Install a patio heater on your patio and stay outside
that bit longer
Why go abroad for Winter Sun when you can sit on your
own patio - with a patio heater, of course!
Stay Warm With A Patio Heater by:
Marius
Ciobanu
Patio heaters are heaters for use
in open spaces. They are popular for domestic use and outside dining areas
particularly in open cafes and restaurants with outdoor seating.
They usually heat a radius of 10-20 feet. However the radius varies according to
the model and ambient atmosphere. Patio heaters usually raise the temperature
from 10-30 degrees Fahrenheit.
Patio heaters are not designed for chilly winters as that would require a heavy
duty heater with enormous energy consumption. They are used for relatively
little increase in ambient temperature and particularly used in the evenings of
late fall and early spring.
Patio heaters run on a variety of fuel like natural gas, propane, butane,
kerosene etc. Some electric models are also available. The natural gas models
are popular because they use the same fuel system as an outside grill. Portable
patio heaters have a portable cylinder attached to the heating unit.
The principle used in most patio heaters is to heat using radiated heat and not
convection. As a lot of energy gets used up in heating air for convection
heating and very less percentage of heat is left for the user convection heating
is not feasible. Radiative heating patio heaters are more economical as they
provide heat to the user and air is not heated.
The heaters are provided with a heavy aluminum reflector at the top to direct
the heat downwards and outwards from the heater. These aluminum reflector type
models are termed as mushroom patio heaters or umbrella patio heaters. The pole
is usually 3 to 7 feet tall. Ceiling patio heaters are also available in the
market. These are installed permanently and need less maintenance than the
portable one.
Patio heaters radiate anywhere up to 35,000 BTU (British Thermal Units). The
emitter reaches a temperature up to 1150 degrees Fahrenheit. This causes bluing
of the stainless steel. Also a brownish color develops on the emitter which
appears like rust. However there is no cause for alarm as this brownish tint is
normal and is not rusting of the unit.
The cost of patio heaters varies as per the model. A reasonable quality patio
heater may cost between $100 to $300. Look for safety features like tilt
switches, sealed burners, emergency cut off valves, flame controllers and
electronic ignition systems etc when purchasing.
Patio heaters are available in shops where natural gas or butane is available.
Some specialty shops for home decorating also keep patio heaters. Patio heaters
are not to be treated as toys and it is prudent to not let children operate
them.
About the Author
Keith George always writes about valuable news & reviews. A
related resource is
Patio Heater Further information can be found at
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