Discovering Patio Heaters For Outdoor Evenings
Sometimes a family outside in the fall and early winter wants the comfort of a fire without having to burn logs. The great news is that there is such a thing as the outdoor equivalent of a space heater. It works because it is designed to produce copious amounts of infrared radiation that does not depend on air current to disperse heat. A fire does something similar, except that patio heaters stand tall and do an excellent job for the fuel consumed.
Why would you need a patio heater?
Imagine having a suburban home or else an apartment with a back patio and not being able to burn logs for a fire grate. One obstacle might be the expense of wood inside a city sprawl. Another obstacle might just be restrictions on burning or else the prerogative of the land lord. A propane tank is very economical compared to fire, and many heaters of this variety might run off electricity. The only limit of electric ones is the need to be near an outlet.
Expense of patio heaters
Patio heaters vary in expense. Many of them are less than 200 dollars, although more expensive ones tend to be attractive and with an abstract and upscale design. Prices can vary enormously, although larger and more expensive ones are capable of radiating more BTUs and possibly to a further distance. There is a limit to outdoor heating because there are fewer walls to radiate and retain heat. The benefit is still a vast improvement over a chilly night.
Heaters designed for the patio can be used in an outdoor gazebo or in a garage with excellent ventilation. They might not be practical for indoor use just because they are not specifically designed for such purposes. Heaters that use propane and that are designed for indoor use tend to diffuse the gas more finely in order to ensure a much more complete burn. Outdoors, the vapors from the burned gas go straight up and dissipate into the atmosphere. An indoor heater has to be certified against carbon monoxide accumulation.
Advantages of gazebos
The advantage of using a gazebo, even a cloth one, is that it has walls that reflect and partially retain the heat. The more enclosed the walls are, the more the heat is retained, and it is possible to turn the heater setting down to low in order to save heat. Cloth gazebos have the advantage that air can circulate through more easily than an enclosed patio. A propane space heater might be the only suitable option as a fire would damage the ceiling.
Propane heaters
Propane has the advantage of producing little other than water vapor and carbon dioxide. They do not produce carbon monoxide unless the amount of oxygen starts to run low. Any enclosure that is not complete, which is typical of outdoor patios and gazebos, will have abundant air circulation to replenish oxygen. Patio heaters have about the same efficiency as a propane stove top. The gas is simply burned open, and the device should not be used indoors, especially on full setting. The high mount of some units also represent a fire hazard.