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Alfresco Heating offers discounts to contractors and restaurants, and also for quantity purchases. There are some exceptions. Please contact us with your name and business contact phone, address, and email for a quote.  … read more

"I live in Petaluma, but found you online.  I am trying to heat an outdoor shade structure.  I was thinking of electric infrared, but I don't really like the bright orange light." Rob S. In my experience, an electric patio heater with halogen bulb will create a lot of light. Alfre … read more

The owner of Salito's Crab House Restaurant in Sausalito likes his outdoor customers to be able to turn on a patio heater near them, with a timer, when they want the heat. Unfortunately, he told me this just after new tile was laid on the deck. We would normally use a 24 volt AC circuit to create … read more

In the case of overhead gas outdoor heaters, their combustible clearances require them to hang down well below flammables that may be above them. Most overhead gas outdoor heaters are either on or off. Some gas patio heaters have low and high settings. However gas heaters are economical to run, and … read more

I had occasion to visit The Food Service Technology Center (FSTC) in San Ramon, California, recently. At their unbiased resource center they test many commercial appliances for performance and efficiency. I found this short PDF on their site about patio heaters, which I thought contained useful gene … read more

July 2012: 8th-floor rooftop condominium installation of patio heaters by Alfresco Heating at The Montgomery Condominiums in San Francisco, California: This was largely a gas-piping job, requiring a welded connection, 2" galvanized pipe and 2" CSST, because the patio heaters are hundreds of feet f … read more

Your portable propane patio heater won't light. Before you call us for a repair, or throw your economy propane patio heater away, you could try the following self-service user-maintenance steps: 1. Bleed the gas. This is the most common issue. If you changed the tank, or if the heater was not u … read more

Glass-tube patio heaters, often pyramid shaped, are trendy now. They bring a fire element and create quite a show at night. You can stand right next to them, and you can touch them while they are lit. That is because the quartz glass fire tube is an insulator. What all effective patio heaters have i … read more

Infrared Dynamics, the American manufacturer of the SunGlo patio heater, really listens to feedback from techs in the field, and then they act on it. That is one reason why I like them so much. That is also why the newest SunGlo heaters have extruded threads on the emitter grid and on the … read more

A patio heater, with a direct sight line from the orange glow of the heater to the seats, is the best outdoor seat warmer. Ideally preheat your outdoor seating for 20-30 minutes before use. As the patio heater glows, tables, and other close-by furniture, also heat up, transforming the out … read more

The best way to heat a table under a pergola or covered patio may not be what you have read. Angling outdoor heaters towards a table can work well only if the heaters are angled in from the only opened side of a covered patio. I recently reviewed an installation under a pergola. The people on the … read more

I walk up to a restaurant and I see fine teak outdoor furniture, cloth napkins, and a well dressed, helpful wait staff. And then I see their patio heaters are all crooked, with reflectors that are bent and grossly distorted. How can a fine dining restaurant be so cheap when it comes to the … read more

Recently Alfresco Heating installed nine Infrared Dynamics SunPak S25S gas patio heaters, with electronic ignition at Bridges Restaurant in Danville. The owner wrote to us, "You guys did an outstanding job with the heater installation. I would definitely recommend you to others." … read more

At Taverna Bistro Restaurant and Hookah Lounge you can enjoy a Turkish / Mediterranean meal, and then smoke tobacco through a hookah on their warm and comfortable patio. SunPak gas patio heaters, overhead, were installed by Alfresco Heating. … read more

What is a Commercial Patio Heater? That’s tough to answer because the definition of “commercial patio heaters” has been diluted by the many manufacturers and web sales sites who claim they are providing commercial products. Here, a “commercial” patio heater creates a lot of carbon monoxide and li … read more