Among the many great things that commercial spaces like hotels, pubs, restaurants, cafes and sports facilities have to offer is a beautiful outdoor patio in either the front or back of their buildings or even on their rooftops. Whether you are digging into a full-blown meal, sharing some appetizers, or simply kicking back with a cocktail or coffee, patios offer a cool and relaxing atmosphere for outdoor dining while enjoying the fresh air and sunshine or even indulging in a bit of stargazing. Patios typically serve as an extra seating area and can be dog-friendly spaces, places for lawn games, live music and whatnot.
If you’re lucky enough to have an outdoor seating area, then you should consider the weather conditions. When temperatures begin to drop, your patio and the `number of customers will be affected. However, cold breeze weather doesn’t have to be the end of patio season. A commercial electric patio heater can easily warm up your patio, stretching your capacity during the fall and winter months. By providing instant warmth, good patio heaters will make sure your customers are comfortable while dining on your patio.
Now, let’s take a look at what you need to look for when buying a commercial electric patio heater as well as the different types available on the market today.
Types of Outdoor Space Heaters
Outdoor patio heaters are designed to heat up your outdoor space, whether it’s your restaurant patio or even a home outdoor get-together. There are plenty of different power source types, sizes, and shapes that you can choose from. Depending on the style, the options available include wall-mounted, hanging, or free-standing patio heaters. Most of them use propane as a fuel source to heat their surrounding area, but there are some outdoor heaters that use natural gas lines or electricity to power the unit. Let’s take a look at some of the unique differences between outdoor electric, gas, and propane heaters.
Electric Outdoor Heaters
Electric outdoor heaters are a convenient way to enjoy your outdoor spaces year-round. Also known as infrared, these glorified space heaters are exceptional at keeping your outdoor areas warm during the colder months. An electric outdoor heat emits an infrared spectrum of light to increase the temperature of any space within its reach. Of course, the amount of warmth that electric heaters give off will vary by model and brand. If your outdoor space lacks the proper ventilation required for natural gas or propane heaters, then a commercial electric patio heater makes a great option for you. It is available in a variety of styles from tabletop, freestanding, and wall-mounted.
Propane Heaters
Due to its ample heating power, propane is the most popular kind of power source for patio heaters. Propane fuel comes in easily portable tanks which make the unit fairly convenient to use. Proper heaters offer flexibility in terms of location and quick heating. Many of them come with or have a wheel kit for ease of moving around anywhere on your patio. Designed to provide direct, quick heating, propane heaters typically set up in minutes and starts putting out plenty of heat in a matter of seconds, hence bringing warmth to a larger area than electric heaters.
Natural Gas Heaters
Natural gas heating is perhaps the least-common kind of outdoor space heater. These outdoor heaters provide quick heating for well-ventilated outdoor seating areas since the fuel is supplied from a permanent natural gas line. Natural gas heaters are incredibly powerful, energy-efficient and hence provide immense heating for your patio space. The quiet, efficient heating is especially great for large parties, creating a stylish outdoor hangout area.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Patio Heater
In addition to power source and style, there are a few other factors to consider when choosing a new commercial patio heater. First and foremost, you want to make sure the patio heater you choose is constructed of quality materials. Heaters made of stainless steel or heavy-duty aluminium will be able to withstand harsh weather conditions as well as reduce the overall wear and tear of the patio heater.
The size of the outdoor heater should also be considered. Whether it is a small wall hanging heater or a 10-foot-tall heater, patio heaters come in all sizes and which one you choose will depend on how much outdoor patio space you have. For a large open dining patio, consider the largest patio heater there is. One or two freestanding units that you can move around would be best for such patios. For small and more intimate outdoor space, a smaller unit that you can mount on the wall or ceiling would be more appropriate.
Another thing to be considered is the amount of heat that will be expelled. You want to make sure the unit you decide to go with is able to output a decent amount of heat while still maintaining a stable fuel cost. Of course, this will depend on the type of patio heater you choose and the size of the unit. Propane tanks, for example, are a convenient way to cheaply heat your outdoor space, but they can empty very quickly after a week of usage. The most cost-effective choice is going to be electric patio heaters.
