If you’re looking to add some extra heat to your yard, garden, patio, or any other outdoor area, portable gas heaters can be a great option and allow you to stay warm and cozy even when the temperature drops. However, with so many different types, brands, models and styles of gas outdoor heaters on the market today, many people have difficulties when it comes to deciding which one is best for their needs. So to help you out, here you can find all you need to know about these products, which should hopefully allow you to make a more informed decision and find exactly the heater you need.
Propane vs. Natural Gas
By far the majority of outdoor heaters you’ll come across require the use of a separate propane tank to provide the fuel which in turn is burnt to give off heat. The reason that this type of heater is so popular is that the propane tank is connected directly to the heating unit, and often even hidden in the base so that you won’t ever see it. This use of a propane tank means that these units are incredibly portable, allowing you to place them virtually anywhere you could want.
On the other hand, both natural gas and electric heaters need to be connected in some way, thus limiting where you can use them. Nonetheless, if you do happen to have a natural gas outlet somewhere outside, this type of heater may be an excellent choice as natural gas is by far the most inexpensive fuel source you could use. Still, propane is also quite cheap to use and incredibly simple to hook up. In fact, all you’ve got to do is connect the propane bottle to the heater, turn it on and press the ignition switch and you’ll instantly have all the hot air you could need.
Better still, when you run out of propane, all you need to do is either have your bottle refilled or simply exchange the empty one for a full one and you’ll soon be ready to go again. All of this adds up to making propane outdoor heaters one of the best choices out there and they will definitely allow you to continue sitting outside even in quite cold weather.
Types of Outdoor Gas Heaters
If you’re planning on using the propane fueled heaters, you have a few different options for types and styles and your choice will typically depend mainly on how much heat you need to produce. For smaller spaces or climates that aren’t too chilly, a small table top propane heater should easily provide enough warmth for a few people to comfortably sit around a table for hours. Typically these smaller heaters make use of a 1 pound propane tank, similar to the ones used on portable grills, lanterns, etc.
If you need to produce more heat or are trying to warm up a larger area, you’ll probably want to go with a standalone floor heater. Although these heaters can be quite big, they are usually quite easy to handle and often come with wheels to allow you to roll it wherever it needs to go. These units also work to prevent the loss of too much heat by having a large reflector around the top portion, which sends any warm air back down to where you’re sitting.
There are literally hundreds upon hundreds of different standalone propane heaters like this available, in more styles, designs, sizes and colors than you can imagine. So part of your decision on which to buy will most likely be based entirely on aesthetic reasons.
