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Outdoor patio heaters being switched by push button timers to ensure running costs are kept to a minimum   

Outdoor Electric Heating

The benefits of an effective outdoor heating system are well established.  Cafes, pubs and restaurants have all benefitted from the increased revenue generated by customers enjoying an alfresco experience.

Quartz Halogen Heaters

There are a myriad of outdoor heaters available using very different technologies.  However, assuming the area is truly outdoors (i.e. subject to wind and breezes) only one technology should really be considered: halogen heaters. 

Halogen heaters produce shortwave energy which heats people directly without the need to heat the surrounding air.  Critically, shortwave energy cannot be blown off course by air movement.  The same is not true of long-wave (sometimes known as far infra-red) and medium-wave energy. 

gazebo

BN Thermic’s professional quality patio heaters are suitable for commercial, industrial and domestic applications 

arcade

BN Thermic patio heaters providing instant comfort heat to a high end shopping arcade in Cardiff, Wales 

Lamp Technologies

A characteristic of halogen heaters that cannot be avoided is light output.  Often, in an outdoor context, this is a desirable feature.  A warming red glow can add to a cheerful outdoor occasion.  However in some situations light output is less welcome. 

For this reason, BN Thermic has introduced its range of Magic Lamps.  This new technology provides the heating performance of a traditional shortwave heat lamp but with a barely discernible glow.

Electric Patio Heaters

BN Thermic’s patio heaters all use shortwave (halogen) technology and are all suitable for exposed outdoor installation.  They are totally weatherproof and safe to install outdoors and leave outdoors all year round.  Outputs range from 1.5kW to 4.5kW and the heaters are available in three paint finishes: black, white and silver.

We strongly recommend that patio heaters are controlled by either time delay switches or movement sensors.  This type of device will help ensure that only occupied areas are heated.

Please click for details of BN Thermic’s patio heaters including models with the new Magic Lamp

patio heater

BN Thermic’s patio heater range comes in various outputs and finishes

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A bespoke design for a commercial dining area 

Designing an Outdoor Heating System

Outdoor halogen heating systems need to be carefully designed to ensure an even coverage and optimum heat intensity. BN Thermic has vast experience heating outdoor areas in a range of domestic, commercial and industrial applications.

For a free bespoke design, call a BN Thermic engineer on 01293 547 361 to discuss your project.

Outdoor Electric Heating FAQ & Guide

  • We believe that an electric outdoor (patio) heater is a much better choice than a gas heater.

    All types of outdoor heaters generate infrared energy which is absorbed by people and experienced as heat.  Unfortunately, even the most efficient electric patio heater such as the BN Thermic HWP2 cannot claim to be 100% efficient.  We estimate that the HWP2 patio heater converts about 92% of the electricity it consumes into useful radiant energy.  The comparative efficiency of an outdoor gas heater is around 30%.

    Taking into account the different levels of efficiency and the relative costs of electricity and propane gas, we calculate that the running costs of a patio heater such as our HWP2 is approximately 1/3 that of the equivalent gas heater.

    With electric outdoor heaters, there is no need to organise gas cylinder deliveries or to provide a safe storage area.  You can also be certain that your electricity supply will not fail on the busiest day of the year whereas it is quite likely that a gas cylinder will run out at the most inconvenient time!