These days we usually choose aesthetics of something rather than the actual function that it’s supposed to serve. Everyone wants their BMWs and Mercedes, but in the end when you strip it all down to the essentials then you learn that a car is really only meant for going from point A to point B. With that said, things like this also translate over to what we put on our patios and in this case we’re talking about patio heaters. Patio heaters are for some, a great part of their patio not just because they can heat the surrounding area, but also because they can make your patio look aesthetically better.

Most patio heaters tend to have a lamp post type of shape and they look quite good, the ones we’re talking about are from Fire Sense and AmazonBasics. Those patio heaters provide great function, and even though they look alright, they can still look bad some. In this review, we’re reviewing the AZ Patio Heater that as more of Hawaiian look to it but at the time, it might not have the heat output that you’re expecting.

Power

This is quite a large patio heater and by the images, you might be thinking that it’ll be able to output lots of heat. Well, it does output heat just not a lot of it. This AZ patio heater has an output of 40,000 BTU’s and even though this might sound high, it’s not really. It’s with this power output that you’re going to be able to get heat around a 7-foot diameter. That sounds good but at the same time, the heat intensity of this AZ patio heater is alright but not near great.

Feeling the Heat

If you want to make the most out of the heat, then you’re going to have to turn this patio heater near its highest setting and that also means that you’re going to have to burn more propane. One of the main reasons that most people are disappointed that this patio heater doesn’t output enough heat as they expected is because of the images of the flame in the center of the patio heater. That’s not where the heat is coming from.

No, instead, the heat is coming from the same place that it comes from with the Fire Sense and AmazonBasics patio heater, and that would be the top of the heater where the grill is. It can most likely explain the reason why customers are underwhelmed by the heat output as they figure the heat isn’t coming from the large flame in the center as it’s covered by Quartz Glass. Overall, you can very well come up close to the patio and heater and touch the outside railing and still not get burned.

Fuel Usage

This patio heater uses propane as a power source, it can take a maximum of a 20LB propane tank that can power it and also that fits into the bottom compartment of the patio heater. The power usage of this heater is alright, but the higher you put, then the more fuel it’ll use. If you keep it at the highest setting to make the most of the heat output, then you’re likely going to be left with 6 hours of use, of the estimated 10 hours of use that AZ Patio Heaters has stated.

Using this patio heater at a lower setting will result in either a full 10 hours of use or even more depending on how low you put the output at.

 

Design

When it comes to actually putting this patio heater together, things can be confusing at first, heck even reading the instruction can be confusing. With that said, we found that taking all things out and organizing them really helped as you can see where everything is and then take a look at the instructions to actually know what pieces they’re referencing. Also, a very important part of the instructions is looking at the images as they give a clear indication of what pieces go where.

If you find the instructions are unhelpful and find it quite difficult to place it together then you can always opt for using Amazon’s Expert Assembly option where they have someone else put the patio heater together for you.

Functional Components

Then there’s using this AZ patio heater and it’s quite easy. If you’ve used other patio heaters then you should most likely feel at home with using this one. The propane tank for this patio heater goes at the bottom and the patio heater already has the gas hose that attaches to the propane tank that you use. Once you attach the propane tank, you can turn its valve all the way on and then wait about 30 seconds.

The controls of this patio heater are near where the propane tank goes, just open the door and the controls will include a dial knob that controls the intensity of the heat. There’s also a Red button for igniting the flame. In order to actually light up this patio heater, you have to press the dial in and then turn it to the lightning symbol, which basically means ignition.

Keep the dial there for a few minutes, press the ignition button a few times and then you can turn the dial all the way to high and then it’ll turn on. After that, you can adjust however much heat you’d like from high to low.

The initial flame with this patio heater is quite large but does soothe out.

Size and Weight

One of the main reasons that you’re going to be purchasing this patio heater is because of the way it looks. It doesn’t resemble other patio heaters very much and that would be because of the center flame that comes up in the Quartz glass. That said, it looks very cool and you’re likely going to get lots of compliments for when guests come over.

It has a height of 7 feet and so it’s quite large and it’ll definitely be noticeable on your patio. Thankfully this patio heater does have wheels and that makes it a whole lot easier to move it around when you need to.

Also, if you’re worried about this heater being loud, it’s rather quiet after you have it lit for a while.

Build

Structure and Material

The build quality of this AZ patio heater is solid, but at the same time, it could be better. Most of the parts are made of steel such as the base pieces as the top pieces too. That said, the center cage that blocks the way to the center flame is made of Aluminum.

Even so, whether this patio heater was made of stainless steel or not, you’re definitely going to want to use a patio covering for it. As the elements can still wear it down and cause it to rust. Also, even though you have a cover on this patio heater, make sure that it’s out of the way from rain and also make sure that it can’t be tipped over by the wind. Heavy winds can and will tip over this patio heater, so if you know that it’s going to be windy or just in general when you’re not using it, tie it to an object or simply have it up against your house to make sure that it doesn’t fall over.

Safety:

On the build side when it comes to actually using this AZ patio heater, things are quite stable. When the fire turns on, it’s quite large and noticeable but it dies down after a while. Another thing is that this patio heater has a tip-over shut-off system and that means it automatically turns off if it starts to tip over due to the wind, somebody accidentally bumping into it, or some other reasons.

You might be thinking if you’re able to use this AZ patio heater inside, well the general answer is yes. At the same time, it depends and that’s because you’re going to need a ceiling that’s about 4 feet higher than where the top of the patio heater is. The main reason for that is because the reflector above the furnace pieces of the patio heater gets quite hot; it, of course, tries its best to keep cool but at the same time, that’s where the heat is generated and in order to avoid a major fire hazard, if you’re using this inside then you should make sure that the ceiling is about 4 feet higher from the top of the patio heater.

Summary:

Function:

The power output of this AZ patio heater is alright, but for the most part, you’re going to be purchasing this patio heater because of its contemporary styling and how it’ll make your patio look cooler. That’s because the BTU power simply as isn’t enough to give you some heat that you can really feel. That said, if you do want the most out of the heat output, then using this patio heater on high is going to be your best option.

Of course, that’s going to burn more fuel, and the less power you put it, this patio heater practically sips propane.

Design:

The design of this AZ patio heater is most likely the best part of it and that’s because of its tropical style. Most patio heaters have an industrial design that makes them look like lamps, but this one has a more organic look and the best part is that it has a center Quartz glass cylinder where a fire is lit. The fire is the main attraction of this patio heater.

Overall, it’s quite easy to assemble, but the best thing to do is take everything out and organize it.

Build:

The build quality of this patio heater is strong. That said, there is no stainless steel, and even so using a patio covering for this is definitely a need if you don’t plan to store this inside. Also, it makes use of a tip over safety feature that turns it off automatically if it were to fall over.

Conclusion:

This AZ patio heater is a great art piece that also has a function of being a heater. With that said, you shouldn’t purchase this patio heater thinking that it’s a heater first. Instead, it’s more for the good looks and then the second part is that it’s a heater.