When looking for ways to warm your outdoor living space and make it more enjoyable, you will face several heaters on the market, using a different heating mechanism. Heaters are essential pieces in the home, not just for adding warmth, but also for decoration. Several homeowners have revealed that they installed heaters to add more appeal to their homes.
When it comes to heaters, you will face two popular options – patio heaters and fire pits. Both convert energy to heat but do them in different ways. The main difference between a patio heater and a fire pit lies simply in the energy source used in the heat conversion. Let’s look at their other differences, pros, and cons.
What Is a Patio Heater?
A patio heater can turn your cold night into a warm one. Patio heaters come in two forms – propane heaters and electric Heaters. A propane heater uses propane gas to produce heat. It’s similar to a gas stove, with a burner with metal coverings and a small roof to generate the required heat. These days, propane heaters are given lots of attention in terms of design to suit patio furniture, and that’s why you find them in stylish, sophisticated forms. These heaters can generate as high as 40,000 BTUs and last for ten straight hours if the LPG tank is filled. They are also easy to construct and use minimal space.
An electric patio heater, on the other hand, uses electricity to produce heat. Different types of electric patio heaters are now available. Homeowners now have diverse options to choose from. Compared to propane heaters, the heat generated is less intense. Most electric heaters generate a maximum of 1,500 watts of heat. So, if you are looking for a patio cleaner to warn your living space better, propane patio heaters are ideal. In addition, electric heaters are not the most effective in winter seasons unless you purchase multiple heaters. Other than these minor differences, propane and electric heaters are the same things.
Patio heaters work in any weather. They emit infrared rays to keep your body and living space warm, especially in the winter. Most people are skeptical of patio heaters working in the winter. However, you need not fear because you can keep yourself warm in those winter periods with patio heaters. The good thing about the heat from patio heaters is that they can travel through the air, which keeps everyone warm on the patio.
Both propane and electric heaters are safe to use because they are built with safety features to minimize accidents. For instance, propane heaters have an anti-tilt capability to stop the gas connection when it’s tilted. Electric heaters have an automatic shutdown system that suspends the heater from working when it overheats. They are designed to last for a long time.
What Is a Fire Pit?
Homeowners that can’t get their hands on the electric or propane patio heaters opt for fire pits. Unlike patio heaters, fire pits use wood to generate heat. More or less like a fireplace, fire pits are constructed come in different forms, such as table fire pits, rustic vessels, etc. Like patio heaters, you can move fire pits from place to place unless they are permanently built.
Fire pits generate the most direct heat, and this is why some people consider them to be less safe than patio heaters. However, some manufacturers now make fire pits out of copper to minimize heat absorption from the firewood or charcoal. So to an extent, they are much safer now than how they were designed before.
Construction-wise, it can be a little tedious to make fire pits, especially if it’s permanent. The reason for the tediousness is that many homeowners don’t just want the fire pit to only function as a heater. They want it to also function as a grill. Only a professional would be able to construct this to serve two purposes. With fire pits, the owner has to factor in the fuel source, whether it would be charcoal or firewood. Firewood discharges embers, and if you are not careful, it will burn your upholstery or any other flammable furniture around. If you must use firewood, you should build a glass screen around the pit to contain the flaming embers.
Patio Heater Vs. Fire Pit Differences?
As we earlier pointed out, the difference between patio heaters and fire pits is the energy source. The energy source plays a massive role in their construction, ease of use, and safety. While patio heaters use gas and electricity, fire pits use charcoal or firewood.
Propane heaters are easier to construct since they employ the working mechanism of gas stoves. Fire pits, on the other hand, are challenging to build, especially if planning to add a grill. Assembling them is time-consuming too.
Heat generation is a big plus for fire pits. It can produce more heat energy in seconds because of the wood or charcoal used. It produces ample heat sufficiently, but the smoke emissions are also high. In addition, you can’t easily regulate the heat generated in fire pits. Patio heaters do not generate heat that fast, but they can produce ample heat to raise the room’s temperature. Unlike fire pits, you can regulate the heat of propane heaters more conveniently. Plus, the smoke emission isn’t as high as that from fire pits.
Based on ease of use and safety, patio heaters are better. They are easier to use and have shut-off mechanisms to prevent a fire outbreak. The risk of fire outbreaks with fire pits is high. If you don’t dispose of or extinguish the ashes properly, you could be in danger of a fire hazard.
Energy consumption is low in patio heaters, and they are more economical. A filled LPG tank will last for hours, and you can use the electric types in any weather. Fire pits have no form of safety mode, and safety is solely based on how you use them. With more carefulness, you can use fire pits.
Patio Heater Vs. Fire Pits Pros
Now that you know the differences between patio heaters and fire pits, let’s look at the pros of patio heaters in detail.
Pros of Patio Heaters
- Patio heaters save you a great deal of money. Propane is readily available, so is electricity. With gas heaters, you don’t have to worry about being short of wood in the middle of a cold night.
- They deliver the right quantity of heat to warm your living space. The heating capacity is comforting. With patio heaters lighted, it makes your patio incredibly comfortable so that you don’t feel too hot.
- They are versatile. You can use them indoors and outdoors.
- Patio heaters have low smoke emissions, are eco-friendly, and have no embers. They heat your living space conveniently by producing infrared rays. Infrared rays don’t manufacture thick smokes, which is why they are ideal if you have a family. You don’t have to worry about getting intoxicated.
- Patio heaters are built with safety features in case of an emergency. They come with an anti-shut-off mechanism that instantaneously shuts the heaters off when the temperature gets too extreme.
- Patio heaters are easy to install and use.
- They are pretty convenient to maintain, and cleaning the units is easy.
- Some patio heaters double as decorative pieces in some homes.
- They are portable.
Pros of Fire Pits
- They generate more energy quickly and instantly. The temperature of your living space is raised instantly.
- A fire pit can double as an outdoor grill.
- Fire pits also produce a direct kind of heat.
- They come in different design options, so you can easily pick one that suits your style.
- Less clean-up compared to campfires.
Patio Heater Vs. Fire Pits Cons
While patio heaters and fire pits have their ups, they have their downsides. Let’s start with patio heaters.
Cons of Patio Heaters
- Most patio heaters are only used for warming up the patio or living area where it is installed. They don’t double as an outdoor grill unless if specially constructed.
- They don’t generate direct heat. Besides, the heat generated is regulated, so that it warms the entire place rather than focusing on a particular person.
- Patio heaters have cords that could cause tripping.
Cons of Fire Pits
- Risk exposure to embers.
- Limited heat range
- Temperature control is absent, so there’s no turning down on the heat level.
- They can’t be used indoors.
- Flames are not enclosed.
How to Make Your Decision
Your decision depends on what you want. If you need something that will instantly generate more heat, you are better off with fire pits. Although the smoke emissions are high, the temperature of the room becomes warmer instantly. You can also use it as an outdoor grill since it produces ample heat.
On the other hand, if you want something that you can easily use and generate heat in an economical way, a patio heater is a perfect choice.
Finally
The patio heater vs. fire pit topic is never-ending, but you wouldn’t blame homeowners for engaging in such heated conversations. They want to invest in the best and wouldn’t want to make a costly mistake.
Heaters, whether a patio or fire pit, are good investments that will prove helpful, especially in winter periods. All you have to do is to choose the right one that suits your needs.