A patio heater is a simple solution to the fickle british summer. By simply turning on a heater you can extend the summer season into spring and autumn. You could have some winter barbeques if your feeling adventurous. Patio heaters are becoming very fashionable and many bars, pubs and restaurants are using them to attract customers. Patio heaters have become more accessible to the average household as the prices have become more realistic.
You may ask how effecient are they. Well there is no doubt that it is not the most effecient to keep warm - staying indoors is still the best way ! However, if you like your barbeques and outdoor eating then a patio heater is a must. The most common style is for a gas heater mounted on a metal pole with an integral gas supply. This type of patio heater generally starts around £100 for domestic heaters and about £200 for the larger commerical heaters. It is better to get the commercial heaters as these are much better at heating a larger area, although are obviously more expensive to buy and to run.
An alternative is the electric patio heater that is usually wall mounted and transmits radiant heat. These heaters cost a fraction of the gas heaters mentioned previously although do not have that same victorian charm. However the heat is more reliable in that it is the rays from the heater that warms rather than the gas heaters that warm the air between you and the heater. This means that if it's a windy day the gas heater is not so good. These heaters are also somewhat smaller than the gas heaters and so obviously storage and maintenance is less of a concern.
If you are after some real traditional outdoor warmth and cooking as well then consider a chimnea or chiminea. These cast iron pots house a fire in their belly which can be used as a source of heat on chilly nights and also double up as a barbeque.
The most basic form of patio heater is the fire basket, which simply burns wood, coal or whatever, in a steel frame.
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