A patio heater is a great way to stave off the chill of a fall night. Patio heaters come in all sorts of different varieties, from the classic wood burning chiminea to a freestanding propane heater. Whichever type of patio heater you have though will require a little bit of upkeep to make sure it stays working for years to come. How to clean your patio heater basically boils down to the type of heater you own.
Here are a few tips on cleaning the different types:
Chiminea: The most important thing to remember before cleaning a chiminea is to make sure it’s completely cool before starting. If you spray cold water on a hot chiminea it can shatter. Move the chiminea to somewhere you can clean it. Next empty any ash, wood or charcoal out of it. Now spray out the inside of the chiminea with a garden hose nozzle. Use a stiff nylon brush on the chiminea stack to remove any soot. Just let the unit dry and move back into place.
Fire pit: A fire pit cleans about the same as a chiminea. Empty the fire pit, hose down the flame arrestor screen and scrub the sides and bowl of the pit.
Propane heater: Propane burns much cleaner than wood or charcoal so you’re clean up will be much easier. You don’t need to worry about cleaning up a bunch of soot and ash. Instead shut off the gas supply to the propane heater and wipe the entire unit down with a damp cloth. The fire screen will probably be a little discolored from heat; unfortunately there isn’t much you can do about that. The metal changes color when exposed to heat. Just make sure there isn’t any dust or soot on the fire screen itself. And you’re finished
These are just a few tips on how to clean your patio heater. With proper care it will last you for years and let you enjoy plenty of crisp fall evenings.
An outdoor fireplace is a great way to extend your summer evenings outside. You do need a little bit of caution with them though. Outdoor fireplaces get very very hot and can cause serious injury if the proper precautions aren’t taken. One of the best things you can do is figure out how to childproof your outdoor fireplace. Childproofing your outdoor fireplace will give you greater peace of mind and let you relax and just enjoy the cool fall air.
The first thing that you’ll want to do to childproof your outdoor fire place is make sure that there’s a spark arrestor and flame guard installed. These are typically a heavy gauge wire mesh screen that you install over the hearth of the outdoor fireplace. A spark arrestor and flame guard will keep your child from being able to reach into the fireplace itself as well as prevent any sparks from jumping out.
Another thing you can use to childproof your outdoor fireplace is a barrier. What this means is that you spend a little bit of time installing a decorative fence around the outdoor fireplace. Make this an off limits area for the kids. You’ll still get plenty of heat from the fireplace and the fence will add a decorative border.
Use safer fuels for the outdoor fireplace. This includes fire gels, paper logs, and charcoal. These items won’t pop like a piece of wood eliminating some of the risk of shooting up a shower of sparks.
How to childproof an outdoor fireplace just takes a little bit of planning before use. Eliminate the chances of sparks by using a spark arrestor and low spark fuels. Create a barrier around the fireplace to keep kids at a safe distance and most important of all don’t let the kids around a hot fireplace unless an adult is there to supervise.
Outdoor heaters come in all sorts of different shapes and sizes. You can find fire pits, propane heaters and electric space heater types. Not all work in every environment though. If you live in an apartment building then chances are your apartment rules prevent you from being able to have the cozy open flame of a fire pit. If you don’t feel like lugging big propane bottles upstairs to keep your heater going then you should look into an electric tabletop heater.
The Endless Summer EWTR890SP ‘Vacation Day” Electric Tabletop Heater is a great choice for the apartment dweller. All you have to do is set it up on a table plug it in and turn it on and in no time you’ll be enjoying a nice circle of warmth on a crisp cool evening.
One of the excellent safety features of the Endless Summer “Vacation Day” Electric Tabletop Heater is that it has a tilt switch safety mechanism; this means that if it gets knocked over it will turn itself off, greatly reducing the risk of fire.
There is an 8 foot cord so you won’t have to drag an extension cord outside with you.
The 1200 watt heat bulb casts a circle of heat about twelve feet wide plenty of room to sit around a table and chat.
The heater plugs into a standard wall outlet, no need for special plugs.
What We Like
The strong weather proof construction means that this heater can stay outside all year long.
The 1200 watt bulb pumps out a lot of heat for so small a unit, over 4000 BTU’s. It’s enough to take the chill off and keep you toasty at the table.
We really liked that there is minimal set up just pull it out of the box and plug it in.
A fire pit is a wonderful place to sit and chat when the weather starts to cool off. Raised fire pits with a built in table are especially appealing. You don’t have to go through the hassle of digging a hole in your back yard. Instead a table and fire pit is portable and can be put on any decking. Not only do you get a great cozy fire but with the table you have a place to set your drinks and plates.
Since the Strathwood table is made out of aluminum it’s much lighter than other units made out of steel. This means you can easily move the fire pit around for cleaning. Another great thing about aluminum is that you don’t have to worry about it rusting out.
The copper fire pit really sets off the black aluminum. It’s a great set of contrasting colors that really catches the eye.
Things We Like about the Strathwood St Thomas Table with Fire Pit:
The fire pit is recessed below the table and comes with a lid that matches the scroll work of the table. The lid serves as a spark catcher as well.
This unit is very reasonably priced. We’ve seen units that cost a lot more but don’t offer nearly the quality and value of the Strathwood St. Thomas cast aluminum table and fire pit.
Another thing to keep in mind is how easy it is to assemble. The directions are clear and you can set it up in just a few short minutes.
Create a Co-ordinated look for your Strathwood fire pit
Just look at the great range of patio furniture that lets you create a totally coordinated look on your patio or in your entertainment area to match Strathwood St Thomas fire pit.
Unique Arts Solid Copper Chiminea Combo With Screen
We are huge fans of outdoor fire pits. They are a cheap way to liven up a back yard. Outdoor fire pits give a great place to gather with friends and family on a crisp fall evening.
The Unique Arts Solid Copper Chiminea Combo with Screen has become the accent piece you’ll want in your backyard. It will burn anything you throw in to it, wood, charcoal, pressed flame logs, you name it. Clean up is a breeze all that has to be done is to pull off the flame arrestor screen, scoop out any ash then hose it out. It’s just that easy.
One of the other things you will really like is that it’s made with recycled copper. Our family all try to be as eco friendly as possible and so we like the idea of having brought a hand crafted unit made from recycled copper.
Another benefit of copper is that it weathers over time. It will develop a rich antique patina over a couple seasons, enhancing the beauty of this signature piece.
Even though this solid copper Chiminea is hefty, weighing in at about 50 pounds, it’s portable and you can move it to different parts of the yard with relative ease.
Things We Like:
Price: A hand made signature piece of copper artwork for this price is unbelievable. There’s a lot of quality in this unit for a really low price.
Eco-friendly: We were quite happy to learn that the unit was made out of recycled copper and not from freshly mined non-renewable resources.
Functionality: We really like being able to just toss whatever we want to burn into the chiminea. The flame arrestor screen keeps any sparks well contained. We fell safe at all times using the unit.
is a great combination table. The decorative scroll work in the aluminum tabletop adds a touch of style and class to the unit.
and really enjoy sitting around it. The copper unit adds a real touch of class to the back yard.