Radiant Patio Heaters Are Growing in Popularity!
Homeowners in the Denver-Boulder metro area are continuing to find ways to improve comfort in and around their homes, and one of the trends that is steadily carving a niche with our customers are outdoor, electric powered, infrared radiant patio heaters. These highly effective outdoor heaters that are already popular at restaurants and clubs around the country are steadily gaining favor in residential applications, as well. The move toward permanently installed units is part of this trend, and while gas-fired units are also common, electric units are growing in popularity. The reasons for this preference include ease of installation and the ‘clean, green energy’ movement.
In this blog post, we’ll revisit a radiant patio heater that continues to gain attention and positive response from our customers. We’ll provide even more details, in order to help our readers get a better feel for these products and help you understand some of the important parameters involved in sizing and installing them.
Why Are Radiant Patio Heaters So Popular?
Radiant patio heaters are an effective outdoor heat source that provides direct radiant warmth. They focus on directly heating surfaces, as opposed to heating and circulating warm air. Radiant heat can be thought of as similar to warmth provided by sunlight or standing in front of a blazing wood stove or bonfire – but without the lighting effects. This is a great option for heating people sitting outdoors in cool weather.
Our Most Popular Radiant Patio Heater: Re-Verber-Ray!
At Save Home Heat Company, the radiant patio heater chosen by many of our customers is the Re-Verber-Ray DSS Series Electric Radiant Patio Heater, made by Detroit Radiant Products Company. DSS Series patio heaters feature carbon fiber radiant heat lamps encased in a slim, outdoor-rated enclosure, and produce what is known as medium-wave radiant heat. The advantages of medium wavelength radiant heat include high heat absorption at a radiation level that does not penetrate deep into the skin, and low reflection, which wastes less heat than some other radiant products. These heaters pack a nice outdoor heating punch in a compact package!
Key features of Re-Verber-Ray DSS Series Electric Radiant Patio Heaters include:
- Medium-wave infrared radiant heat source
- Electrically efficient, long-life, carbon fiber heating lamps
- Remote control operation with four heat levels
- Multiple heaters can be controlled from a single remote control
- Compact, slim design
- Installation flexibility
- ETL (now known as Intertek Testing Services) listed for indoor and outdoor use
- CE (Conformite Europeenne) Certified, meeting a range of European Union health, safety, and environmental requirements
- IP55 (Ingress Protection) certified for water and dust resistance
- Manufactured in the United States
Re-Verber-Ray DSS Series Patio Heater Specifications
Re-Verber-Ray DSS Series patio heaters are available in both 120 volt and 240 volt models. Our team at Save Home Heat primarily recommends the 240 volt models due to their greater heating output and lower operating cost per BTU of heat delivered, as compared with the 120 volt units. Here’s a comparison of some of the specs of the two type of DSS Series heaters:
120 Volt Model specifications:
- Dimensions: 34.5” long, 7.7” wide, and 3.3” tall
- Electrical consumption: 1,500 watts
- Heating output: approximately 5,100 BTUs per hour
- Manufacturer recommended mounting height from objects (and people!) being heated: 7-9 feet
240-volt model specifications:
- Dimensions: 34.5” long, 7.7” wide, and 3.3” tall
- Electrical consumption: 2,500 watts
- Heating output: approximately 8,500 BTUs per hour
- Manufacturer recommended mounting height from objects (and people!) being heated: 8-12 feet
240 volt units are installed on dedicated, 240 volt electrical circuits, typically requiring new wiring from the home’s electrical panel, including a new circuit breaker switch in the panel. 20 amp rated circuit breakers for these heaters are not uncommon, but each installation is addressed individually; there may be some circumstances where different size breakers are dictated. According to Detroit Radiant, the 240 volt units can accommodate areas of approximately 120 square feet. In practice, this may vary depending on a range of conditions. The 120 volt models are similarly rated for 75 square feet.
Both models feature a custom-designed, parabolic reflector that reflects 99% of rays directly toward the target.
Your Trusted Metro Denver-Boulder Radiant Heating Team
At Save Home Heat, all of our electrical installation and service work is overseen and coordinated by our staff Master Electrician, including Re-Verber-Ray installations. Other radiant heater options that our team offers include indoor applications for both finished and unfinished spaces, and gas-fired products occasionally enter the conversation, as well.
In the Boulder-Denver metro area, please reach out to our team for expert assistance with a wide range of home electrical, heating, cooling, plumbing, hot water, and indoor air quality (IAQ) needs and upgrades. As always, our process is professional and friendly, highly informative, and low-pressure from beginning to end. We stand strongly behind all the work we perform, and complete customer satisfaction is the watchword in all that we do for the homeowners we serve.
Please reach out to our team today if we can be of assistance!
Please contact me to schedule an outdoor or indoor radiant heater install quote!
