Patio Heater FAQs

Understanding Patio Heaters

How much do infrared patio heaters cost to run?

A number of factors will determine the running costs of your electric patio heater: most significantly, the efficiency of the heater you choose, the level of heat you need for comfort, and the terms of your electricity tariff. As a general rule, you can expect a cost of between 20 and 30 pence to heat your patio for an hour. For an estimation of the cost of heating your patio with an infrared heater, multiply the wattage of your heater by your hourly electricity tariff rate. For example, if you’re using a Burda 2.0kW infrared halogen heater at full intensity and you’re on an electricity tariff where you pay 11p per hour per kilowatt, it will cost you 22p to heat your patio.

What’s the heating span of your electric patio heaters?

At Infrared Heaters Direct you’ll find a wide range of heaters suitable for heating outdoor spaces of all different sizes. Our smallest outdoor infrared heater can heat a span of 4m² and our largest patio heater covers an area of 44m².

How waterproof do I need my infrared patio heater to be?

The level of protection against water required by your patio heater will depend entirely on the intended fitting location. The majority of our outdoor infrared heaters are classified as weatherproof, with an IP rating of IP24 or higher. This is sufficient for fitting in most domestic outdoor locations – the right choice for an ordinary back garden. If you’re looking for an outdoor heater for a more exposed location, we stock infrared heaters with ingress protection ratings up to IP67. An IP67 heater is classified as waterproof and dust-tight, making them the best choice for exposed or industrial locations. Check individual product pages to find the IP ratings of our heaters.

Where are your patio heaters made?

Our Herschel ceramic infrared heaters are supplied from the Republic of Ireland. The Burda Smart range and the Burda Term 2000 range of quartz heaters are supplied from South Korea and Germany respectively. Our Ecostrad, Mensa Imus and Herschel carbon element heaters are made in China. 

Are your patio heaters suitable for commercial use?

All our outdoor infrared heaters are suitable for commercial use. We sell garden patio heaters suitable for smaller outdoor spaces, all the way to high output heaters perfect for large installations. If you need any help planning a large commercial heating project, don’t hesitate to get in contact with our sales team for a free quote by calling 0330 880 8383.

How long do your electric patio heaters take to warm up?

Heat up times for patio heaters range from instantaneous to up to 5 minutes, depending on the intensity of the heat output.

Infrared heaters which give off visible light provide heat instantaneously, at the touch of a button, making them ideal for back gardens and pub terraces where you need on-demand heat. These heaters typically use halogen filled quartz bulbs that heat via a carbon or tungsten element. Heat is generated by electrical resistance as the electric current moves through the element, which reaches a high temperature within seconds of switching on the heater.

No glare patio heaters that do not give off visible light take slightly longer to heat up. These heaters use ceramic or embedded wire elements which have a greater surface area but do not get as hot as tungsten elements. Because of this they can take up to 5 minutes to warm up, but the heat they give off is more comfortable over time, the perfect choice for covered patios and open outdoor buildings.

What’s the difference between low glare, ultra-low glare and no glare electric patio heaters?

Our patio heaters heat with infrared radiation – a form of heat which provides heat directly, in just the same way that the sun warms the Earth, heating people regardless of the temperature of the air. This makes it one of the most efficient ways to heat outdoors because heat is not lost through breezes or gusts of wind. Infrared radiation is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, and our patio heaters produce a variety of infrared wavelengths from both near and far ends of the scale.

The most efficient form of infrared for human comfort heating is far infrared, which warms with a gentle heat and gives off no visible light. Far infrared heat is a natural heat that humans absorb easily, providing optimal heating and warmth from head to foot. This is the form of infrared used in our ultra-efficient ceramic patio heaters. Far infrared heaters are the best choice for applications where you need heat regularly because they will cost less to run and produce a type of warmth that’s comfortable for long-term use.

At the end of the spectrum closest to visible light lies near infrared radiation. Near infrared gives off a red glow and an intense level of heat. This intensity is invaluable in outdoor spaces where a high temperature is required to offset the chilling effects of wind and rain. However, near infrared heat is less easily absorbed by our bodies so, whilst the heat feels intense, near infrared heaters won’t help you feel warm all over – the classic “hot head, cold feet” pub garden sensation. Nevertheless, these low glare heaters or “halogen heaters” are by far the best choice to combat harsh outdoor conditions.

Ultra-low glare heaters also use near infrared but have specially coated reflectors and bulbs to minimise the amount of light produced by the heating elements. They’re the superior choice if you want all of the strong heat of a near infrared product but with no harsh glare.

How do I install my electric patio heater?

Within our range of outdoor infrared heaters, you’ll find heaters available for installation in four principal locations: wall mounted patio heaters, free standing patio heaters, ceiling mounted patio heaters and patio heaters for parasols and umbrellas. All electric patio heaters for outdoor installation should be fitted by a professional electrician to ensure safe operation. Installation information for each product can be found on individual product pages.

How can I control my patio heaters?

You’ll find a wide range of heating control devices at Infrared Heaters Direct, suitable for outdoor heaters in both domestic and commercial locations. Our collection ranges from basic push-start buttons to sophisticated remote controllers which you can use to control your outdoor heating from a central location. You can browse our full range of patio heater controllers on our patio heaters accessories page. Individual products may also come with their own remote control – for example, Ecostrad's range of patio heaters. The remote controls included with these heaters allow users to switch between heat levels and access a timer function. Information about control features can be found on individual product pages.

If you have any more questions about our outdoor infrared patio heaters our expert sales team will be more than happy to provide you with more information. Give us a call on 0330 880 8383 and speak to an expert advisor immediately.