Difference between commercial and domestic patio heater models
Q.How can you tell the difference between a domestic or residential patio heater model and a commercial unit?
A. The market has become cloudy as a few traders attempt to incorrectly label domestic/residential grade patio heaters as commercial grade. With a trained eye it is easy to spot the domestic patio heater but for those choosing a patio heater for the first time there are a few tips. A simple way is to check the country of manufacture, if it's China with a low retail price ticket the clues are all there!!
Q. What makes a commercial grade?
A. It's the quality of the components, right down to the raw nuts and bolts. Every piece of the patio heater from the grade of stainless steel to the thermocouple is a higher grade on a commercial patio heater. The difference in the components is not just slightly better on a commercial model but well over double the specification of a domestic model. Commercial patio heaters are fitted with heavy duty (much wider than domestic) centre pole, full stainless steel burner and triple safety features. One way to view the difference is to image a domestic cooker (type found in catalogues) placed in use in a busy West End restaurant, not likely to last long in those conditions!!
Q. They both look the similar?
A. Check out our domestic BFX755 patio heater and the commercial BFX760 patio heater and you'll be hard pressed to see a visible difference in the images alone. From a distance they do appear similar but get up close and the differences will become clear. Although the commercial patio heaters are more substantial it's also the workings beneath the skin that will highlight the many reasons for different grades. For light use in the garden, domestic patio heaters will not disappoint, for heavy duty use within a commercial environment a commercial patio heater is the only option. Typically a commercial unit will endure far more abuse, use and hard knocks than a cherished patio heater in a back garden, for this reason it is critical that heaters are correctly labelled according to the build and components.
Q. What about the stainless steel?
A. Always check the burner is stainless steel and not steel plated or chrome finish. Cheaper models tend to fit tin plated burner or chrome finish which will eventually suffer from rust. Many of the budget domestic patio heaters are fitted with steel nuts and bolts, these will also rust over time. A high quality patio heater will be fitted with quality stainless steel nuts/bolts to stay looking good and have a long life.
If you need proof compare this burner fitted to a budget patio heater against our domestic stainless steel burner, both used over 18 months:
Budget Burner |
BFX755 Burner |
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