Patio Heaters, Does Anyone Use Them?

The restaurant I work for is considering purchasing outdoor heaters to extend our patio season. Does anyone have any experience with these heaters? Are they effective? Are they too much trouble? Do they actually heat a 10 ft radius? The one's we are looking at have propane tanks which of course you can't store indoors, so another question, where do you store the heaters after hours? Any info would be helpful
thanks,

I live near Meritage where they use them. They have a propane "cage" in the alley next to their waste bins. I have sat under them at Tango Sur. They mostly heat the top of you, your legs will stay cold - heat rises after all.

My parents spend the winters in La Quinta, CA (near Palm Springs) and almost every restaurant (and many residents) out there has them -- even though it might be in the 80s during the day, the Desert nights are very cool.

I would say that they heat close to a 10-foot radius, maybe slightly less -- but if you're too close, it can get too hot as they do generate a lot of heat. But without them, nobody in the desert would eat breakfast or dinner outside. I'm always surprised how few restaurants here use them because by using them, many restaurants could extend their outdoor dining seasons into October.

Although I don't know where restaurants store them, I suppose multiple chains and locks might work, as I've seen lots of restaurants do that with tables and chairs, and I know the heaters are heavy.

Yeah, I've seen them much more often in Florida or California than here. They're okay, but they do tend to leave part of you very warm, and part not very warm. They seem most effective when you have ten of them across a patio and can genuinely heat the entire space, not when someone is sitting facing just one.

Here in Tahoe, no restaurant that has outdoor seating for dinner is without them. Because of the alttitude, it cools down considerably as the sun goes down. As a matter of fact, we're dining al fresco this evening under the heaters. They aren't perfect, but they work. One style of heater is ubiquitous in the area. If I remember, I'll try to find out the manufacturer.

Shannon's in Glen Ellyn uses them in their outdoor patio. Since the Patio is covered in the winter, the heaters keep it comfortable out there. They're also used in the "shoulder" seasons after the tentlike roof is removed.

Diannie

The last placed I worked at used them to no avail, but we had the cheapest you could get. The tin shield bent easily and very little heat was distributed.

Check out Meritage or Fireside they both have heavy dutyoines iof memory serves. Remeber you get waht you pay for.

I always thought the wood burniong fire cages thy sell at Home Depot asnd menards would be great for patios, little fir places!! I do not know if theyare code.