Patio and Garden heaters

The big advantage of having a garden heater is that the garden is no longer restricted to summertime use on warm balmy days. Garden and patio heaters open up your house and extend it into the garden or yard by acting like a powerful outdoor radiator.

This means that patio heaters, combined with good lighting, extend the seasons and times during which a garden can be enjoyed and they give a house an outdoor area that can be used throughout the year.

The sleek designs of modern gas heaters, or the rustic appearance of traditional Chimeneas, also ensure that a garden heater adds style and class to any patio area or back yard.

The big benefit of garden heaters is that they enable you to replicate the outdoor living of the Mediterranean or west coast of America in your own back garden and for a very small investment.

Types of garden heater

There are three basic types of garden heater, although you will find variations on all versions (or styles) from online retailers. Below is a brief summary of each heater type. You can use the main index to the left for more comprehensive details.

Modern gas garden and patio heaters

As outdoor eating and socialising has become more trendy and restrictions on smoking have compelled Pubs to provide outdoor smoking areas, garden heaters have increased in popularity.

Most modern patio style heaters have a heavy and stable base with a funnel that leads up to a heater or burner, which in turn is topped by a reflector. The finish is usually in chrome, black or brushed metal and is easy to maintain and clean.

The base of these heaters usually contains the powers source, most commonly a gas bottle, whilst the burner at the top of the unit uses a circular domed reflector to radiate the heat back down to the surrounding area where a warm zone is created.

These garden heaters can usually be powered by propane or butane and there are electric halogen versions with zero carbon emissions (at the point of use)that use a mains electricity connection.

Some modern garden heaters incorporate a circular table, whilst others may be part of a complete patio set where the heater projects through an opening in the set's table. CO2 emissions from most heaters are very low and the efficiency of the heaters is high.

Chimeneas

The traditional fossil fuel burning outdoor heater is called a Chimenea. These Chimeneas were originally made from kiln fired clay although you can now buy more durable and harder wearing cast iron versions.

The Chimenea originates from 17th century Mexico where it was first used to bake bread and pastries. This kind of heater has two parts, the chimney and the fire chamber and modern day versions can also double up as barbeques.

You can buy Chimenea garden heaters in a range of sizes and the larger versions not only look good, but they can also cook a considerable quantity of food.

Most garden heater Chimeneas takes the form of a stand alone fireplace and chimney and, with many designs and a garden friendly rustic look, these heaters are not only practical and useful, but they also make great garden ornaments.

Chimeneas can burn wood, coal or barbeque bricks and with the clay versions, everyone of them is unique and individual.

Fire pits

Fire pits are the most basic types of garden heater and, in their simplest form, are nothing more than a hole in the ground.

Modern fire pit kits are however much more appealing and usually comprise a circular or square pit with raised masonry walls, a hard landscaped surround and bench seating.

Fire pits are permanent structures and have a fixed location, but they make attractive garden features and burn solid fuels to produce real flames.

More information on garden Heaters

To find out more about the different types of patio and garden heaters and the benefits that each type offers, use our main menu (with the underlined headings) that appears in the left column of all pages. For information on covers and winter protection see our Patio heater covers page.