Thinking about buying a propane heater, but have no idea where to start? With a few simple guidelines and a handful of facts, you will get the know-how needed to purchase the perfect propane heater for your space.

By far the best feature of propane heaters is that they don’t need an electric outlet to produce heat. As you may’ve already guessed, propane heaters run on propane gas, and they heat the surrounding area by burning fuel. Thus, no electricity needed. The biggest advantage here is that the average propane-fueled heater is very energy efficient because all warmth is made from burning the fuel. Compare this to an electric heater, where a lot of energy can be wasted through the electrical resistance of heating elements.

Because no electric outlet is needed, you can heat patios, decks, campsites, or any other location without an easily accessible outlet. Be cafeful, though — since propane is burned, carbon monoxide is exhausted. This means that propane heaters shouldn’t be used in enclosed spaces, like a bedroom or living room. Be sure that there is plenty of ventilation when using your propane heater.

You’ve likely come across the patio propane heater. They’ve become popular lately, and can provide heat to a fairly large area quite efficiently. Their large, free-standing, torch-like housing radiates heat in a wide area, and is perfect for outdoor living areas, such as patios, outdoor kitchens, or decks.

Calculating Fuel Usage for Propane Heater

To calculate just how much propane you’ll need for a heater, first check out the BTU rating of the heater. A patio propane heater could be rated at 30,000 BTUs / hour, for instance. One gallon of fuel can create about 91,500 BTUs of heat. To figure out how many hours of heat you can get out of that tank, simply divide 91,500 by the heater’s BTUs — In this case, we discover our heater will run a little over 3 hours before you need to refill it.

Let’s say you spend roughly 20 hours per month out on your deck in the fall, so by doing a bit of math we figure you will need 6-7 gallons of propane to keep warm each month. Using these quick calculations, you can help figure the cost-effectiveness of the propane heater you’re considering, and you can better anticipate fuel costs associated with owning it.

One thing to keep in mind is that smaller fuel tanks only hold about 80% of their rated capacity. Therefore, a tank labeled at a capacity of 10 gallons will only provide about 8 gallons of fuel. For this reason, it never hurts to slightly overestimate your needs when purchasing fuel so you don’t run out of propane on a chilly evening!

If you’re searching for efficient and portable heaters for well-ventilated areas such as decks and patios, give propane heaters a shot — Just be sure to do the math first!