Which Patio Heater Would Fit Your Home The Best?
There’s nothing more fun than a good outdoor party on the patio. Good friends, good food and good conversation can extend into the evening and are a great time. Patio parties only seem to work in summer due to the temperatures. No one wants to be sitting and shivering in cold temperatures outside. Patio heaters are a way to extend the timeline of a patio and enjoy it nearly year round.
Patio heaters provide heat through a power source to an area around them. They work much like space heaters outdoors. Typically they are best used in spring or fall when temperatures haven’t fallen too far. They can turn a chilly evening into perfectly comfortable patio weather. However, to best make use of patio heaters, you need to know which one will fit with your patio setup the best.
Patio Heater Power Sources
There are three main sources of power that a patio heater may choose to use. Each has their own benefits and weaknesses compared to the others. The first is electricity. Patio heaters which use electricity have to plug in to an outside source. Typically this is an outdoor outlet, but sometimes it can come from a generator or large battery based storage system. Electric powered heaters are reliable, though they can use a lot of power if they are large heaters. This can result in larger electric bills. Their lack of mobility is also an issue as long as they are forced to use connections to static positions.
The second main power source is gas. Natural gas suffers from some of the same limitations as electricity when it comes to mobility. A patio heater will be limited by the connection to the house’s natural gas. This tube is usually several feet long, but that’s still limiting overall location options. The upside however is that natural gas is more efficient and can heat a large area. Typically patio heaters that take advantage of natural gas are quite large for more people at once.
The third option is propane. Propane based heaters will use tanks just like a BBQ might. Propane patio heaters have more portability for this reason. It’s good to note though, that propane gas patio heaters do need to be designed to hide the tank. No one wants ugly tanks full of propane sitting around their otherwise beautiful patio. There are also heaters which will take advantage of mini tanks. This can be an easier and more portable option.
Patio Heater Styles
When getting a heater for your patio, you don’t want it to be a gigantic eyesore. Therefore, ideally they can fit into your decor as well as provide the heat so you can stay outside more. Some of the common heater styles include:
- Free Standing/Pedestal - These are typically large patio heaters which can heat in a 360 degree circle from the free standing device. These can be powered by anything, but tend toward propane a lot of the time.
- Mounted - Mounted heaters can be attached to walls or ceilings around a patio. These tend to make use of stationary power sources like natural gas and electricity. They don’t need a lot of space and can be turned on with the flip of a button. What’s more, they can be placed discretely where they don’t damage the look of the patio.
- Ground Mounted - These are actually similar to free standing except they are permanent fixtures. They are installed with gas lines underneath the ground so that they can always provide heat. Good news is since they are attached to the interior gas supply of the house, there’s no concern about ever having to replace the power source.
- Tabletop - These are smaller heaters that are either electric or powered by small propane tanks. Typically they are about three feet tall. They don’t produce the kind of heat that other types do, but still give enough for a table of friends sitting and chatting.
