Patio Heater Season: Keep a Spare Tank So You Never Run Out
The first cool evening of the year always does the same thing. Everybody wants to sit outside a little longer, somebody grabs the hoodies, the patio heater comes out of the garage… and the grill's still going, too. Two appliances, two tanks, and one long night out on the patio.
Our biggest fall tip: keep a spare full tank on hand
If there's one thing we'd tell every patio-heater owner, it's this… keep one extra full 20 lb tank on hand.
Your grill has its own tank. Your patio heater has its own tank. But you never really know when either one is going to run dry, and it's never at a good time. It's always mid-evening, right when the burgers are half done or the kids are finally settled in with their cocoa and nobody wants to go inside.
With a full spare sitting ready, it doesn't matter which one quits. Swap it out in a minute and the night keeps going. The empty goes back on your next errand instead of turning into a special trip that night.
One spare, ready for whichever tank runs out first. That's the whole system, and it makes fall a lot easier!!
Expect a weaker flame on cold nights with a low tank
Propane pressure drops as the temperature drops, so a nearly empty tank on a chilly night can struggle to keep the heater going strong. If the heater's tank is getting low, swap in your full spare before company shows up instead of finding out halfway through the evening.
Follow the heater's manual
Outdoor heaters are made for outdoors… keep them out from under low roofs and away from anything that can catch. Give the hose and regulator a look when you pull the heater out for the season, and if you smell gas, shut the valve off and don't light it. Close the tank valve when the night's over, too.
Store your tanks the right way
Keep your spare and any empties outside, upright, in a shaded spot with some airflow, wherever your local rules allow. Never in the house, and never in an enclosed garage or shed.
A spare still has to get filled
Here's the one catch with keeping a spare… it doesn't fill itself. Every time one of your tanks runs out, the empty rides to get filled or swapped and a full one rides home, usually rolling around in the back of a truck or SUV. That's exactly the trip we built Tank Ties for.
If your tanks already wear a Tank Ties strap, those trips are just clip and go. If not, it's a $19.99 fix you only install once… so put one on the spare, too. Then the strap never comes off, whether the tank is out on the patio, waiting in storage, or riding along to get filled.
Get a Tank Ties strap for your 20 lb tank
Pull up a chair and enjoy those cool nights out on the patio!!
