components are essential to having your patio heater working again.

Cleaning the internal parts of your Patio Heater:

Note: Always make sure the patio heater is cool, with any gas supply disconnected from the patio heater.

1. Remove the hood or reflector and emitter screen of your outdoor heater. The parts are usually attached to main burner housing with four screws. Once this is remove, you will have access to the main burner, pilot and thermocouple.

2. Remove the main burner, which is usually attached to a bracket with anywhere from two to four screws. Once the main burner is removed, you will have access to the main burner orifice. The orifice a small brass fitting with a tiny hole, measured in gauges. This tiny hole can become clogged or obstructed by the debris, nest or web, left by the spider. Since very little or no gas can pass through the obstruction, the outdoor heater will not create a flame or will have a very yellow sooty flame.

3. With a wrench or socket set, remove this orifice for cleaning. To clean, use compressed air or a needle to remove any obstruction.

4. Check the pilot for any other obstructions. On occasion, the pilot orifice, like the main burner orifice, will have leftover deposits by the spiders. This brass fitting will have an even smaller hole that the main burner orifice. Removing the pilot orifice can be tricky, as different manufacturers will secure the pilot in different manners. Most pilots, however, will be connected to a bracket holding the pilot and thermocouple. Loosen this bracket so you will have free access to the pilot. The pilot orifice will be directly on top of the small copper tube and just under the pilot. Remove the pilot and then remove the pilot orifice. Clean the pilot orifice in the same manner as the main burner orifice with compressed air or a needle.

5. On the main burner, there should be two openings near the bottom of the burner, these are called the venturi. Make sure the opening are clear of any obstructions, so air can be mixed properly with the gas.

6. With all patio heater parts cleaned, reassemble all the parts in reverse order from above, but DO NOT reattach the outdoor patio heater hood (reflector).

7. Reconnect and turn on your gas supply to the patio heater. Following your outdoor heater operation manual, light your patio heater only to the pilot position. While keeping the control knob depressed in the pilot position, check and see that the pilot is lit, with the flame touching the top of the thermocouple. After you have check this, release the patio heater control knob (about 30 - 60 seconds) and the pilot should remain lit. If it does not, wait for the patio heater to cool and follow the pilot orifice cleaning instructions above. reassemble and light the pilot again.

8. Once the pilot remains lit, turn the patio heater control knob to the high position. If the main burner orifice was cleaned properly, you should see a 4 - 6 inch blue flame with orange-yellow tips. If the flame is almost all yellow, then the obstructions in the burner venturi were not cleaned properly. The venturi allow air to mix with gas to burn clean. If no air mixes with the gas, a yellow and dirty flame is produced.

9. With the pilot and main burner now in perfect operation, wait for the patio heater to cool then reassemble the emitter screen and hood back onto the housing bracket, using the same screws provided

10. Light your patio heater and your back in business and ready to have another great party, gathering or outdoor dining experience once again.

Want to know more about Patio Heaters, visit PatioHeatingUSA.com.

Getting to know an Electric Patio Heater

An electric patio heater works similar to other patio heaters, such a propane or natural gas patio heater, but does not have any open flame, nor any harmful emissions. An electric patio heater is a great choice for many heating applications.


As a follow up to our last patio heater article, we will be discussing electric patio heaters, their construction and operation.

Electric Patio Heater Construction

An electric patio heater is connected to some type of electrical line, either with a plug to an electrical receptacle or hard wired to a 110/120 or 220/240 supply. The wiring then leads to the body of the electric patio heater into a transformer. The transformer will regulate the amount of power needed to operate the radiant heat element. The heating element will differ from low quality electric patio heaters to commercial grade electric patio heaters.

The lower quality heaters typically use a high output bulb with a filament. These bulbs typically can only output 1200 to 1500 watts, similar to that of a good hair dryer. They will also typically use a wire plug to conveniently plug the heater into a power receptacle. These heaters are usually cheaper to purchase and are great for a 5 x 5 area.
Medium Quality Electric Patio Heaters will typically use a glass tube with a thick curled filament running the length of the heater width. These types of electric patio heaters, depending on wattage, come with a plug or can be hard wired. These types of spot heaters can range in wattage from 1500 to 3000 watts. The issue found with the medium quality electric patio heaters is the glass tube. In a very cold condition, the glass can shatter due to extreme changes in temperature.

High Quality of Commercial Grade Electric Patio Heaters use a quartz element with a very thick filament inside of the quartz tube. These types of electric patio heaters can withstand the big temperature differences and can be operated in colder conditions. The quality is also noticed in the construction of the body and reflector. The Commercial Grade heaters can range form 1500 watts to 8000 watts and up. The are almost always hard wired to a 220/240 volt line. The element itself can be change to accommodate 208, 270 and other varied power supplies.
The heating element of all of the above heaters is incased by a reflector that will direct the infrared rays (radiant heat) to a particular area. This is why Electric Patio Heaters can also be know as direct heaters, spot heaters and radiant heaters.

The body of the electric patio heaters is usually mounted by included mounting brackets to a ceiling or wall. But some (the lower wattage heaters) can be mounted on a freestanding base.

Electric Patio Heater Operation

Once the power supply to the electric patio heater is switch On (by a switch, control dial, thermostat or any other mechanical device that acts as a switch) the power goes to the transformer. The transformer regulates the electrical supply to the amount of electricity the element is made to handle. Outdoor Electric Heaters are quite different than other patio heaters in that they provide radiant heat in seconds (5-10 seconds) versus 5 to 10 minutes of gas patio heaters. With the element now glowing to a particular infrared frequency, radiant is created and directed by the reflector to an area.. Depending on the wattage, objects located in a 5 foot by 5 foot to a 12 foot by 12 foot area will be heated. Electric Patio Heaters do not heat the air, just as other radiant heaters, but heat objects, such a furniture, walls and even people. Those objects then create ambient heat that in turn heats the air. Since these types of heaters have no moving parts, maintenance is very simple. Typically the only part that would need to be replaced is the heating element. The quality of the electric patio heater will dictate the frequency of which the element will need to be replaced.

Many cities and municipalities are banning propane and natural gas patio heaters due to the open flame of those types of patio heaters and the emissions created by the burning and impingement of the gas.. This is where an electric patio is very useful. An electric patio heater can be used indoors or outdoors since, unlike a gas patio heater, it does not give off carbon dioxide or any other harmful emission. Also, since it does not use an open flame to create radiant heat, the clearance to combustibles is very minimal when compared to it's gas burning counterpart.

Important Note

When planning to purchase and install an electric patio heater, make sure that you have the proper amount of electrical supply and amperage on your breaker box to handle the electric patio heater's operation. Also note that all electric patio heaters should be operated in a covered or semi-covered area. Just like putting a hot dish in cold water, the heating element of the heater can break. This is less likely, but still possible with the commercial grade patio heaters.

In our next article, we will discuss maintenance of a patio heater.

Patio Heaters - How they Work

Understanding the operation of a patio heater

First, it is important to note that all patio heaters (propane patio heaters (LPG), natural gas patio heaters (NG) and electric patio heaters) all work on the same principle of infrared heat. Each uses it fuel source to create infrared energy (like the sun's light waves) to make the elements or emitter screens reach a particular infrared frequency (an orange glow). This orange glow is then directed by a reflector to heat objects (radiant heat). The objects will then put off ambient heat, making the temperature rise 10 - 25 degrees, in the vicinity of the patio heaters.

In this article, we will be discussing gas patio heaters, their construction and operation.

Patio Heater Construction

A gas patio heater, whether propane or natural gas, is constructed of a base or mount, a post or bracket to the hold the patio heater head, a gas line, a gas regulator, a control valve, a thermocouple or thermopile, an ignitor, a pilot, a burner, an emitter screen and a reflector.

The gas can be supplied by a pipe natural gas line or by a Liquid Propane Tank. The only difference between a Natural Gas and Propane Patio Heater is the regulator, the burner orifice and the pilot orifice.

Patio Heater Operation

Once the Gas is supplied to the Patio Heater, it first goes through the regulator. The regulator dampens the gas pressure to the proper volume and pressure designed for the control valve and burner. After the gas has been regulated, it continues through the gas line to the control valve. The control valve can then be placed in the "Pilot" position. Once in the pilot position and with the control knob depressed., the gas then flows to the pilot. Pushing the ignitor will spark the gas to create a flame in the pilot. The pilot warms the thermocouple and sends about 120 millivolts of electricity to the control valve. A small magnet in the control valve will move, allowing the gas to flow to the burner. No gas will flow to the burner, until the control know is turned allowing a variable amount of gas to flow. Once the control knob is turned to the desired amount, the gas will then flow to the burner. The gas coming form the burner will ignite from the pilot, which is still burning. The flame from the burner will impinge upon the patio heater emitter screen, making it glow orange. This orange glow is an infrared energy frequency or light wave, that creates radiant heat. This radiant heat starts t move outward, like a light wave and bounces off the reflector, like light in a mirror. The concave construction of the reflector bounces the radiant heat out and downward, usually in a 10 foot radius or 20 foot diameter. Once the light wave or radiant heat strikes an object, it warms the object. The object that has now become warm, throws off ambient heat, heating the area and air in the vicinity of the patio heater. Note that radiant heat is unaffected by the air, nor does it heat air. The more objects in the vicinity of the patio, the ambient heat will be created and the more the area near the patio will be heated.

The natural gas and propane gas that is ignited by the burner is converted chemically to water vapors and carbon dioxide. For this reason, all gas burning outdoor patio heaters, should only be used in an outdoor area with proper ventilation.

In our next article, we ill discuss the construction and operation of electric patio heaters.

Why Patio Heaters?

Patio Heaters – Outdoor Patio Heaters allow you to enjoy the outdoor patio longer during fall and earlier during the spring time. Outdoor Patio Heaters inviting 15′ to 20′ circle of warmth raises outdoor temperatures 10 to 25 degrees F, empowering you to enjoy your backyard, patio, or pool deck, when otherwise would have been to cold to use. While these patio heaters won’t turn the dead of winter into a summer day, the patio heaters adjustable temperature setting allows perfect control for a brisk evening barbecue, early morning coffee, or any other outdoor activity.

Whether you are looking for patio heaters, propane patio heaters, electric patio heaters or natural gas patio heaters from portable to commercial space heaters, we have the patio heater resources to find what your looking for. We feature a huge selection of space, wall mounted, infrared and outdoor patio heaters for home or commercial patio heating.

A Radiant Patio Heater is safe, economical, and easy to use. We will direct you to resources that carry a variety of patio heaters providing 4,000 – 50,000 BTU’s of heat. Patio heaters operate using propane, natural gas or electricity. And because your family’s safety is your number-one concern, all outdoor patio heaters we resource are certified by several safety standards associations.

Before you buy an Outdoor Heater, make sure to check out: PatioHeatingUSA.com

Be ready for Winter, Shop now for a Patio Heater!

Get a great deal on patio heaters! Be ready for entertaining your friends and family with a patio heater of your choice. There are many patio heater deals available for everyone! Patio heaters can be used in a commercial setting to invite guests to sit down, relax and  enjoy their time at your restaurant. Installing patio heaters can be easy with the right knowledge. Controllers are available for each patio heater which will allow the user to adjust the amount of heat the heater provides. This is a wonderful feature that is very popular for patio heaters.