The Lab in Des Moines, Iowa, has tested a variety of outdoor patio heaters to determine the best and most efficient electric, gas, propane, and pyramid options. After extensive tests, experts have identified these as the best and most efficient patio heaters for keeping you warm on cold nights. Investing in a patio heater is a great way to extend the entertaining outdoor season any time of year.
To choose the right patio heater, it’s crucial to figure out the size and power source of your outdoor space. With a mixture of both gas and electric outdoor heaters, our guide has top eight wall-mounted, freestanding, and wall-mounted options. Garden advice is also essential when choosing the right patio heater.
In determining your patio layout for outdoor heating, consider integrating screens or barriers strategically to enhance the distribution of warmth. Bromic takes advantage of this by maximizing the warmth your patio heater emits. Manipulating the direction of heat is a critical factor in designing your outdoor heating solution. Schwank Patio Heaters come in different sizes with different heat maps that can suit your needs.
For permanent outdoor heating solutions, choose overhead gas or electric patio heaters with walls or ceilings available for mounting. From gas and electric designs to cozy wood fires, these stylish patio heater ideas are perfect for those who love to entertain in their garden.
📹 What Are the Intricacies of Patio Heating Designs for the Best Results – Part of Our Methods
Considering an infrared gas or electric heating system for your space? Send us your information and specification to …
How do you size a heater?
A heater size calculator can help determine the recommended BTUs for your home based on its size. The larger your home, the more BTUs you will need to heat each room. Common BTU ranges for different homes include 1, 200 square-foot home (36, 000-72, 000 BTUs), 1, 500 square-foot home (45, 000-95, 000 BTUs), 1, 800 square-foot home (54, 000-108, 000 BTUs), 2, 100 square-foot home (63, 000-126, 000 BTUs), and 2, 400 square-foot home (72, 000-144, 000 BTUs). Any outside the necessary BTU range may keep your home colder and increase heating expenses.
When choosing the right heater, consider other factors such as the number, size, and age of windows. The more heat your home is likely to escape from the windows, the more BTUs your heater will need to work harder to warm up. A heater that produces more BTUs is required for these types of homes.
How can I make my heater more effective?
To optimize the efficiency of your electric heating system, it is recommended to consider enhancing insulation, utilizing a temperature control system, and performing regular maintenance. These measures can collectively result in a notable reduction in energy consumption and a concomitant decrease in your carbon footprint.
How can I make my patio heater more efficient?
To make an outdoor heater more effective, consider reducing wind, using windbreaks to insulate the area, and using gabos or awnings for a more enclosed space. Gazebos or awnings can provide a more comfortable and safe space for you and your guests. Parasol or umbrella heaters can also be a good solution, but ensure they are fire-resistant and located away from the material. These measures can help heat a large outdoor patio more efficiently and effectively. Remember to consider these factors when choosing an outdoor heater for your outdoor space.
How can I make my heater run more efficiently?
To increase your furnace efficiency, follow these six strategies: change filters regularly, get fall furnace maintenance, install an energy-efficient thermostat, have ductwork cleaned and sealed, consider a new furnace installation, and balance indoor humidity levels. Clogged filters consume 15% more energy than clean filters, and a furnace running with clogged filters is on the fast track to destruction.
Dirty filters restrict airflow, forcing the furnace to overwork to push heated air through the ducts, which can weaken the furnace and cause premature death. This could lead to skyrocketing electric bills or a lack of comfort in your Palm Desert home.
How do you size a patio heater?
In order to ascertain the requisite heating capacity for a given space, it is first necessary to measure the area (length x width) of the space in question or, alternatively, the entire patio. A patio measuring 40 feet by 20 feet would require 16, 000 BTUs to achieve the desired temperature, which equates to 40 BTUs per square foot.
How powerful should a patio heater be?
The guide on shortwave infrared heaters is difficult to provide due to individual preferences and ambient air temperature. To ensure adequate heat for the warmer months, it is recommended to use 1kW of power per 4M2 in sheltered areas and 3M2 in more exposed areas. For example, a sheltered patio of 3m x 4M would require between 3kW and 4kW of power. This may require one large heater or two x 2kW heaters. It is essential to consider the ambient air temperature and the desired amount of warmth for each area.
How many kW for a patio heater?
A 2 kW heater is typically recommended for a 4 sq. m. area, while a 3 kW heater is recommended for a 10 sq. m. area.
How big of a patio heater do I need?
The majority of homeowners require one or two patio heaters for their outdoor space. A single heater is capable of heating an area of 1, 500 to 2, 000 square feet of covered space, while a freestanding heater can warm an area of 20 feet in diameter.
What are the key factors that do into designing an outdoor heating appliance?
The design of outdoor heating solutions requires a meticulous examination of the type of heat employed, as directional heating elements are of paramount importance for the optimal utilization of energy and the prevention of overheating.
How do I choose a patio heater?
In selecting patio heaters, it is important to consider the space to be heated. This can be calculated by multiplying the square footage of the patio by 20. In order to provide an adequate amount of heat for a patio with a surface area of 400 square feet, an 8, 000 BTU heater is necessary.
Is higher BTU better for patio heaters?
In order to maintain a comfortable temperature on your patio with a single heater, it is advisable to select one with a higher BTU rating, which can be applied to all fuel or energy types. In order to calculate the required heat, it is necessary to multiply the square footage by 20.
📹 Best Way to heat a patio| Whats better gas or electric heaters?
In this video I am going to show you how I heat my space and can sit outside for the entire year! Even in an open patio setting.
TREVOR: Love your articles! Quick question: With such a blazing fire you have going on in this article, if you were to install a non-plastic fan on your pergola ceiling, could such a fan PUSH DOWN the rising heated air to the people in the seats without the need to heat them with radiant heat from the heaters? I would really love your thoughts on this approach…
There are also infrared heaters powered by natural gas, not electricity. They run on 120 and about .7 amps. As he notes in the article, the electric infrareds that he has are 240V. In addition, EACH unit takes about 14-20 amps. They are AWESOME units. Don’t get me wrong. But if your house needs to upgrade its electric service to accommodate 240 and 14-20 amps per unit, it will cost a FORTUNE. We are about to install two 5,000-watt infrareds that run on natural gas to heat our mostly-enclosed outdoor grill space area in Michigan that is about 150 square feet. The cost of the heater units are about the same as the electric models, but installation is going to be a FRACTION of the cost.
Thanks for this article, I build a 26’x32′ timber frame barn and used four, 5000 watt duel element heaters from infra tech to heat the loft of the barn. The barn is uninsulated and will remain that way to show off the beautiful eastern white pine woodwork. I’m extremely satisfied with the results. We are in southern Connecticut, I can raise the loft temperature at about 10 degrees in ten minutes with all of the heating elements on. After taking the chill out of the loft, I need to turn off the second elements or it just gets too hot underneath the heater. The cost to run this setup is basic math. In Connecticut we pay about .22 cents per kilowatt hour. A 5000 watt heater will use 5 kilowatts per hour so about $ 1.10 per hour per heater when using both elements. Infrared heat is weird, it heats you and your furnature versus the air in the space.
Good perspective. Fair point on the cost to run them. Couple of hours a night isn’t much and consumption is based on wattage and what you pay for electricity. Looks like for that 10×20 space you have four heaters (two on the long edge pointing in, and one longer one on each end? But which ones? – Maybe two WD-50’s on the long edge and a WD-60 on each end? Even four WD-40’s would be 16KW? almost 75Amps total? Could you elaborate in the description? Would be good to know total ballpark cost of install, including the heaters themselves.
Wondering about two spaces that we have that are both open on the sides but have full coverage. First is our deck open on three sides 4th side is our house. Lots of cold and wind. Currently 27 degrees. 12’x22’ full solid roof. The roof is 10.5ft high with framing thats drops down to 9ft on two sides. I’ve precisely been wanting to get this and even paid to run a gas line for our fire pit but it doesn’t come close to doing what we want in the cold mountain air. We are currently building a 35×25 large outdoor dining and living area in the back yard. Roof will be solid not a pergola. Also 2 sides will be enclosed for privacy and other two sides won’t be. One of the enclosed sides will have an outdoor gas fireplace with chimney. I want it to be usable in the cold mountain air when it drops to the 20’s and 30’s. This space will be 12ft high ceiling and have framing that drops down to 10ft to trap heat with heaters. Any way to achieve 60 or 70 in that kind of cold? Have also thought about screening in heat in winter somehow to make it usable when it’s cold. Just looking for solutions when it’s cold or windy here.
Electric can be more practical because ideally you need infra red radiating towards you from 2 directions or more, meaning you need 2 bulky gas heaters which require more overhead clearance. Gas heaters still have their place, as depending on local energy pricing it’s takes a crap load of electricity to get the heat output of a 40mj gas heater, about 7 or 8 kw of electric to match a 5 tile ceramic gas heater.
Thanks . I purchased 3 Dr. Heat 120V heaters from Costco & returned them within 3 days. The tripod’s foot space took up too much real estate and it never heated up the area. I believe that a 220V system will work better but I’m always rearranging my yard for parties. With my 5 outdoor propane heaters and two propane fire pits I can bring a 30’X20’ area to 72-75 degrees. Around 10’-15’ the surrounding areas will be in the 60’s and further away will be in the high 40’s. I stow my stand up propane heaters at the side of my home and secure my gazebo during the rainy seasons. It takes a lot to cover up the yard and the portable propane heaters are the best option for me. I wish that I could have the 220v heaters but then it limits the changes I can do for entertainment. I treat my backyard like an outdoor stage that changes all the time. This is a ton of work and also this constant changes keeps the critters from moving in also. With 9 grandchildren I’m always finding things left where they shouldn’t be especially dropped snacks. With propane I can adjust its footprint but with electric heaters I have to limit where the party supplies are placed. I wish that I could have a larger area is also a reason why I haven’t installed a permanent electrical heating system. If I could safely install portable 220V systems I would be sold. This is a lot of information but it’s what I do to maximize my outdoor entertainment area. What do you do for families with active children? Is this incorporated into your design setup?
I had a question and see someone else touched on it. Why are electric infrared heaters better than gas unless the patio is completely covered? Isn’t the infrared the same in electric and gas so that both heat objects and not air? I would think that a pergola would lose heat from convection the same for the electric and gas. I don’t have either, so please forgive me if this is a dumb question.
So, I called today looking to properly size my new patio cover. I spoke with a very nice lady whom told me that she’d have a salesman call me back. I haven’t received a call and it’s 5pm my time. I did call this morning and I thought they would have called me back, to at least say they’re not interested to selling product to me in my state. Being left hanging is perhaps the worst customer service a consumer could experience. My search continues.
I really like the fire pit just for looks alone. However, I’m shocked to see that you have it on a covered patio blazing away like an inferno. All of the fire pits and patio gas heaters I’ve looked at say they cannot be used on a covered patio (fire risk). Does that one say it can be used like you are using it, or are you going with an off label use there?
Thanks for valuable info. I am trying to upgrade my screened in patio heating. I have a gas fireplace and one of those table fireplaces but mine runs on propane which is a pain. I also have some tiny mounted heaters that dont do the job. BTW, why so many rude people? Why so they even watch. Probably just Trolls anyway.
Hi Sir, we live in South Texas and it only get cold from mid Dec and Jan sometimes in February. I love this concept of infra heaters. We have a 9′ x 16′ pergola patio. Well I measured the beam only so your device can mount on to. Can you advice us on what series would be beneficial to our needs? I was thinking three of the WD-40 series. Can you tell if this should good enough. We basically need it for our Thanksgiving and Christmas parties. And we want it to look just yours mounted and all.
What are you talking about? Infrared heat is infrared heat whether electric or gas, the heat is basically the same. IMO Gas is the best infrared heater available, they cost less than half what electric infrared headers cost to operate and you can infinitely adjust the heat output as temperature changes from temperate to cold and back. BTW, 220v doesn’t cost anymore than 110v to operate… guess you didn’t know that? The only difference is the wire size needed to operate a particular piece of electrical equipment. Also you say electric heaters is a “Cheap” solution, I totally disagree when you consider having to call in electricians to upgrade your electrical service and run all the electric panels, switches (which often need servicing) to have enough to run the 4, 8 or 10 heaters small to larger patios will need especially in a colder climate. If you’re lucky enough to have natural gas at your home, do not fall for “electric is better” garbage, go natural! Obviously if you don’t have natural gas then the next best option would be electric.
I dont get it, why ppl have to run more electricity when it’s cold but still staying outside on the patio. Electricity products by nuclear mainly and we all know that mother earth got pollute on the later of the stage already, can we even just try to the possible ways to deduct electricity that is not mandatorily needs but wont cause a fortune???
Hello. We are buying one of these heaters and having it installed. WE have LeD lights installed on the beams similar to how yours are installed but the string is not hanging but rather each light is secured into the beam. It was recommended that we remove the lights from the one beam so that the heater can be installed there. I see that you still have your lights installed on the beam where the heater is . Does the gapping allow for enough space from the heater to make this a safe option I’d consider gapping my lights on the one end instead of figuring out how to we work or reinstall them.
My husband and I have an outdoor Patio (not attach to the house) It’s further away in our backyard. Has no electric. Has roof. Has 2 walls and 2 openings. Had no inspection done since my husband did not install electric wiring to this Patio. During this time, this kind of heater would work. I’ve done some research and that’s how I came to this article. You had explained it very well in details. From 48 to 71 degrees? That’s amazing. I think I can convince my husband to buy electric heaters but there may be a problem. Now we may have to pay a fee to have an inspector come out to give us “ok” to go ahead to get the electricity install at the Patio. I am not sure if that can work. The Patio is a little far from the house and we had built raised brick garden beds in between. Again, thanks for your article. I will click the Links below and do more exploring.
Hello, I install the 6k and 4k heaters in Washington often and was wondering what your clearance on the top of those heaters are? Our inspectors in city of seattle would never let us get away without having the required clearance to combustibles above the heater. Yours just look a little high in the article