A gas patio heater stretches the season on a stoep, terrace or restaurant deck, taking the chill off a winter lunch or a spring evening. The tall mushroom type spreads heat downward from a reflector; pyramid heaters add a visible flame in a glass tube; table top models suit a small table. Most floor standing heaters hold a 9 kg cylinder in the base. They are made for open air only. Tell us what you need and local suppliers will send free patio heater quotes, with no obligation.
Mushroom, pyramid and table top heaters
- Mushroom heaters: a tall pole with a burner and a round reflector on top that pushes heat down over a circle of seats. The workhorse of restaurant terraces.
- Pyramid flame heaters: a square tower with the flame running up a glass tube, giving light and atmosphere as well as heat.
- Table top heaters: small versions of the mushroom that stand on a sturdy table, often on a smaller cylinder.
Floor standing models take a 9 kg cylinder in the base, hidden behind a door or cover. See 9 kg gas cylinders for exchange and refill options.
Outdoor only, and the wind
Patio heaters burn in the open air and must never be used indoors, in a closed garage or under a low enclosed roof. For indoor warmth, use an indoor gas heater made for that job. Wind is the other enemy: a strong gust can blow out the flame or tip a tall heater. Place heaters out of the wind where you can, on firm level paving, and switch them off when the wind picks up. Many models have a tilt switch that shuts the gas off if the heater falls.
Restaurants, venues and events
Restaurants and wine farms often run several heaters across a terrace through winter, with a stock of full cylinders on site. A gas delivery round saves staff carrying cylinders, and spare cylinders must be stored outside in a ventilated cage. For weddings and functions, heaters can be hired for the night with gas included; ask the hire company who sets them up, who checks the connections and who collects.
Care and storage
Check the hose and regulator inside the base each season and replace them when cracked or hard. Test joints with soapy water. Keep the reflector and burner clean of spider webs and leaves, which can block the flame. A cover protects a heater left outside, and coastal salt air rusts cheaper steel quickly. Close the cylinder valve after every use.
What to include in your request
- Mushroom, pyramid or table top
- Number of heaters and the space
- Buy or hire for an event
- Full 9 kg cylinders included or not
- How windy and open the area is
Gas Patio Heaters for different clients
- Homeowners: a mushroom heater on the stoep for winter lunches and evening braais
- Complexes, estates and body corporates: patio heaters on garden units and balconies where the rules allow gas
- Restaurants, takeaways and bakeries: restaurant terraces and coffee shop decks heated through the winter
- Guest houses, lodges and venues: wedding venues and lodge decks with pyramid heaters for evening guests
- Farms and smallholdings: wine farm tasting terraces warmed for visitors in cooler months
- Factories, warehouses and workshops: outdoor smoking and break areas warmed on cold mornings
- Campers, caravanners and event hosts: garden parties and functions with heaters hired for the night
- Gas installers, plumbers and dealers: event hire companies buying heaters and cylinders in numbers
Frequently asked questions
What does a gas patio heater cost?
Can I use a patio heater indoors?
Can I hire patio heaters for an event?
How do I get patio heater quotes?
Gas Patio Heaters by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg