Has anyone bought a Tansun Algarve Patio heater - and are they any good ?

Question

This is either a 1.3Kw or 2Kw quartz electric patio heater. They use short wave infra-red as a way of heating you. They are quite expensive so I don't want to buy one if they are no good.

Answer 1

I don't own one, but I have experienced one in a bar that I frequent. Since indoor smoking is banned in public places in my town, the bar I hang out at has a small outdoor patio out back where smokers can go. They have a Tansun unit for heat and it seems to do a reasonable job as long as the temperatures are not much below 50 degrees fahrenheit. It kind of feels like you are sitting around a campfire where you are heated on one side, and freezing on the other. The colder the temperature, the more noticeable the effect. At temps above 50 degrees, it seems to take the chill off. At temps below 50, you want to turn and heat your other side every so often. I know the bar owner paid over $250 for the unit and us smokers appreciate it. I don't think I would buy one for use in my home, but then we don't spend a lot of time on the patio when it is really cold outside.

Good luck with your patio heating project.