Capitalize on Your Patio Investment by Installing Sunstar Infrared Heater

7 minute read | Heaters

Building a ground-level patio or outdoor deck ranks among the best home and business investments, bar none. The average cost of a patio is between $3,000 and $5,000, with a deck running anywhere from $20 to $50 per square foot. The return on those investments can exceed 75 percent for property owners, with the true value coming from improved quality of life. Businesses such as restaurants generate higher revenue from the additional seating, as well as increased real estate values.

But those and other deck and patio benefits are cut short by evening chills and cold weather months. To maximize the return on investment in residential and business settings, decision-makers are tasked with taking proactive measures to deliver the warmth and comfort needed to offset sinking temperatures. Installing a Sunstar infrared outdoor heating unit would overcome the adverse effects of cold weather people experience.

Benefits of Installing Propane Patio Heaters

There are multiple ways to consider the benefits of adding a propane or natural gas patio heater to an outdoor living space. For example, homeowners typically gain significant quality-of-life enhancements. Restaurants have an opportunity to expand valuable plate service or provide a setting where patrons can enjoy late-night meals or drinks. Multifamily complexes generally pass along the cost of propane patio heaters as an amenity in rents or homeowners association fees. Whether qualitative or quantitative, these are just some of the benefits infrared outdoor heating units routinely deliver.

Host Family Gatherings

Both single-family households and multifamily living communities share a need for outdoor spaces. Decks, patios, and common areas are perfect settings to host extended family members and special events. Infrared outdoor heating systems are essential during the holiday months, soon after daylight savings time is put to bed. Without natural gas or propane patio heaters, it’s often too chilly to hold festivities outdoors even at dinner time.

Increase Restaurant Profits

Customers typically spend about $27 each time they order. And more than half of eatery sales come on the weekends when customers often wait to be seated. Simple math tells us that increasing the number of tables and chairs can increase revenue substantially. Adding an infrared outdoor heater to cover any number of patio tables would add to the potential revenue of each day. Also, consider the number of patrons who decided to try elsewhere rather than wait for a weekend dinner reservation.

Attract and Retain Customers and Renters

When consumers are faced with a choice between remaining indoors in a crowded establishment or enjoying drinks and appetizers on an outdoor patio, the choice is obvious. Business owners who add decks and patios attract new patrons for precisely this reason. Rather than lose them over the winter or have them go elsewhere, a patio heater makes a difference. The same is true of apartment hunters who want the best amenities for their money. A well-designed common area with a stainless steel BBQ grill and outdoor patio heaters proves very attractive.

Extend the Day

Installing a propane or natural gas heater doesn’t just provide warming comfort in the evening. Infrared outdoor heating systems create outdoor opportunities before dusk and dawn. That means homeowners can enjoy a warm beverage while the sun comes up or practice mindful meditation or yoga in the fresh morning air. Similarly, a breakfast restaurant can cash in during the pre-work rush just as easily as a late-night pub. The point is that revenue-generating and personal experience benefits are available by turning a switch any time of day or night.

How Can Sunstar Infrared Patio Heaters Make A Difference?

It’s important to understand the Sunstar infrared outdoor patio heaters are designed to be installed overhead or on other sturdy infrastructure. Home and business owners can select models powered by natural gas or liquid propane. Each propane or natural gas patio heater must be securely fixed in place and the three-position control switch is required to be hardwired. All told, there are 11 different Sunstar models and these are items that are consistent across them.

  • Ceramic Infrared Burner System
  • Wireless Remote Control
  • Two Stages 24,00 to 35,000 BTU
  • Direct Spark Ignition with Auto Re-light and Flame Sensor System
  • 3 Year Warranty on the Burner Assembly

While all of the Sunstar options enjoy Made in USA quality, there are significant differences to consider when designing an infrared outdoor heating strategy. For example, models such as the N7 SGL1560, among others, come with an adjustable mounting kit for 15- to 60-degree angled installations. This opportunity allows home and business owners to secure the Sunstar unit to a wall or ceiling and position the infrared throw range to cover designated seating or a general area.

Models such as the N10 SGL0 are not necessarily installed with the 15- to 60-degree angling option. Instead, the N10 SGL0 comes equipped with a heat shield designed for 8- to 10-foot heights, as well as horizontal wall mounting. Rather than the angled approach of the previous model, the N10 SGL0 is usually set at zero.

The Sunstar natural gas or propane patio heaters also have a marine-grade option. The MGL1560 is constructed with 316 stainless steel that enhances its weather durability and exterior design. Other Sunstar models are typically black with a tinted high-temperature glass covering that allows them to seamlessly blend into ceiling and relatively unlit spaces undetected.

How To Design a Sunstar Infrared Outdoor Heating Plan

When installing natural gas or propane patio heaters it's essential to calculate their infrared throw range. With Sunstar models, there’s no difference between the fuel sources in terms of radiant heat throw. The SGL35 models can be mounted horizontally at 8-11 feet and possess a wide enough throw that they can be staggered between 8-16 feet. An angled installation typically reduces the need to space out heaters to between 6-14 feet depending on the environment. A well-placed Sunstar radiant heater on an average-sized deck or patio can realistic provide warmth and comfort for people in the entire space.

It’s also important to note that the radiant energy produced by the state-of-the-art infrared heaters warms the object in its throw radius, not the air around them. Unlike outdated flame-exposed units, the heat delivered by Sunstar models won’t be swept away by a cool breeze.

Would A Sunstar Infrared Heater Improve Patio Usage?

Residential property and business owners continue to invest in outdoor patios, decks, and verandas to enjoy the fresh air and additional usable space. The Field of Dreams mantra that “if you build it, they will come” generally holds true. That is, right up until it gets cold outside.

The investment into an outdoor space is only complete when that prime location can be leveraged early in the morning, late into the evening, deep into fall, and well before the first day of spring. With an infrared outdoor heating unit or system in place, homeowners, people living in condominiums, apartments, and foodies alike can finally enjoy the fresh air and ambiance of a deck or patio to its full potential. It’s safe to say that Sunstar infrared heaters are the solution.



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