Making Your Patio Heaters Actually Smart
We build waterproof electric patio heaters that can take a beating from the weather and still give you that instant hit of warmth. Here is the secret: we use short-wave infrared. Most heaters try to warm up the air, but the wind just blows that heat away the second it hits your skin. Infrared is different. It heats you and your furniture directly. It’s the only way to actually stay warm when you’re sitting outside in the open.
How the “Smart” Part Works
If you want to bring a bit of spring into the middle of January using just your phone or a voice command, we add a Wi-Fi or Zigbee relay into the mix. Think of this relay as a digital light switch. When you tap your app, the relay snaps shut and sends power straight to the quartz or carbon tubes. Since infrared radiation travels at the speed of light, you feel the heat immediately. No waiting around for the unit to “warm up.” You just turn it on, and you’re cozy.
Keeping Things Safe (and Dry)
Outdoor gear gets hammered. Rain, snow, humidity—it’s a lot. To stop moisture from frying the electronics, we use IPX4 or IP65 rated seals. We’re talking silicone gaskets in the junction boxes and powder-coated aluminum shells to keep the rust away. We also use heavy-duty wiring. These units pull a lot of power—usually between 1500W and 3000W—so we make sure the wires can handle the load without getting hot or dangerous during a long winter night.
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
Adding smart tech makes life easier, but it does add a little complexity to the setup. First, you’ll need a solid Wi-Fi signal outside. If your router is buried behind a thick concrete wall, you might see “device offline” errors. A simple signal booster usually fixes this. And a quick heads-up on your electrical panel: these heaters are power-hungry. If you hook too many of them up to one standard 15A circuit, you’re going to trip your breaker. Just make sure your electrical setup can handle the total load so you aren’t running back to the fuse box in the middle of a party.