Heating a Large Garden: Why Bigger Heaters Aren’t Always the Answer
You have a spacious garden you’d like to relax, dine, or entertain guests in. However, chilly nights can make it difficult to enjoy spending time outside. The solution seems obvious, right? Buy the biggest patio heater possible. More heating power equals more coziness, correct?
Not necessarily. A massive heater may be expensive to buy and run. It can also use excessive fuel and leave guests shivering. Heat can dissipate quickly outdoors. It can rise above chairs and benches or warm areas nobody uses. Smaller heaters used strategically often work better than single oversized heaters in large gardens.
Know How Outdoor Heating Works
When heating outdoors, don’t think of the space as you would a room inside. Indoor spaces have four walls, a ceiling, and doors to trap heated air inside. Gardens are exposed to the sky. Wind can take heat away in seconds. Cold air can enter through gaps, paths, or open sides of buildings.
This means size isn’t the only factor in heater performance. Big gas heaters throw out massive heat levels, but that heat can easily go to waste outdoors. Guests sitting right next to the heater may feel cozy. However, folks just a few feet away might not notice any difference. Instead of one large heater throwing hot air everywhere, multiple units can create overlapping comfort zones.
Radiant heaters, whether they use gas or electricity, heat up people and objects rather than trying to heat up all of the air around them. An easy way to visualize this is to think about how the sun feels on a cool day. The air temperature may be chilly, but you can still feel sunlight warming your skin. This heat can be effective for patios with seating areas.
Radiant heating does have its limitations. Direct heat is most effective when focused on a small area. It can be difficult for a heater to send heat across a big lawn, patio, or deck. Before purchasing any heaters, take time to decide where people will gather. Once you know where guests will sit, stand, eat, or congregate, you can begin heating those areas first.
Split the Space Into Zones
Just because you have a large outdoor space doesn’t mean you need to make the entire area cozy. Guests will likely spend most of their time in certain areas of the garden. Maybe there’s a dining table near the house. There could be a lounge area by a fire pit or hot tub. Is there a path leading to a garden shed, hot tub, or outdoor kitchen?
Draw a quick map of your outdoor space and mark areas guests will use after dark. Then rank each area by priority. The main seating area should be your number one zone. If you have a second socializing area, make that your next zone. Parts of the garden guests will walk through but not spend time in may not require heating. These could be your low priority zones.
By zoning your outdoor space, you can invest in smaller heaters to put in the correct areas. For example, two wall-mounted electric heaters may do a better job than one tall propane heater. Individual heaters can each be directed at seating areas. Guests can enjoy a constant comfortable level anywhere they are. Multiple zones can also use less energy as you’re not heating unnecessary areas of your garden.
Zone heating will also give you more control over your outdoor comfort. Perhaps you only need to turn on the dining area heater while dinner is being served. Once everyone moves to the lounge area, you can switch off the dining heater and turn on the lounge heater. There’s no need to heat your entire garden all evening. Zones can save you money on running costs.
Block Wind Before Boosting Heat
Wind can make a temperate night feel extremely cold. It also blows precious heater warmth away before it reaches guests. If your garden suffers from blustery winds, sizing up to a larger heater may not help.
Examine the outdoor space’s layout and determine where wind usually enters. A fence, tall hedge, trellis, or privacy screen can block wind from that direction. Any barrier you can place between the wind and sitting areas can help. You don’t want to enclose your entire patio or garden. Instead, you want to shelter the seating areas.
Pergolas can also prevent heat loss. A roof overhead will slow heat rising above and provide guests with some rain shelter. Side panels, curtains, or outdoor blinds further create a sense of enclosure. Make sure curtains and blinds are certified for outdoor use and kept far away from heat sources.
Once you block the wind, you may find you don’t need as much heating as you thought. A sheltered corner may require far less heat than an open section of your patio. This saves you money on running costs and can make your heaters feel more powerful. In many cases, adjusting your garden layout is more effective than buying bigger heaters.
Pick the Proper Patio Heater Type
Gas heaters are extremely popular because they are portable. Most are free-standing with a tall post connected to a heat reflector at the top. They’re great for open areas where people will mostly be standing. They aren’t ideal for wind or sitting areas because they lose heat quickly. Gas patio heaters also require ample space and safe placement.
Electric infrared heaters often work best for covered porches and spaces with fixed seating. Electric heaters can be placed on a wall, ceiling, or tripod stand. They heat up quickly and can aim heat toward tables or sofas. Some electric patio heaters come with remote controls and adjustable heat settings.
Fire pits offer warmth, ambient lighting, and a reason for guests to gather. Fire pits work best when people can sit close to them. You shouldn’t use a fire pit as the sole heating source for a large garden. However, they can create a cozy seating area in the middle of your outdoor space. Choose a fire pit that suits your space and any local regulations.
You don’t need to limit your space to one style of patio heater. An electric heater mounted above a dining table works well. A fire pit can keep guests cozy in a lounge area. Using a couple of different heating solutions allows you to spread comfort around your garden. It also helps your outdoor spaces look more inviting.
Case Study: Heating The Right Area Beats Just Heating More Of Your Garden
The following case study from the U.S. Department of Energy offers an interesting comparison.
An energy-efficiency project took place at a Wendy’s restaurant location in Mobile, Alabama.
The location was rebuilt in 2015. It featured an updated HVAC system with high-efficiency rooftop units, featuring variable speed compressors and fans. The project team was also able to lower the required ventilation rate by 29%, without sacrificing required restaurant functionality.
What’s interesting about this example is that the renovated restaurant was compared against a nearby control location that used a different HVAC configuration.
The results? In just one year, the test restaurant used 14% less energy than the control restaurant. After reconstruction was complete, the restaurant achieved a 33% reduction in energy use intensity and a 60% reduction in energy use per transaction. **
Obviously, this isn’t comparing patio heaters. Outdoor spaces and enclosed restaurants don’t work in quite the same way. Wind flow and structural elements have different effects on comfort conditions.
But the principle stands.
Don’t think more heating power is automatically the answer. Consider where people actually spend time. **
If Your Garden Has Multiple Zones, You May Not Need To Heat Everywhere Equally
Take stock of the areas where people actually spend time outside.
If you have an outdoor dining table, a garden sofa and fire-pit seating area, you’ve already got multiple comfort zones. Pumping enough heat into your entire garden to raise the temperature everywhere may require substantially more energy.
You can instead opt to put heat where it’s actually needed.
Imagine placing one infrared patio heater above or beside a dining area, focused on providing radiant warmth for the people sitting at the table. A second heater could add coverage for a separate lounge area.
When people stop using the dining table later in the evening, you can simply turn off that heater.
Outdoor heating is often battling against wind, open air, and heat loss in every direction. Rather than trying to heat the outdoors like a big box, create smaller zones of comfort where people actually gather.
It’s a principle demonstrated by the Wendy’s project nicely: **Understand how a space is used. Then design your heating system to provide energy where and when it’s actually needed.
https://betterbuildingssolutioncenter.energy.gov/showcase-projects/wendys-mobile-alabama
FAQs About Heating A Large Garden
What is the best way to heat a large garden?
There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for every garden. Outdoor heating always works best when it’s targeted at the people using the space.
Look at where people actually sit or spend time in your garden. That’s where you should focus on providing heat, not attempting to heat your entire garden evenly.
You may find that you have an outdoor dining table you want to cover, alongside a separate seating area or fire pit. Heating these areas separately creates individual outdoor heating zones.
Do I need a large patio heater for a large garden?
Not necessarily. Big gardens don’t always require huge patio heaters. Outdoor heating depends on where your seating areas are positioned, wind exposure levels, what type of heater you’re using, where you position the heater and exactly which areas you want to keep comfortable.
That large gas patio heater may put out a lot of heat, but not all of that heat will stay in your immediate outdoor space.
Several smaller patio heaters, positioned correctly, can often provide better coverage than one very large heater.
Is infrared heating good for large gardens?
Infrared patio heaters can work well for large gardens because they heat people and surfaces directly, instead of trying to heat the surrounding air.
This can be especially useful in outdoor spaces because heated air doesn’t stay pooled around you – it quickly rises and disperses.
With infrared heating, you can place a heater above your dining table and direct radiant heat towards the guests sitting underneath. Ideal for zoning outdoor spaces.
How many patio heaters do I need for a large garden?
That depends on the size and shape of your spaces.
Plot out your main outdoor seating and entertaining zones. You may find that you only need to heat two or three reasonably small areas, not your entire garden.
The position of each heater is important, too. Not every watt or BTU is useful heat. If a powerful patio heater is poorly positioned, it may generate less comfort than a lower-output heater positioned correctly.
Should I buy one large heater or several smaller heaters?
If you have a large garden with multiple heating zones, several smaller heaters will often work better.
Smaller patio heaters allow you to split your garden into individual heating zones. Heat the dining area while guests are eating, then turn that heater off and switch on another heater focused on the lounge area.
Smaller heaters also allow you to adapt to different situations more easily.
If you normally sit together as a family of four but have 12 people round for dinner one night, splitting the heat makes more sense than crowding everyone around one enormous heater.
Does wind affect how well my patio heater works?
Yes, very much so. Outdoor heaters have to combat wind. A strong wind can carry away heated air and make your outdoor area feel significantly colder.
Wind can especially affect heaters that work by trying to heat the surrounding air.
Before buying a more powerful heater, look at ways to reduce wind exposure. Fences, hedges, screens or even a pergola can all offer some shelter from blowing wind.
Just be careful not to place flammable screens, curtains or other materials right next to your patio heater. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for required clearances at all times.
Can installing a pergola help make my outdoor heating more effective?
A pergola can help make your seating area feel sheltered, especially if you add suitable roofing material or panels on the sides.
It won’t exactly transform your outdoor space into an indoor room, but it can reduce wind exposure and create some overhead shelter which helps with comfort.
If you’re planning on installing a heater underneath a pergola, ensure that heater is suitable for the application and follow the manufacturer’s clearance instructions.
Are gas patio heaters good for large gardens?
Gas patio heaters can be useful for large gardens if portability is essential and you don’t have easy access to electricity.
They’re often used as standalone outdoor heaters that can be wheeled from place to place as needed. But they do require safe fuel storage, sufficient ventilation, and correct positioning.
Gas patio heaters also aren’t always ideal for large gardens. If you have fixed seating beneath a covered patio, your best option might be an electric infrared heater that can provide more targeted warmth.
Are electric patio heaters cheaper to run than gas patio heaters?
It all depends. There’s no blanket answer that will apply to every patio heater.
Running costs depend on the heater’s power, how long you run it for, the cost of electricity or gas, and how effectively the heater can put its heat where you want it.
The design of your heating system plays a part, too. A heater which puts radiant heat directly onto guests might give you better perceived comfort than a higher-wattage heater whose heat is easily blown away.
Can I use patio heaters to heat my entire lawn?
We don’t recommend this.
Patio heaters are most effective when used to heat specific areas. Your heater isn’t sheltered by walls on all sides like indoors. When you try to heat open lawns or spaces, your heat output is exposed to wind and the open air. It’ll be harder – and costlier – to keep people comfortable.
If you have guests sitting across a lawn area, try zoning the lawn into several smaller areas and create gathering spaces around those instead.
What is outdoor heating zoning?
Heating zoning outdoors simply means segmenting your garden into different areas, then only providing heating where it’s required.
For instance:
Zone 1: Dining table
Zone 2: Outdoor sofa
Zone 3: Outdoor kitchen or BBQ area
Zone 4: Fire-pit seating area
Then only switch on the heaters where you need them. Instead of heating your whole garden all of the time, you’ll have more control over comfort levels and heating bills.
### Can I use my fire pit to heat my large garden?
Fire pits are a great focal point for any outdoor seating area. But they aren’t a suitable solution for heating your entire large garden.
Fire pits are better at providing radiated heat close to the fire. The further people sit from your fire pit, the less they’ll notice the heat. Wind can also impact how heat is dispersed.
Consider your fire pit as part of your wider outdoor heating plan, rather than relying on it to do all the heavy lifting.
What should I think about before buying a patio heater?
Consider the people first, then think about the heater second.
Work out where people will be sitting outside. Are these areas exposed to wind? Do you have any overhead shelter? Do you have access to electricity?
Once you’ve established these things, start looking at different patio heaters. Consider the type of heater, its power output, mounting position, coverage area, controls, and running costs.
Remember: a well thought-out outdoor heating system isn’t always the one with the highest wattage or largest gas burner. It’s the one that delivers heat where your guests will actually spend their time.
Don’t Forget Other Ways to Heat Outside
Creating a comfortable space outdoors doesn’t always mean investing in patio heaters. Outdoor blankets, rugs, seat pads, and warm beverages can also keep guests cozy. These extras are typically less expensive than buying another heater for your garden. They also add to your garden's relaxed feel.
The ideal heating setup for large gardens often involves using several small tips. Add shelter from wind whenever possible. Heat the areas people will use most. Install the right style of patio heater for each zone. Top things off with blankets and comfy furniture. You’ll create a more comfortable space than one large heater could ever do alone.
