Patio Heater – Infrared and Gas

If you are considering buyer a patio heater, infrared and gas are both good options. However they both have advantages and disadvantages, depending on exactly where they are to be used. 

My friend has a small patio, and so the infrared heater she bought a year ago works just fine. But most electric heaters of this type don’t heat more than a radius of about ten feet. Of course you can overcome this problem by installing more than one heater, but who’s really going to want to do this? Most people would rather find a solution that works for the space they need heated.


The Difference between Gas and Infrared Patio Heaters


A typical infrared patio heater, which is of course powered by electricity and defined as a “radiant heater”, will draw about 1500 watts (a watt being a unit of power that measures how quickly energy is transferred and relates either to brightness – for lighting – or heat). They simply plug into a power source, give virtually instant heat, and don’t make any noise while in use. Currently they are still cheaper to operate than LPG (liquid petroleum gas) or propane heaters, although the latter are more portable and considered to be more environmentally friendly.


Propane heaters operate via either refillable gas bottles, or those that are disposable. Obviously the disposable units are more portable than those that link to a gas bottle. By the same token, the smaller units are more expensive to run, because the smaller fuel units cost more; also canisters generally only last for a few hours (two or three). The fact that the canisters are throwaways, also pretty well negates the eco-friendliness of the fuel, although these are the obvious choice if you are a keen camper.


Natural gas heaters are the other gas option, and they are both fuel efficient and not expensive to operate. In fact natural gas is likely to cost as little as a third of much as propane gas. On the down side, they do need to be installed professionally, which can be costly. The heaters themselves are also more expensive and they are not portable.


How Radiant Heating Works


Radiant heaters (which is what an infrared patio heater actually is) generally heat from above,  warming the space underneath the heater using infrared radiation. The heat that is radiated doesn’t warm the air as such, but is absorbed by solid objects including people, without any direct contact. They radiate as much as 86% of their electrical input in the form of radiant energy.


This means that an infrared heater that is going to be used on the patio will be attached to a vertical surface, usually a wall, as mine is. You sit under the heater and simply, get warm.


While many indoor heaters are also the infrared type, it is important to ensure that you use the correct type on the patio. Don’t be tempted to try and use an indoor heater outside. There are so many good quality patio heaters of this type to choose from, you should have any reason to do it any other way.


A quartz infrared heater is a particularly good choice on a patio. Originally designed for lighting applications, quartz delivers a heat which is good enough for industrial use, and is perfect for outdoor heating purposes. A quartz tungsten patio heater infrared type has the ability to reach top temperatures within seconds. You’ll never be cold again with one of these! Better still, quartz infrared heaters deliver efficient heat and sometimes incorporate advanced air purifiers.


If you suffer from allergies, look for models and brands that have been tested in EPA-certified laboratories, preferably those that have been tested to medical standards. If they have ETL approval, it means they meet the ECA energy technology criteria, and if they are CSA approved, you will know that they comply with international standards.

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