Outdoor heaters and safety

All of the heaters we supply for outdoor use are safe for year round use in all weathers - come sun, rain, hail, frost or snow. Please note that not all garden heaters advertised on other websites for outdoor use are electrically safe outdoors! You could put yourself at risk if you do not use weathersafe heaters outdoors. Look for the SunSwitch Weathersafe™ logo on this website:

Some electric outdoor heaters with exposed elements are advertised as being safe for use under awnings and parasols. However, take care and use your common sense. Rain doesn't always fall neatly from the sky. In fact, light drizzle can swirl in all directions - up as well as down. A metal grille on the front of the heater is not going to stop water droplets reaching the element - or small fingers!

On cold nights, when the temperature falls below the dewpoint, condensation forms on exposed surfaces. This may render a heater electrically unsafe unless it is designed to cope with surface moisture.

IP ratings
EC countries have adopted an international classification system for sealing electrical equipment, which we commonly refer to as the IP rating (ingress protection). The regulations are described in BS EN 60529. Unless an electric infrared patio heater clearly has a bona fide IP rating, don't buy it. Check that the manufacturer's rating is appropriate and realistic. We recommend that all outdoor heaters should have an IP rating of at least IPX4 or IPX5 to be safe for everyday outdoor use.

Table of IP ratings

	First number - protection against solids	Second number - protection against liquids
1	Protected against solid objects over 50mm	Protected against vertically falling drops of water
2	Protected against solid objects over 12mm	Protected against direct sprays up to 15° from vertical
3	Protected against solid objects over 2.5mm	Protected against direct sprays up to 60° from vertical
4	Protected against solid objects over 1mm	Protected against direct sprays from all directions - limited ingress permitted
5	Protected against dust - limited ingress permitted	Protected against low pressure jets from all directions - limited ingress permitted
6	Totally protected against dust	Protected against strong jets from all directions - limited ingress permitted
7		Protected against effects of immersion from 15cm - 1m
8		Protected against long periods of immersion under pressure

IP23 - heater is not suitable for outdoor use
IP54 - heater is suitable for outdoor use
IP65 - heater is suitable for outdoor use