AEI Corporation

The on-campus cost of living continues to rise, prompting families to find off-campus housing for their college students. The steadily rising price tag associated with attending a four-year institution appears linked to the increase in young adults and graduate students finding alternative housing. Today, more than two-thirds of college students rent apartments and condos rather than stay in university dorms.

This shift in housing tasks property owners and developers with competing for good-paying college-age renters and providing desirable amenities. One of the key perks that make a significant difference is integrating a student housing patio heating system that extends the use of outdoor spaces into the evening and deep into winter.

Heaters for dorm patios, rented by private owners per school calendar year, minimize what some call the “winter blues.” That’s primarily because they allow young adults and graduate students to get more fresh air and sunshine and open a peaceful place to relax during stressful mid-terms and final exams. If you own, operate, or are considering taking advantage of the growing off-campus housing market by building private dorms, installing electric, natural gas, or propane patio heaters is an attractive value-added option for college students.

Key Benefits of Heaters for Dorm Patios

It’s essential to select only state-of-the-art products when installing a student housing patio heating system. Products that use an exposed flame to heat the surrounding air are considered the dinosaurs of an industry where manufacturers use the latest technology to improve products and outcomes in everyday life. By contrast, a leading electric, propane, and natural gas patio heater uses infrared rays to warm the objects in its throw radius.

The critical difference is that radiant heat cannot be whisked away every time a breeze sweeps through the multi-family student housing facility. Instead, the people and objects touched by the gentle infrared rays enjoy a consistent sense of warming comfort. That being said, these are ways heaters for dorm patios can offer a more desirable living environment than their on-campus counterparts.

• Extend the Day: Winter tends to drive people indoors to the extent that they start to feel antsy. For college students, this experience can be particularly challenging due to long hours of study at the library and late nights typing up papers on laptops. The use of a natural gas patio heater allows renters the opportunity to take in fresh air when they need it the most.
• Gathering Space: The cold weather months hamper the ability of people from all walks of life to gather freely under the stars. Strategically placed propane patio heaters change that reality. College BFFs can now congregate on their patio and socialize.
• Group Study: Bachelor’s degree candidates sometimes become overwhelmed during finals. Libraries are crammed with people trying to make a last-minute push to pass their classes. These are the moments when the ability to meet late into the night on a backyard patio isn’t just a perk. It’s a necessity. Once word gets out that your off-campus housing offers quiet, open-air group study opportunities, expect a long list of potential renters next semester.

Student housing patio heating systems also open the door to outfit the space with a stainless steel gas grill that turns it into a relaxing al fresco dining and living space. To transition from a passive, underused patio to one that is seen as a key reason for slightly higher rental fees, it’s crucial to install industry-leading infrared heating products.

Crafting the Best Student Housing Patio Heating System

The number of heaters and types of units needed will largely depend on the size and layout of your outdoor communal spaces, as well as energy resources. The AEI Corp infrared patio heater lines offer a variety of portable, fixed-in-place, and overhead products that deliver excellent BTU and cover a significant area.

What Energy Source is Available?

Property owners and managers have the option of choosing between liquid propane, natural gas, or electric patio heaters. Propane patio heaters are popular because they power portable heaters and house a tank in the base. This is particularly true of the mushroom head heaters used for residential decks, sidewalk cafés, resorts, and other hospitality industry operations.

Installing a natural gas patio heater is worthwhile for student housing facilities that already have access to a natural gas line. A contractor can run a designated line to the outdoor heaters, which can be controlled by a shut-off timer. Natural gas is also widely recognized as a cost-effective, sustainable resource.

Electric patio heaters are also considered energy efficient and are one of the simplest ways to enhance student life by extending a patio area’s hours of use. Like natural gas patio heaters, electric-driven heaters can be managed by a wall-mounted control panel. Property owners and managers typically include a shut-off timer to prevent them from running while not being used.

Industry-Leading Patio Heaters for Off-Campus Housing

There are five types of AEI Corp infrared patio heaters that are ideally suited to extend the use of outdoor off-campus housing spaces. Most products can be fueled by either natural gas or liquid propane, while a select line utilizes existing electrical systems. If you are a property owner or have a student housing project on the drawing board, these industry-leading patio heaters can immediately change the dynamic of outdoor communal areas and attract good-paying residents.

• Patio Comfort: These classic mushroom head heaters can be deployed as a natural gas heater or a portable propane patio heater, storing a tank in their base. Propane heaters can be moved when cool and the tanks are easy to swap out. Property owners and residents like the fact they can be repositioned and deliver 40,000 BTU of radiant heat.
• Sunglo: The Sunglo line offers the same type of circular heat throw and 40,000 BTU as the Patio Comfort models. They also offer natural gas and propane versions of their patio heaters. Fixed-in-place, Sunglo heaters can be connected to existing natural gas or propane lines.
• Sunpak: These overhead horizontal heaters as they are commonly called, can be mounted to overhangs, eaves, posts, or ceilings in semi-enclosed spaces. Running from 25,000 to 34,000 BTU, Sunpak outdoor heaters are particularly effective for intimate patios because they do not occupy usable space.
• Sunstar: Off-campus housing located in places that endure rugged seasonal weather have an opportunity to go with Sunpak models. These horizontal heaters use durable materials to withstand harsh weather and high winds by integrating marine-grade stainless steel and other enhancements.
• Infratech: AEI offers this effective infrared heater powered by electricity. It only requires a designated line and can be managed by a conveniently placed control panel.

The AEI outdoor patio heaters are perhaps the best-suited products for upgrading off-campus, multi-student housing facilities. Owners and property managers can find the right fit for their student housing patio heating needs from the diverse AEI products.