One of the best things to have out on your patio is a patio heater. As patio is dynamic place as it’s an outside part of your house. As a result, the weather can get cold and that means you’re most likely going to stay inside, while you’re beautiful patio stays unattended. However, for those days that it’s actually bearable to stay outside, patio heaters can make a big difference have you sitting outside experiencing your patio just as you’re supposed to. With that said, there are simply lots of patio heaters out there on the market and it can be difficult to pinpoint just a single patio heater.

In this review, we’re going over a Golden Flame patio heater that has a 46,000 BTU output. Not only is the heat output of this patio heater high, but it’s also the design as these types of heaters are known to output heat a lot better than other heats such as pyramid ones. So it can very well be the one that you use on those days that you would otherwise be spending inside.

Power

The BTU is a measurement of how much heat is being outputted of a patio heater and that’s why it matters so much as it’s an integral part of a patio heater. This Golden Flame patio heater has a 46,000 BTU rating and it’s with this that you’re able to get a pretty good coverage of heat; not only because of the heat output but also because this patio heater has a fairly large grill for the flame on the top and as a result, the heat goes further.

Feeling the Heat

So the heat can reach up 9-10 feet. However, just something to know is that range of the heater reach will depend on the temperature outside. A heater such as this one is really good for 50-degree weather, and a little lower too when the wind isn’t blowing too hard. Also, if you’re close to the heater, then you’re of course going to be feeling more of the heat and the other factor that affects how you experience the heat is the level of heat that you place this patio heater at. Placing it on the highest setting will, of course, make sure that it provides the most heat and the most range too.

Weather and Fuel Usage

This patio heater and basically many others like it aren’t meant for being used in very cold weather such as 30 degrees and below. So it’s best to stay inside when that type of temperature comes your way.

This Golden Flame patio heater is compatible with a 20LB propane tank, and depending on how you’re using this heater it could last for 10 hours or it can last for a longer duration of time as well. This patio heater has a dial that can be used to turn the heat higher or lower, and 10-hour estimate of how long a 20LB propane tank can last is based on keeping the patio heater on “High”. So you can very well get double that and so this patio heater can last on a single propane tank for a few seasons depending on how you use it.

Design

Putting this patio heater together is fairly easy but it could have had better instructions when it comes to the labels and also when it came to the pictures pointing towards what pieces went with other pieces. That said, having someone else assist you while you’re putting this patio heater together can be quite helpful as it’ll enable them to hold some pieces together while you screw them in. Speaking of screws, this patio heater comes with all the screws and also tools that you need in order to put it together and that’s a great thing as not many people have tools that are ready to go.

You can also opt for expert assembly with this patio heater which means that another person puts it together for you.

Size and Weight

This is a tall patio heater with a height of 7 feet and 4 inches. The weight of this patio heater alone it not too heavy as it weighs about 15 pounds without the propane tank inside of it. With the propane tank inside, you’re adding 30 pounds and that makes an overall weight of 45 pounds.

Functional Components

When it comes to actually using this patio heater, it’s actually very easy to use. There are some parts that are similar with other patio heaters such as having the propane tank going into the compartment at the bottom of the patio heater, and it actually has a 5-inch hose that you can use to connect to a 20lb propane tank. Once connected, you just have to turn on the valve all the way and wait about a minute.

Then that’s when the Spark ignition system with this patio heater comes into play. You still have the two main functional parts which include the tuning dial which at Off, ignition setting, and Low to High setting. There’s also the Red ignition button.

Just press the dial in and turn to the ignition and then press the Red ignition button. The patio heater uses Sparks instead of a pilot light to ignite this patio heater and get its fire going so you can immediately just turn it all the way to high and it’ll turn on full blast and then that’s when you can adjust the dial to high or low depending on what your heating needs are.

Moving it Around

To move this patio heater more easily there are two wheels at the bottom that you can use to more easily move it around. Just by sitting it and pulling it towards you means that there’s no need for lifting it at all. That said, when it does come to moving this patio heater, we recommend taking it slow as the weight can feel overpowering if you do it too quickly.

Another thing that’s at the bottom of this patio heater is a weight plate that has an opening where you can place sand inside and that means you’re able to get more stabilization when it comes to windy days.

Speaking of windy days, if you’re worried about the windy blowing the flame of this patio heater out then you shouldn’t be as long as it’s not gusty winds. Low winds or moderate winds may blow the flame around but that’s about it. Anything very hard can potentially blow the entire patio heater over, so it’s best not to use it on those days.

Build

Structure and Material

The entirety of this patio heater is made of Stainless steel except for the top reflector and the four pillars that are inside the propane door. It does have a Mocha coating over the Stainless Steel and even though this patio heater is basically safe from wear and treat when it comes to the rain, it’s still better to use a covering for it because there are other parts that could get damaged due to the elements.

Also, if it does get very windy and you still plan on leaving this patio heater outside, then you should definitely consider leaving it tied to something so it doesn’t fall and break.

Safety:

Using this patio heater indoors isn’t really the best idea, and Golden Flame specifically mentioned that this is an outdoor heater. That said, customers have said that you can use this indoors it’s just that you’re going to need to have about 5 feet of clearance with ceiling from the top of the patio heater. The reason for that is because the top reflector with this patio heater can get very hot. Another reason to be cautious when using this patio heater indoors is that of the flame; as having it indoors can result in Carbon Monoxide build-up, so you must make sure that you have lots of ventilation leading to outside and that it’s a very open space.

A safety feature when it comes to this patio heater falling over is that it’s able to automatically turn off.

Summary:

Function:

It uses a good amount of BTU and along with the design you’re able to take advantage of as much heat as you can. The fuel usage is dependent on how you’re using the patio heater, but for the most part, you’re able to surpass the estimated 10-hour duration that each propane tank is supposed to last.

Design:

The design of this patio heater is quite good as it has wheels at the bottom making it easier to move around and it also has a weighted base that you can fill with sand. Actually getting this patio heater to turn on is a great experience as it uses a Spark ignition that’s a lot faster than traditional patio heater start-ups.

Build:

The build quality of this patio heater is superb with its stainless steel build quality. That said, it’s still a good idea to have a cover. Also, if you’re using this patio heater indoors you must make sure to have a good ceiling height clearance of 5 feet and lots of ventilation to outside in an open place.

Conclusion:

This Golden Flame patio heater is one of the best-designed dome-shaped patio heaters on the market because of its power and design that offers a truly great patio heating experience.