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On the 'to do' list over the holidays is finalize plans for our deck which I'll be building this spring. I live near the ocean and in the summer it can get cool and breezy and I would like to extend our usable patio time in to the evenings. We have gas and a dedicated electric circuit roughed in to the deck already (deck is already framed). My original plan was just to have a natural gas fire pit around the seating area, but I'm thinking maybe some wall mounted infrared heaters would be beneficial as they aren't affected by the cool breeze like a gas fire pit would be.
Does anyone use these for deck/patio heating? I don't tend to see them at outdoor patios but they seem awesome. Any pros/cons? I'm also thinking of installing one in the garage on a timer, so I can leave wet gear and tools in there to dry out over night.
Long Chile was a silly place.
Winter on Vancouver Island. I'm jealous. :-( Go with natural gas. At least that's we do in the east. 'lectricity has become expensive here in Ontario.
I'm not too worried about operation costs. In the summer our electric bills are really low (no real cooling season, very long days means lights aren't on much, etc) and in the winter we won't really use it that much.
As I see it the benefits of infrared are that it won't be as effected by the cool ocean breeze that kicks up every evening, as the Heater directly heats you, not the air around you like gas would. I still like the idea of a gas pit for ambiance, but I don't think it would be enough to really comfortably extend the outdoor sitting time.
A few weeks ago my wife and I were on vacation in Tofino. Every night we'd put the baby to sleep at 7, then go out on this covered patio wrapped in blankets. I'd have a nice scotch or tall, cold dark beer, burned through a few Cuban cigars from my trip in May, she'd have some wine and a bit of pot and we'd just talk. Since the baby was born we have been ships passing in the night and on the drive back we were both remarking how nice it was to have that time to catch up and be able to relax together. And, it totally lit the fire under my ass to finish the deck and incorporate some measures to make sitting out there at night yesterday round more comfortable!
Long Chile was a silly place.
You would be better off with the infrared. Like you said, it heats objects not the air. Just check when you purchase them. Some have a minimum height requirement. If you already have the gas piped out there, I'd go with both. The fire pit would be nice for ambiance and when the air is still. When the breeze kicks up, you can turn on the infrared.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but a fire will also emit radiation in the infrared that will transfer energy by the exact same mechanism. A natural gas fireplace will almost certainly not lead to a big thermal mass like the pile of coals that builds up in a 'real' wood fire, so this will reduce its effectiveness as an infrared heat source. In any case, very little of the heating provided by any kind of fire pit stems from the fire heating the air and then the air heating you. The hot air (which, annoyingly, is also where the carbon monoxide is), is pretty much rising straight up, and not doing much for you.
Looking at it another way, cool breezes also will limit the effectiveness of IR heaters. The radiation is warming you up, the cool breeze is cooling you off. As the wind increases, the cooling is always going to win, regardless of the source of the radiative heating.
I’ve used the infrared ones for tacking up horses in the winter and they are fabulous- but in a fairly small enclosed area. I wonder if you could not find a nice electric blanket or chair pad that would be more efficient for curling up in the wind.
Or, put in a hot tub. We have one and chat, look at the stars and warm up there. It’s awesome!