Patio Heaters – Comparing Gas and Electric Heaters

Patio heaters will prevent the cold weather spoiling your day and drive your guests inside, or even worse, all the way home. Preparing a contingency plan for when bad weather strikes are not just smart, it will ensure your family and guests stay warm and relaxed on your outdoor furniture rather than inside.

By purchasing the right heater for your outdoor living space, you can keep using your patio or deck months after the summer has passed and the winter has set in. Let’s take a quick look at some of the pros and cons of the two most popular styles of patio heaters – gas and electric.

Electric Radiant Patio Heaters

Ease of Use and Safety

Electric outdoor patio heaters are popular as they require no burning fuel to operate. This means they are safe to have in enclosed spaces as they do not generate carbon monoxide.

Installation is a Breeze

Installing a mounted electric heater in your favourite outdoor spot is simple and easy and most manufacturers provide simple to follow instructions on how to do this safely. Alternatively, electric patio heaters also come in portable models that provide the option of moving them to another location if required.

No Additional Fuel Required

Once you plug in your electric radiant heater, you won’t need to replace any cumbersome gas cylinders, stoke it with more wood, or actually do anything at all! Being powered by electricity means you will never run out of fuel.

Gas Radiant Heaters

Portability

Being highly portable, gas heaters allow the user to move the heating unit from place to place. Perhaps you need a small heater for the annexe of your family tent while camping? No problem; gas heaters are able to be safely moved around. Simply ensure the unit is properly ventilated as fuel burning heaters produce carbon monoxide which needs to be ventilated out of enclosed spaces.

Readily Available

Gas burning heaters use liquid gas fuel, which is stored in a cylinder below the heating unit. These cylinders need to be refilled and maintained professionally in Australia. Most service stations and hardware stores stock filled and safe liquid gas cylinders, which makes them easy to get a hold of in a pinch.

Fuel Efficiency

Gas burning heaters are cheap to run, easy to maintain, and there is no clean-up required. A filled gas cylinder will last hours with the proper heating system attached and a spare can be kept in the shed just in case you happen to run low.

Come down to our store in Richmond to take a closer look at all your options or contact Heat & Grill to speak to our friendly staff.