If you’ve just spent a good amount of money on a patio heater to stay warm while you enjoy the outside air, it’s understandable that you’d look for other ways to get your money’s worth from the heater. One option people often consider is using their patio heater indoors, whether in their garage or inside their home. But is using a patio heater inside possible – and more importantly, safe?
You can use a patio heater indoors, but it’s not safe to do so. A patio heater is designed to keep you warm outside, and using it inside will result in higher temperatures than most indoor space heaters would achieve. This makes the heaters a burn risk and a fire hazard when used indoors.
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There are numerous risks associated with using a patio heater inside, and this article will help you understand them further. In the following sections, I’ll also explore what types of heaters you can use inside and answer some other questions you may have about patio heaters.
Patio Heaters Aren’t Designed for Indoor Use
If you’ve never seen a patio heater, think of their design as similar to a mushroom – a thin stand that extends to a wide top. In fact, their design is so similar to that of a mushroom that they’re also known as mushroom heaters.
The challenge with this design is that it generally has a low center of gravity and can fall over easily. Most “mushroom” patio heaters have a base to give them greater stability to account for this issue.
However, the fact is that, while the base helps, it’s not perfect. As mentioned above, a patio heater gets extremely hot – and if it tips over in a crowded room full of people, there’s a good chance of it injuring someone. The heat can still damage the space even if no one is injured.
Additionally, if your mushroom heater uses propane as fuel, the fuel tank is likely located at the base of the heater. If it does tip over, there’s a significant risk of a propane leak. Propane fumes can make you very sick and, as it’s a flammable gas, there’s a substantial risk of the gas catching fire and causing an explosion – and, as the gas is colorless and odorless, you may not realize what is happening until it’s too late.
That said, though mushroom heaters are the most common variety, there are other types available as well, including ones that can be wall-mounted or hung from the ceiling. So, the question becomes, can these heaters be used indoors?
The answer still remains “no”. Here are a few reasons why.
Patio Heaters Are a Fire Hazard and Burn Risk
While wall-mounted and hanging heaters pose a lower risk than their mushroom counterparts, they should still not be brought indoors.
This is due to the basic design of a patio heater.
These heaters are meant to keep you warm outdoors when the cold wind constantly negates the warming effect the heater provides. Patio heaters get significantly hotter than indoor heaters to account for this issue – and they reach higher heat levels faster.
While this is great when you’re sitting outside, it can be a fire hazard inside the house. If something flammable touches the hot surface of a patio heater, it can catch on fire. Fire can spread quickly inside a home, and if there’s a propane leak, it can lead to tragedy.
At the same time, there’s also the risk that someone will unwittingly touch the patio heater. If you have children or pets, this is a particularly worrying issue – there’s a risk that, if you turn your attention away from your pet or little one for even a split second, they’ll try to touch the heater and get burned as a result.
Another consideration is the risk of overheating. Outside, the heat created by the patio heater can escape into the atmosphere. However, the heat lingers longer indoors – and there’s a risk of your heater exploding if it overheats (or isn’t installed correctly).
Finally, another major issue is installing high heat-creating patio heaters indoors – they’ll make you feel uncomfortable, and do so fast.
After all, the excess heat created by the patio heater isn’t required in a closed and often insulated space. As the patio heater does its job, you’ll be left feeling sweaty, stuffy, and overheated, while the same heat levels felt pleasant when you were sitting outside.
Patio Heaters Increase the Risk of Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Most patio heaters use propane or gas as a fuel source. This means that, unlike electric and infrared heaters, they emit toxic gasses as a byproduct of their heating capability.
Specifically, patio heaters generally produce nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide. Nitrogen dioxide is highly poisonous to humans (and other living organisms), and carbon monoxide can lead to suffocation, tissue damage, and death.
When used outside, these toxic byproducts aren’t a significant concern. They immediately disperse in the atmosphere, and there’s a low risk that you’ll ever breathe them in, let alone at levels that will cause death.
However, it’s a different situation when they are used inside. If you’re using a patio heater indoors, you’re likely cold enough that you’ve already closed all the doors and windows.
This, in turn, means there’s limited air circulation in the space. Unlike outside, carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide cannot easily escape into the atmosphere. Instead, they continue to increase in concentration in the closed space. If these gasses reach a certain concentration threshold, they become dangerous for you to breathe in.
You can usually recognize the risk of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) poisoning before it’s too late. The gas has a strong smell, which means you’ll have adequate warning to evacuate the space before it gets to be too dangerous.
However, spotting carbon monoxide is a different situation.
Unlike NO2, carbon monoxide (CO) has no smell, which means you’ll be unable to tell when the concentration reaches dangerous levels. The easiest way to recognize the danger is to pay attention to your own health – some symptoms of CO poisoning include nausea and dizziness, and if you recognize them quick enough, you may be able to leave the space before it’s too late.
However, this is no guarantee, and there’s always a risk that you’ll fall asleep with the patio heater on. This is one of the biggest reasons why using a patio heater inside is a big no – in fact, this is why using any propane or gas-based heated inside is advised against.
Patio Heaters Lack Indoor Safety Features
By virtue of being designed for the patio – the outdoors – patio heaters must follow a different set of regulations than indoor space heaters. And these regulations for patio heaters are generally laxer than those for products designed to be used within the house.
This generally isn’t an issue when you use your heater outside – after all, there’s a lower risk of catastrophe should you forget to switch it off when it’s located outside rather than inside.
However, things change when you bring the patio heater into your home. Indoor heaters must abide by a range of regulations, such as a design that prevents the heater from exploding if it overheats and sensors that will switch off the heater if there’s internal damage to the system.
On the other hand, most patio heaters don’t employ these safety features. Some companies are making moves to bring the safety advantages of indoor heaters to patio heaters as well – however, it’s still challenging to find patio heaters that meet indoor specifications. If you’re willing to do the research, you may find a heater with all the safety features you need – but most people find it’s easier to buy both a patio and indoor space heater.
How To Use a Patio Heater Indoors
Occasionally, you have no choice – you need an indoor heater, and your patio heater is the only choice. In these cases, you can use your patio heater indoors – provided you take the requisite safety precautions.
- Make sure the heater is situated in an out-of-the-way location. It should not be near furniture or any flammable objects. Ideally, try to ensure a minimum of 3 feet (91.4 cm) between the heater and any other object.
- Be careful with the fuel. Make sure you’re using certified fuel containers, and check the hoses and valves for leaks before you turn on the heater.
- Ensure your children and pets are kept away from your patio heater. Otherwise, it’s possible they’ll burn themselves.
- Don’t leave the heater unattended while it’s switched on. Always turn it off once you’re done using it.
- Ensure the room is adequately ventilated. If possible, leave the main door or a few windows open. Doing so also has the added benefit of offsetting the extreme heat produced by the patio heater.
Best Types of Indoor Space Heaters
So, if patio heaters are out, what types of space heaters can you invest in for indoor heating?
There are several different options available, and this can make choosing a single heater type challenging, let alone the actual model. To make finding the right heater easier, here are some of my favorite types of indoor space heaters:
Ceramic Heaters
These heaters generally work on electricity and, as the name implies, feature several ceramic plants attached to a primary metal coil. As electricity is run through the coil, the plates heat up, eventually releasing this heat to the outside air – thus ensuring you stay toasty and warm.
These are available either with or without fans. The ones with fans are known as convection ceramic heaters and provide more heat than a ceramic heater without a fan. However, these space heaters aren’t designed for use in very large spaces, which may be a concern if you’re hosting a large gathering.
Fan Heaters
These heaters are nearly identical to ceramic heaters – aside from the heating element. The primary heating element in a ceramic heater is the ceramic plate, as discussed above. However, for fan heaters, the heating element is a metal coil.
This coil heats up when the heater is plugged in, and the fan’s motion transfers the heat from the coil to the room. As with ceramic heaters, these heaters are highly portable and relatively low cost. However, they also have the same cons – specifically, the fact that fan heaters cannot be used for larger spaces.
Halogen Heaters
Halogen heaters are perhaps the most energy-efficient types of portable space heaters available on the market. They provide instant heat, and as soon as you switch them on, you’ll be able to feel your room warming up.
As with ceramic and fan heaters, halogen heaters are perfect for heating a small space. While the heating element gets very hot, most heaters are fitted with a safety grill, significantly reducing the risk of someone accidentally touching it and getting burned. Of course, this risk is only lowered, not eliminated, so you should be safe around a halogen heater regardless.
They also work relatively well outdoors. While they aren’t as effective as dedicated outdoor heaters, they’re one of the better indoor heaters to take outside if you don’t have another option. Most halogen heaters can be temperature controlled, giving you the freedom to decide how warm you want to be.
That said, while they’re energy-efficient for an electric heater, it’s essential to remember that they are still electric heaters. Like all other electric heaters, the costs can add up, and they can be expensive to use if you’re looking for long-term temperature control.
Oil-Filled Heaters
Also known as column heaters, oil-filled heaters are loaded with oil. When they are plugged in, the electric current heats this oil, which then circulates through the column, transferring heat from the heating element to the room outside. The high melting point of oil means you don’t have to refill the heater constantly, nor does it have to be designed as a high-pressure vessel capable of containing oil fumes.
One advantage of these heaters over other electric heaters is that, because oil retains heat, they continue to heat the space for some time after the electricity is turned off. However, at the same time, there are additional safety risks to be aware of. The ability of oil to retain heat means there is a greater risk of injury when you touch this type of heater.
Additionally, there’s added risk of fires if the heater falls over and the oil spills out. This is why it’s recommended that, like patio heaters, it be kept at least three feet away from any objects. Furthermore, these heaters (while portable) are relatively heavy, making them difficult to move around.
Conclusion
While patio heaters can be used indoors, it’s not safe to do so. These heaters are designed to provide more heat than their indoor counterparts to compensate for outdoor usage. Using them inside can make your space overly hot and uncomfortable. Furthermore, this also makes them fire hazards and burn risks when used inside.
Additionally, using a patio heater inside increases the risk of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide poisoning. These heaters are not required to have the same safety features as indoor heaters, making them risky to use inside the house.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Nitrogen dioxide poisoning
- Mayo Clinic: Carbon monoxide poisoning
- ATSDR: Nitrogen Oxides
- NHS: Carbon monoxide poisoning
- Wikipedia: Patio heater
- MedlinePlus: Propane poisoning
- QLabe: Can Patio Heaters Be Used Indoors? Outdoor Only Gas Heaters Inside (Don’t Do It)
- Backyard Sidekick: Do Patio Heaters Produce Carbon Monoxide? What to Avoid
- ELGAS: Don’t Use Outdoor Gas Heaters Indoors
- Take a Yard: Can Patio Heaters Be Used Indoors? (Read This First!)
- Price This Please: Halogen Heater Running Cost & Prices 2022
- Wikipedia: Oil heater
- Trek Baron: 9 Different Types of Portable Heaters
- Canstar Blue: Types of heaters: Which is right for you?
- Home Air Guides: Types of Space Heaters (Pros and Cons)
- Home Air Advisor: 6 Types Of Space Heaters
- CA Compact Appliance: 4 Types of Space Heaters & Their Ideal Locations
- Electronics Hub: Types of Space Heaters
- HVAC Guides 101: Are Patio Heaters Safe, and Can You Use Them Indoors?
- My Backyard Life: Are Patio Heaters Safe? (And Can You Use Them Indoors?)
