Winter’s coming and you know what that means: It’s time to stay warm and get ready for the colder weather. While winter does sound like a magical season, it’s also accompanied by long dark nights and freezing gusts of wind. Unfortunately, it can still affect the most prepared household, leaving you cold no matter what you do!
Instead of freezing by your patio or choosing to do all the fun activities inside, a good patio heater helps. That way, you can have fun with all wintertime activities outdoors without the risk of your fingers freezing off!
Finding a quality patio heater can be quite confusing, though. To help you lessen the confusion, read on as I show you the different tups on finding the best patio heaters for the winter!
How to Find the Best Patio Heaters for This Winter
Who said the patio should only be used during the warmer weather? With a patio heater, you can still enjoy the outdoor area of your home without worrying about the cold! To help you choose the best one, here are the important factors to consider:
- Fuel Type and Style
The first thing to consider is the fuel type, which can come in the following kinds:
- Electric Fuel
This is more convenient to heat a patio quickly. It usually requires a 120V outlet and a heating bulb to help produce warmth. That way, you can plug it in most areas, making it low maintenance. However, this may be an issue for those without access to outlets outdoors.
- Propane Gas
This is used outdoors for ease of use and instant heat. You just need a gas tank and it heats up immediately. However, it may require more maintenance because of the fuel replacement and the like.
- Natural Gas
This is a popular heater type because of continuous heat production with minimal maintenance. But, it’s quite expensive to set up since you need a plumber to set up the lines and you can’t move the unit easily.
There are also different styles to choose from, such as:
- Fire pits are the most popular patio heaters seen in residential areas.
- Ground heaters are another very common type, though usually seen in hotel pool decks or event areas
- Tabletop patio heaters are similarly designed to floor heaters or even traditional lamps that you can place on tables
- Mountables can be mounted to walls or ceilings for versatility, design, and to save space
- Power and Size
Most patio heaters would use watts or British Thermal Usually, heaters would list their heating area as the distance it can heat around the unit. For example, heaters can offer around 1,200 watts of power, which can warm up areas within 12 feet from the unit. Basically, the higher the BTUs, the more heat it gives off.
Make sure that when getting a gas heater, you take a look at its gas tanks. I like larger heaters and tanks for continuous use without having to replace tanks so quickly, though, they tend to be bigger and take up more space.
- Location and Safety Considerations
Before you choose and install a patio heater, consider the following safety features and things to take note of:
- These heaters are only made for the outdoors and for leveled surfaces that can hold the unit’s weight
- It shouldn’t be placed in places with lots of wind or near things that catch fire
- The heater should have the following safety features: Automatic shutoff, cool-touch glass, jolt-over protection, and safety approvals or certifications
- Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance
You wouldn’t want to hassle yourself with cleaning and maintenance! You want something that doesn’t take hours to clean and fix every day. It’s best to get a heater that’s made of quality construction to last and that only takes a few minutes to clean.
I like heaters that I can just wipe down with mild cleaning products. Also, get a heater that requires very little maintenance, with just needing to replace the gas tanks.
Wrapping It Up
You don’t have to stay cooped up at home during the winter, it’s time to have fun OUTSIDE! Selecting patio heaters doesn’t need to be so confusing as long as you’re equipped with the right knowledge. That way, you have a patio heater to last for many winters to come, offering heat and warmth to focus more on the fun!
I hope this article on how to find the best patio heaters helped you find the right one you need for the house. So don’t wait any longer and gear up for the cold weather, Read more from this review on outdoor electric patio heater!
If you have any questions or want to share your tips on finding patio heaters, then comment below. Your thoughts are much appreciated!