Patio heater/fire pit etc

[mamma2013]

We've really loved being outdoors this year thanks to the lovely weather. Its also had the benefit of being able to gently socialise whilst sticking to the rules which is a big tick for me.

Now the weather is starting to cool down and the nights are getting darker earlier I am really tempted to buy a firepit so we can sit out and keep warm and toast stuff and all that romantic stuff.

Am I better getting a patio heater instead or something else I haven't considered yet.. Or are they a real fad item? Even better if someone can recommend one for me please!

I forgot to say I would be using smokeless log things and our neighbours wouldn't be affected due to the size of the garden. No way I'd annoy the neighbours as they are lovely!

We have a fire pit and absolutely love it! Used it quite a few times recently, when we have had guests over. Nothing like a glass of wine and chat in front of it.

I’m not a fan of patio heaters as I don’t think they actually work all that well.

Our ndn has a fire pit and they have just dismantled a huge shed. A couple of weeks ago when it was hot they lit the thing so we all had to melt with the doors and windows shut and couldn't sit outside for the smoke and smell. Antisocial things bloody hate them.

I think they work well with smokeless logs.

Fire pits are useless, with any wind you get a face full of smoke, waste of money, but patio heaters are not good for the planet either

I have a round copper bowl one, I can’t find a link and a chiminea one, the round one is miles better, everyone sits round it and loves it, it gives off a lot of heat.

We are self sufficient in wood though so have our own seasoned logs and the garden is big enough it doesn’t bother the neighbours.

I can’t say I’m a huge fan, but everyone else loves a fire going and it’s in the middle of patio armchairs Set in a square formation, seats eight, two on each side. We need to often bring other chairs over. So eight chairs in a square, round open fire bowl in the middle. It’s very sociable.

I’d advise something round with a good large bowl to be the most effective. Chimneas are just not the same to sit round, we seldom use ours.

@Thesuzle

Fire pits are useless, with any wind you get a face full of smoke, waste of money, but patio heaters are not good for the planet either

No you don’t, not if you used good seasoned wood, once thy are burning hot there is very little smoke.

There is an art to fire pits if you use fire logs.
They will smoke like hell if you leave them laying in their side. The difference if you stand them up is huge. It creates a chimney effect and once they've got burning there is minimal smoke.
You don't have to use more than one, just let them get a bit damp beforehand so they swell a little and then dry out. Then you can stand them against solid step or on the edge of a path and stamp on them to break them into smaller pieces. I've found they usually break into two or three.

I’m trying to decide, too. I loathe the smell of smoke, it gives me a headache, so am veering towards a patio heater. Wouldn’t use it very often though.

We have both - a chiminea and an electric patio heater. Had a fire pit before but there's no direction for the smoke to travel in so you get a faceful - never managed to find anything that's smoke free. Chiminea directs the smoke up and away from you. It provides heat to those in front of it, but the patio heater is better for constant even heat. On a cold night you do of course need both, fire in front and heater behind you!

No idea re the comments on how bad they are for the environment - it's an electric heater! On what planet could they be worse than burning solid fuel I don't know.

Even if your wood is well seasoned, if it can’t be kept 100% dry (indoors really) then it’s going to smoke and stink

No, this isn’t right either, as long as it’s below twenty percent moisture, it’s fine, ours are about 14 and we use a meter to test the moisture levels. The logs are kept in a wood store to season. Once it’s burning hot there is very little smoke. Certainly not enough to bother any one. And we sit close.

We pile ours high with logs once it’s burning hot, as it’s not just the heat people like but the effect, they like looking at the flames.

We have also done s’mores on it, marshmallows etc, plus reheated bbq stuff like baked potatoes and sausages etc in tin foil when a bit, ehrm, Tipsy. 🤣

Some of the stuff being posted on here is very inaccurate. We also have two wood burners so are very careful on what we burn, and know exactly what to use.

@SteveArnottsbeadyeyes Lovely and practical too.

Tfoot75, I guess the thinking behind why they are so bad for the environment is that they're heating up nothing. If you use a heater in a house, the room eventually warms up and you turn the heating down or off. Outside, it's never going to get warm, so the heating is pumping into the atmosphere permanently, with very little benefit. It's like having your heating on in the house with all the doors and windows open.

We got a patio heater. It's good as we just sit out by ourselves usually so the heat is enough for 1 or 2 people. Don't really think it's suitable for a big gathering.
Not sure how expensive they are to run though.

Please, please, please think about the environment before buying a patio heater - you would be burning enormous amounts of fossil fuel to try and heat up the outside. Buy thicker coats, go for brisk walks or just stay inside with 6 people or less. Short term the pandemic is a pain, long term it will pale into insignificance beside climate change!

Love our fire pit. We use it more in summer though - after a bbq when it just starts to get a bit chilly. The smoke doesn't reach our neighbours, who are bonfire aficionados anyway.

Horrible anti social things. I don't mind a bbq but hate the smell of wood smoke from our ndn fire pit. Previous ndn had a chimnea and that was just as bad. It is a reasonable distance from our house but still stinks it out.