The proper care and concern of your patio heater will guarantee you a solid investment for years to come – if you know how to take care of it right. And if you are a first time owner of a patio heater (as I once was), trying to figure out where to start can be a very taxing task. With a little research and technical know-how, you too can keep your heater working efficiently for years to come. All you have to do is know what you can and can not do with your patio heater.
Always remember to disconnect your fuel source from your patio heater before doing anything with it. Never move or work on your patio heater at all without disconnecting your fuel source. If you do anything with your heater while the fuel source is connected (propane tank, etc.), you are putting yourself at high risk of injury or death, not to mention damage caused by burning or explosion. It is a major safety issue: always unplug before taking action.
As time wears on, you may find that your patio heater will get dirty from being outdoors throughout the seasons. While washing it down with a hose or power washer may sound like a good idea, never try to attempt this. There are many different working parts of your patio heater that were not designed for moisture to get into. By forcing moisture into them with a hose or power washer, you could be sending water into places where water will not evaporate, but erode the metal parts. This could lead to rusting, which would lower the life span of your heater, costing you money in the long run. Rather, to clean your patio heater, mix a neutral cleaner and water, and use a rag to wipe down the dirt off your heater. Dry with a clean towel.
As the seasons change, you will want to store your patio heater away for the harsh winter months. While taking it out of the elements is a great way to protect your investment from corrosion and deterioration, it is never a good idea to move it on your own. Taller models are usually very top-heavy, which can be very awkward and hard to move alone. Dropping a unit like this can cause your unit to break, creating a possible safety hazard that could start a fire, or even explosion. When moving your unit, use at least another person. This way, you can ensure the safety of your patio heater.
During normal use of your patio heater, the collection of soot is a naturally occurring phenomenon. However, it can cause an unsightly, black residue on the grill of your heater. While it may be tempting to use a vacuum cleaner or compressed air blower to clear away the soot, never do this. The three main ingredients of a fire are heat, fuel, and oxygen. By blowing in or sucking air out of your heater, you will introduce an oxygen flow, possibly resulting in a fire sparking in your heater. Combine this with an active fuel source attached (such as a propane or butane tank, or even wood), and you have all the makings of an explosion. When cleaning soot from your patio heater grill, always use a mix of warm water and neutral cleaner, and wipe away with a washcloth, but be sure to dry immediately afterwards. Sweep away your ashes with a dust pan and broom.
Taking care of your patio heater can be a tall task if you are unsure of what you are doing. But with simple preparation, and knowing what not to do when cleaning and caring for your patio heater, you will be preparing yourself to not only have an investment for years, but to keep you and your family safe and sound as well.
About The Author
Joseph Kortez is a freelance writer with diverse interests including home and garden, outdoor furniture and backyard living. A media professional, his work has been featured on CNN and the CBS Evening News. He currently writes for http://www.outdoorfurnitureplus.com and http://www.instylepatio.com/.
If you run a restaurant, pub or any business using outdoor amenities in a temperate climate zone, then you will know that business is likely to drop off when the weather gets cooler. You know that you would not sit outside shivering yourself, so you do not count on anyone else to do it. The only answer is to modify the outdoor ambient temperature to an acceptable level.
I have seen this done to stunning effect in Prague in October when there were heavy snow storms. People wanted to sit outside and get pleasure from the snow storm as long as they were fairly warm. A person’s primary heat comes from the body and is kept in with sufficient clothing, but it is nice to have a patio heater near-by just to add a glow to your face and hands.
If you have a business that only opens when it is warm enough, then you have an expensive business and these days expensive businesses do not survive long. You need to wring every last cent out of your business real estate and if that means putting patio heaters in, then that is what you ought to do.
Patio heaters come in a range of forms, but they are not that expensive to buy. Sometimes you can rent them too. Most of these outdoor heaters run on canisters of propane or butane gas, but there are mains gas models too. There are also electric ones, but they tend to be dear to run, unless you can generate your own electricity.
I think that the best two types are the box type where the gas cylinder goes inside the device and the heat is directed at foot to knee height and the street lantern style, where the heat comes down from about seven or eight feet in height. The gas cylinder also fits inside these models lowering their centre of gravity and making them harder to accidentally knock over.
These heaters are very safe although patrons should be advised to exercise care if they have young children with them. A standard heater will keep up to two tables and eight people warm enough to enjoy themselves even when it is snowing.
The lease of a few of these patio heaters or even their purchase will soon be off-set by your increased custom, particularly if your competitors are not using them. My wife and I will never forget our time in Prague, when it was snowing, drinking coffee and eating cake outside, watching people go by while we were as warm as toast because of the restaurateur’s prudence in providing patio heaters.
Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with commercial patio heaters. If you are interested in patio heaters too, please click through to Residential Patio Heaters.
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