Corded Electric Patio Heaters

Corded Electric Outdoor Heaters

Corded electric outdoor heaters are an easy way to keep your patio or garden warm all year round. Versatile and easy to use, they are deservedly popular with homeowners.

If you’ve spent time and money to put together a great patio, it’s a shame to leave it empty all winter. Outdoor heaters allow you to enjoy your patio all year round, or keep spring evenings alive longer into the night. Corded electric outdoor heaters are widely available in different designs and power ratings from a variety of manufacturers.

The most mobile type of corded electric outdoor heater is a free-standing heater. Free-standing heaters stand upright on a base and require no mounting hardware. This makes it easy to move them to any position within the range of their cords. Tabletop heaters are smaller free-standing heaters designed to be stood on top of a garden table. Although less powerful than floor-standing heaters, they are an efficient way to warm up a smaller area. For more permanent heating solutions, wall and ceiling-mounted heaters are also widely used. These require more installation than free-standing heaters as well as an appropriate surface to attach to. Once in place, though, they don’t take up space on your patio, so you can use it for other patio and garden furniture.

Electric outdoor heaters can heat your patio area via convection or radiant heat. Convection heating relies on the movement of hot air to warm up a space. However, most modern outdoor heating now relies on infrared radiation. Infrared heaters create infrared radiation by using a heating element and then direct it with precision-manufactured optical reflectors. Typically, infrared heater manufacturers design their heaters to produce mostly short-wave infrared. Short-wave infrared is more efficient than medium and long-wave as less of the heating energy is absorbed by the air. This makes it especially useful in windy conditions.

Corded electric heaters are not the only way to keep a patio warm. The major alternative to electric heating is gas heating. Some gas heaters can run on disposable propane tanks, while others plug into your home’s natural gas system. Other homeowners choose to use a fire pit, fire basket or chimenea instead. Chimineas are large, specially-shaped ovens made from clay or cast metal. These three options use wood or charcoal fuel and are typically less efficient than electric or gas heaters as they rely on convection heating. However, they can make a beautiful centrepiece for your patio.