Terrace Heating for Summer – When Does It Make Sense?

In summer, terrace heating makes sense if you use the terrace after sunset and the air then cools noticeably: at the beginning and end of summer, at gatherings that last until dawn, at a higher-altitude location, in a hospitality venue, or if someone in the family feels the cold more. Controllable electric infrared heating – a dark radiant heater or an infrared panel – is the right tool for this, switched on only for the time of use.

Why can a summer evening be cool on the terrace?

After 30–35 °C by day, the air can cool quickly at sunset, especially in May and June, and at the end of August and September. A garden party starting at 8 in the evening can easily stretch to dawn, and 15–18 °C at dawn is no longer pleasant for everyone under the open sky. In addition:

• After a shower or a cold front the temperature drops suddenly, and the air becomes more humid and cooler.
• In hilly, higher-altitude houses evenings cool down sooner than on the plains even in summer.
• The feeling of warmth is individual: for someone who feels the cold more, even mild, targeted warmth matters a great deal.
• In hospitality venues the use of the terrace shows directly in turnover, so it is worth bridging the cooler hours as well.

What heating works outdoors?

Devices that heat the air, such as fan heaters, have poor efficiency outdoors: the slightest air movement carries away the warmed air. On a terrace, radiant heating is therefore the effective choice. Infrared heating works like sunshine: the radiation is absorbed by bodies and surfaces and turns into heat, so you feel pleasant warmth even if the air is cool.

Electric infrared heaters – which is for what?

• Halogen-lamp infrared emitter: gives heat quickly, but its strong reddish light can disturb a summer evening mood.
• Carbon-filament heater: softer light, and some versions are also available as dark radiant heaters.
• Dark radiant heater: gives no visible light, only heat – a good choice if you handle the terrace lighting separately. We write about questions on electromagnetic fields on our electrosmog page.
• Infrared panel and panel heater: can be mounted on a wall, ceiling or stand, so they place well on a covered terrace or under a pergola.

In favour of electric infrared terrace heating, it warms immediately after switching on, so it does not have to be heated up in advance; it delivers heat where people sit, so consumption can be kept better in check than with devices that heat the air. It does not blow air, so it stirs up less dust; it is quiet and odourless, no combustion products arise on site, and there is no open flame or gas cylinder.

It has limits too. Buying and installing involve a one-off cost, and where radiation does not reach – behind a pillar or parasol – the warmth is not felt either. How environmentally gentle it is also depends on the source of the electricity.

Gas patio heater and garden fire pit

A gas patio heater is mobile and gives a lot of heat, but it works with an open flame, the cylinder has to be replaced regularly, and it emits combustion products, so it is less suited to a covered, more enclosed terrace. A garden fireplace or fire pit mainly creates atmosphere: it warms only its immediate vicinity, it smokes, and wood has to be obtained and stored. You will find a criterion-by-criterion comparison in our comparison of outdoor heating systems.

When is it worth it in summer – and when not?

It is worth it if…

• you are out on evenings at the start and end of summer – at the end of May, early June, late August and September the day is still warm and the evening already cool;
• you often hold gatherings lasting until late in the evening, where the comfort of guests matters;
• you have a covered terrace or pergola – the roof and side walls moderate air movement, so radiant heating works better, and electric heating can be run economically here;
• you run a restaurant, café or pub and want to extend the terrace's opening to the cooler hours;
• someone in the family feels the cold more and would otherwise have to give up evenings outside without heating.

It is less worth it if…

• you rarely use the terrace in the evening, or summer nights at your place do not cool unpleasantly anyway;
• the terrace is completely open and windy – in that case even radiant heating gives a good feeling only within its direct range, and the whole space cannot be "heated out";
• the heating would run even when nobody is outside – this is worth ruling out with a timer or remote control.

What to look for when choosing and using?

• Output: should match the size of the terrace and the desired feeling of warmth; needlessly high output causes unjustified consumption.
• IP protection: outdoors only a device protected against dust and moisture may be used; at least an IPX4 rating is recommended.
• Fixing: wall and ceiling models need a stable bracket, and freestanding versions need tip-over protection.
• Control: thermostat, output levels or remote control – so it always produces only as much heat as is needed on that evening.
• Placement: the radiation should reach the seats, and the device should not be placed near flammable material.

If you want to use an enclosed, glazed terrace all year round, heating film built under the covering can also be an option. Our article on terrace heating with heating film and the example of a restaurant terrace in Debrecen cover this.

Summary

Summer terrace heating is not wasted energy if you use it consciously: on cooler evenings and early mornings, only while you are outside, with controllable electric infrared heating sized to the terrace. With a dark radiant heater or an infrared panel, time spent outside can be extended even when the calendar says summer but the evening says otherwise. You can find out about the type and output suited to your terrace on our terrace heating page, and for a specific site request a quote (installation available in Hungary).