SunSwitch Weathersafe™ - comfort outdoors There are three forms of heat energy received by the human body – convected, conducted and radiant. In most indoor situations, comfort is achieved with a combination of these. Out of doors, radiant heat is by far the best option, because it can't blow away and does not directly heat the air. Convected heat occurs where the air is warmed by a heater (a fan heater for example) and your body is warmed by the resulting air. Clearly this method of heating is of little use outside because it immediately disperses (interestingly, a typical domestic fan heater consumes 3kW of electricity - a SunSwitch Weathersafe™ consumes just 1.3kW) Conducted heat occurs where the human body is in direct contact with a warm surface, and the heat energy is transferred by direct contact with the skin. A hotwater bottle is a good example. It is impractical to use conducted heat in an outdoor situation. The best-known example of a radiant heat source is the sun. Bonfires give off lots of radiant heat. Chiminees and barbecues also produce largely radiant energy and can feel very pleasant. However, SunSwitch heaters score over all these because the radiant warmth of SunSwitch is instantaneous, clean and maintenance free. In most outdoor situations, SunSwitch heaters are effective when air temperatures are as low as 12-14°C. That means you can extend your summer al fresco evenings long after sunset, and enjoy using your patio from spring to autumn - and even on mild winter days. The effectiveness of your SunSwitch heater depends on how close you are. Too low, and they could be too warm for you! Too high and you will cover a larger area but you will be less warm. Remember also that wind can have a significant effect on comfort (the so called wind chill factor). So give some though to wind protection when creating an outdoor space. If you require advice on any of these matters before ordering, please do call us - 01424 883344