

How to Choose the Best Patio Heater for You In most cases, forced air heaters only make sense on calm days when you can direct the hot air in specific directions-otherwise, they are a massive waste of energy. Like an indoor furnace, it warms the air immediately around it, meaning the heat can be easily lost with any amount of wind. In contrast, some heaters provide forced air heat. On an outdoor patio, this can lead to a warm face but freezing hands and feet. The drawback is you’ll only feel warm where the heat touches you directly. This leads to a far more efficient form of heat because it doesn’t get dispersed in the ambient air. Ideal for windy conditions, infrared heat warms only what it comes in direct contact with. Most outdoor heaters produce infrared heat. But, if you’re relying on nonrenewable sources for your home’s electricity, you’ll still produce a significant carbon footprint with an electric heater. On the flip side, it’s possible to power electric heaters off renewable energy sources like wind or solar. When used for outdoor heaters, propane gets much hotter than electric heat, meaning you need to use less energy to achieve desired temperatures. Is electric heat better for the environment than propane? This question doesn’t have a simple answer. In fact, most electric heaters max out around 5,100 Btus.

What you give up for that convenience is heat, as they don’t tend to get as warm or heat as large of an area. This makes electric heaters both cheaper and safer to use than propane. Not only does that leave you without the task of refilling empty propane tanks, but it offers the opportunity to tap into renewable energy if that’s what powers your home. In other words, a 40,000 Btu patio heater will go through two pounds of propane per hour at the top setting.Įlectric heaters run off your home’s energy grid. Here’s a closer look at what these outdoor heaters really mean for the planet and our choices for the best energy-efficient patio heaters available.Īccording to Amerigas, you can estimate that you’ll generate 22,000 Btu (British thermal units) of heat per hour per pound of propane burned. There’s a lot to consider when deciding what kind of patio heater to buy-not the least of which is its environmental impact. Popular throughout the American Sun Belt and other regions with relatively mild temperatures, outdoor heaters can take the edge off cold weather and keep the party going past the point when you would otherwise head indoors. Patio heaters seem to offer the solution. How Can I Make an Outside Heater More Effective?Īs the weather starts to turn chilly, you may not be ready to give up on outdoor entertaining.The Environmental Impact of Outdoor Heaters.Heat-Focusing Heater Runner Up: Hampton Bay Heat-Focusing Propane Gas Patio Heater.
#Energysaver heaters 20000 k portable#
Best Heat-Focusing Heater: Bromic Heating Portable 38500 BTU Patio Heater.Best Mounted Heater: Bromic Heating BH0110003-1 Smart-Heat Platinum 500 Radiant Infrared Patio Heater.Best Multi-functional Outdoor Patio Heater: Briza Infrared Patio Heater.Best Overall Electric Patio Heater: Fire Sense Telescoping 1500W Electric Infrared Patio Heater.


