With the advent of spring, when the warm weather days come, more and more often there is a desire to get out into nature. But in the evening the temperature drops, which makes the rest not comfortable. In such a situation, a real salvation is an outdoor heater. It will increase the temperature within its range by 10-15 degrees. The device is placed on the outdoor terraces of cafes and restaurants, barbecue areas.
Advantages of the device are also appreciated by dacha owners and owners of private houses. The heater for dachas prevents the death of immature plants from frosts, warms up the greenhouse that froze over the winter, creates an optimal temperature regime for chicken coops. And installation near stairs or steps reduces the probability of their icing and labor intensity of cleaning.
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Varieties of devices
There are many variations of outdoor heaters on the market. They all differ in mounting location, degree of mobility, wavelength (shortwave, mediumwave and longwave), power and design.
But the basis of classification is the subdivision into types of street heaters by heat source. The choice of a particular model depends on the area to be heated and on the purchase budget.
Place of installation
Depending on where the heater is placed, there are floor, wall and ceiling structures. For urban outdoor areas and sports grounds, the best choice is floor standing products.
Wall emitters can be used for heating the outdoor area. An interesting variety is heaters built into outdoor and garden furniture (benches, tables).
There are stationary and portable versions. The latter are equipped with rollers for easy movement of the mechanism. Below are photos of all types of outdoor heaters.
Source of heat
Gas and electric products are the most common.
Gas heater.
A gas-fired heater consists of a housing, gas transmission lines, and a burner. The casing is solid and strong to ensure a stable position against overturning. The material is stainless steel or ordinary steel with a protective polymer coating.
At the base of the housing there is a gas cylinder with liquefied propane or butane. Through special pipes and spigots the gas rushes up to the burner. As it burns, it produces infrared radiation that heats the objects but not the air masses. The burner is ignited by piezo elements.
The most popular form is the heater in the form of a floor lamp. It is a stand, covered with a conical shaped hood. Such a “lamp shade” is made of material with a high degree of reflection of light and heat waves. Its purpose is to evenly distribute the heat received.
It is not uncommon to purchase heaters in the form of a truncated pyramid. A reflector made of aluminum is mounted on top, which works similarly to the hood of a floor heater.
A flame burns inside a fire-resistant, tempered glass frame. The design provides not only heating, but also the aesthetics of a burning fire.
Advantages of Gas Views:
- The appearance blends well with any interior;
- simplicity of design;
- compactness, does not require special preparation of the site for placement;
- autonomy and electrical independence;
- do not make noise and do not emit hazardous products of combustion into the air during operation.
Gas models are more economical than their electric counterparts. According to equipment manufacturers, about 92% of the total energy produced is used to heat objects, and the rest is used for air.
Disadvantages of gas types:
- Relatively low efficiency;
- Infrared rays heat human skin, drying it out;
- long-wave models are quite expensive;
- The recommended temperature range for operating the heater is limited to +10 deg. and above;
- undesirable to use in enclosed areas;
- The cylinders should be monitored and replenished on time.
Safety should be a priority in the operation of gas appliances. It is provided by implementation of a number of rules:
- Before turning on the gas heater, a visual inspection of the rubber hoses should be made for defects.
- It is better to store cylinders in a separate room not connected to the house.
- It is prohibited to use gas cylinders near an open fire.
- If long absences are planned, the valves on the gas tanks should be closed.
- Compliance with these requirements is a guarantee of safe and long life of the equipment.
Electric heater
The electric heater is the main competitor to gas models. It contains a metal frame, reflective reflector and auxiliary parts (enclosing grilles, safety elements). IR radiation is produced by quartz, carbon tubes or halogen lamps.
The positives of buying an infrared electric heater:
- Less weight because there is no gas cylinder;
- rapid warm-up;
- safety if properly installed;
- operate at lower temperatures than gas heaters.
The only downside is that an electrical connection is required.
You can find heaters on sale that function from solid fuel. They are simple in design, without complicated electronics and gas components.
Despite the attractive price of the heater itself, the cost of combustible consumables will far exceed the cost of a gas or electric outdoor appliance after a few years of use.
Tips for choosing outdoor heaters
Experts have developed several recommendations to help you understand which heater to choose in each case:
Power. Depends on what size you need to heat. To improve the microclimate of 1 sq.m. by 20 degrees, you need a source of 0.75-1 kW. If the task is to heat the environment by 10 degrees, the required power is 0.5 kW.
The average radius of action of the heater is 2.5 m. By calculating the size of the heating zone (using the circle area formula), you can determine the required power of the installation.
Enclosure material. Models made of stainless steel are suitable for outdoor use without protective awnings. They are not affected by precipitation and corrosion.
If the steel heater is not made in stainless steel, it is better to install it under canopies or purchase an additional accessory, a sun and rain cover.
Auto-protection mechanisms. Today, even the budget models are equipped with automatic shutdown devices in case of an emergency. Usually, they stop the gas supply to the burner when the flame goes out. More advanced heaters shut off when the operating position is not vertical (at risk of falling).
Type of gas. Heaters consume two types of gas: propane or butane. If the dacha or space you are setting up is used only during the summer months, butane is the best solution.
During the fall or spring season with unstable temperature gradients, propane is used. It is ideal if the heater will run on both fuels.
Installing heaters
The question of how to install a heater visits every owner. The general rule is not to install heaters near flammable things.
Installation of floor structures is not difficult. It is enough to choose an even base for placing the device. It is somewhat more difficult with the other design varieties.
Wall-mounted models are placed at a height of at least 1.8 m. The distance from the upper edge of the unit to the ceiling or roof is at least 0.25 m. In the work you will need a screwdriver, a set of brackets for mounting (as a rule, come with the product) and hardware. Ceiling heaters are hung on hooks screwed into the ceiling.
Photo of an outdoor heater.
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