Pyramid Patio heaters have excellent functionality, among other numerous benefits. They have safety features for your protection and temperature control. You’ll marvel at the appealing glass tube with the dancing flame.
Besides, they have push-button ignition, effortless portability, and are quick to install. Still, they have some cons. Find out more about these heaters below.
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Pros of a Pyramid Style Patio Heater
Safety Features
These heaters have many safety features.
Stability and safety shut-off valve
These are some of the most stable outdoor patio heaters. They feature broad bases hence have lower COGs. Consequently, their tipping risk is much lower than some freestanding patio heaters without reservoirs.
These outdoor patio heaters contain reservoirs that contribute to their stability. With gas tanks inside its housings, their bases become heavier than most patio heaters. If you are using a twenty-pound tank, the chances of accidental tip-over are almost zero.
Most of these outdoor patio heaters have safety shut-off valves. This valve prevents fires by shutting the gas supply in case your heater topples over.
Safety Grid
This type of outdoor patio heater features a safety grid around its quartz glass tube. The safety grid ensures you don’t hurt your hands when you accidentally touch your heater.
If you have small kids, investing in one of these heaters is a wise choice. Using a wood-burning patio heater or any other method with open flames is risky for kids.
Ease of Usage
Portability
These outdoor heaters are easily portable. Table-top models are lightweight and small-sized hence stress-free to carry around. The larger outdoor heaters, which may be about eight feet, come with wheels for mobility. When getting this propane heater, ensure its wheels are sturdy.
Temperature Control
A pyramid flame heater comes with a BTU range. It has a flexible heat output to suit your heating needs. If you are using a wood-burning patio heater or a fire pit, temperature control is a bit difficult.
You may reduce the amount of firewood. However, this process is tedious. Besides, the temperature change won’t be swift, like in one of these heaters.
Ignition
These outdoor patio heaters rely on push-button piezoelectric ignition. This lighting method is swift and takes about three seconds. This makes them better than wood-burning patio heaters as they are tedious to light.
Installation
A pyramid flame heater requires minimal installation compared to a fire pit or natural gas model. When using a pyramid flame heater, you only need to buy a new tank. Natural gas models require a fuel supply line installation. Most fire pits are tedious to construct.
Aesthetics and Durability
These are arguably the prettiest outdoor patio heaters. Their cone shapes with various finish options allow you to choose the best patio heater for you.
Unlike any other patio heater, a pyramid flame heater features a dancing flame. If you want to get flames of that height in a wood-burning unit, you’ll need a lot of firewood. This translates to fuel loss. Plus, there’s smoke and a pungent smell associated with wood-burning heaters.
This kind of heater often has stainless-steel or hammered bronze construction. Although both are durable, the stainless-steel kind is sturdier.
Cons of a Pyramid Flame Heater
Environmental Pollution
What comes to your mind when you hear about environmental pollution by heaters? Most will think about the smoke and smell from a wood-burning patio heater. However, that is not the only way that you can pollute the air.
These heaters utilize fossil fuels hence releasing carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide has many detrimental effects on living organisms. If you are using a table-top model, make sure your room has adequate aeration. Carbon monoxide poisoning kills and may also result in total brain damage.
Excessive Energy Usage
Averagely, a 20-pound tank lasts for ten hours in a propane patio heater. Hence, you’ll need to refill pyramid heaters regularly. With a wood-burning unit, you’ll save more on fuel sourcing.
FAQs
How Much Heat Can These Pyramid Style Heaters Provide?
These propane heaters have different BTU ratings. Typically, they range from 5,000-48,000 BTU. The amount of BTUs you’ll need depends on the area you want to heat. If this area is expansive, you may need several patio heaters to do the job adequately.
What Fuel Does a Pyramid Heater Use?
These heaters rely on propane, Butane, or LPG. Most of these patio heaters spend a lot of gas to power them. Therefore, you should be ready for more costs. Have a spare tank around if you don’t want to spoil your fun in the middle of the night.
Do Pyramid Patio Heaters Work?
Although some people doubt the effectiveness of this type of heater, they are efficient in warming. If your patio heater isn’t delivering, you probably chose a less powerful model.
So, how do you get your patio heater to meet your warmth needs? The patio heater required depends on the size of your space. The bigger the area you want to heat, the more BTUs you should get.
Here is the in-depth BTU requirement determination process:
Measure the Square Footage of Your Space
The type of cone-style heater you want affects these calculations. Do you want an outdoor heater or do you want a small table-top heater for indoors? In an open outdoor space, heat spreads everywhere, as there are no defining boundaries.
Indoor spaces take various designs. Some rooms have several shapes combined to form one beautiful shape. Therefore, you’ll have to split your room into several portions to get the area with ease.
- For rectangular and square spaces, multiply the lengths with the widths. Afterward, convert the final answer to square feet.
- For triangular spaces, the procedure is similar to the first one. However, you’ll have to divide the final result by two.
- For circular spaces, multiply the radius by itself. Multiply the result with 3.14.
If you had divided your room into several shapes, total the results.
Determining the Average Temperature of Your Place
The higher the average temperature in your place, the lesser the BTUs you’ll need. The temperature range affects the heat factor you’ll use to arrive at an ideal BTU rating.
In terms of degrees-Fahrenheit, you’ll have a BTU heat factor of;
- 50-55 if your temperature is 40-50
- 45-50 if your temperature range is 50-60
- 40-45 if your temperature range is 60-70
- 35-40 if your temperature range is 70-80
- 30-35 if your temperature range is 80-90
Note that there are places with massive temperature swings(polar regions). If you are in such areas, go with the 50-55 heat factor.
Multiply Your Zone’s Heat Factor With the Square Footage
For instance, if you are within 80-90 degrees Fahrenheit in 1000 square feet, take 1000 x (30-35). The result is a pyramid patio heater ranging from 30,000 BTUs to 35,000 BTUs.
Determining Whether to Go for the Upper or Lower Limit
We’ll use the figures from the above for illustration. If you live in a properly ventilated house or are using your heater outdoors, go with 30,000 BTUs.
Rooms with poor ventilation will require 35,000 BTUs. If you aren’t sure of the ventilation features, look at your building’s age. New homes typically have better ventilation than older ones.
Considering the Efficiency Rating of Your Pyramid Patio Heater
The rating doesn’t depend on BTUs but on the amount of heat you receive from your patio heater. To determine its efficiency, we consider the input and output heat.
Input heat is the heat your outdoor heater generates, i.e., the temperature at the heat source. On the other hand, output heat is the heat that reaches you.
The efficiency is the ratio of your heater’s output heat to its input heat. Many current outdoor patio heaters have efficiency above 80%.
Maybe your heater has 10,000 BTU with a 96% efficiency. The heat that reaches you then is 9600 BTUs.
Conclusion
After keenly analyzing the pros and cons of pyramid heaters, you can decide whether or not they are suitable for you. Nonetheless, they have ample warmth for both covered and open spaces.
Besides, the dancing flame adds to the beauty of your place.
Reading a few reviews from experts before picking a patio heater makes a significant difference. Always pick a good item that will offer you value for its price.
