Case Study: Infrared Radiant Heaters For Outdoor Restaurant Area
Case Study: Infrared Radiant Heaters For Outdoor Restaurant Area – Margate City, NJ
Problem: A Margate City, NJ restaurant wanted to use its outdoor dining area during the colder months. During the pandemic, they needed outside seating to continue serving customers.
Solution: Installed infrared radiant heaters in the outdoor dining area. They hang from the ceiling, where they can treat the entire space while staying out of the way for staff and patrons.
Commercial Heating From Broadley’s
One aspect of the 2020 pandemic that may be here to stay — and not in a bad way — is outdoor dining. It’s a concept that’s been popular in other countries for a long time and started to take hold in the United States.
Then, CDC recommendations and state mandates meant restaurants could have little to no seating inside. Dining al fresco exploded throughout the country.
The Jersey Shore was no exception. In fact, plenty of places in South Jersey have had outdoor bars and seating for the summer months. But, there was one problem with this new setup that one Margate City, NJ, wanted to solve:
What do you do when it’s too cold to eat outside?
Other restaurants made do with temporary enclosures and space heaters. But, this restaurant wanted a better solution. The owner called us here at Broadley’s to see if we could help.
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After looking over the outdoor dining area, we recommended infrared radiant heaters. They’d cover the entire area better than space heaters. And, they’d be entirely out of the way of anyone walking through or sitting in the dining area.
Thanks to this installation, the restaurant stayed open well into the winter of 2020 and 2021. And with outdoor dining looking more and more like a permanent part of the restaurant scene, this business is all set for the future.
In this case study, we’ll cover:
- How Infrared Radiant Heating Works
- Benefits Of Tube Heating For An Outdoor Restaurant
- Outdoor Radiant Heat Installation In Margate City, NJ
And, if your South Jersey restaurant or other business wants to make their temporary outdoor space permanent and more comfortable in the colder months, Broadley’s is here to help! We’ve served Marmora, Avalon, Margate City, and Cape May for more than a century. Click below to schedule your free consultation.
How Infrared Radiant Heating Works
Infrared radiant heaters, specifically tube heaters in this case, work by generating heat that spreads through the space you’re looking to treat. In particular, however, these models use stainless steel that reflects the heat. This way, it’s stronger and more concentrated where you want it.
When you look up at the ceiling of this outdoor dining area, you’ll see what looks at first like those old, skinny fluorescent lights. You know the ones: long, tubular bulbs that usually have housing around them.
In this case, however, the tube is the part of the system that radiates heat. The stainless steel enclosure around it reflects the heat, so it doesn’t rise to the ceiling. Instead, it moves down toward where people are sitting.
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Benefits Of Tube Heating For An Outdoor Restaurant
Once the restaurant owner learned about how it worked, it was time to decide it was the best choice for his setup. There were a few significant benefits to consider:
- Better comfort, fewer safety hazards
- Easy, permanent installation
- Lower expenses than space heaters
Better Comfort, Fewer Safety Hazards
Of course, the big question here was whether or not people would stay warm enough that they’d want to stay for a full meal and come back again even as the temperature kept dropping. With these heaters, the answer was a resounding yes.
Those stainless steel enclosures we mentioned play a crucial role in making the heaters work so well. They make sure the warmth doesn’t drift away from the people that need to keep warm.
The problem with space heaters, even the large, free-standing ones, is that the heat rises. Even when you’re using many really powerful ones, each one only reaches a few feet around. After that, people are getting chilly again.
That’s because nothing is keeping the heat in place. And, by nature, that heat will do two things: Rise and move toward cold spots. With an outdoor heating area, that means the warmth goes straight up — and keeps going.
This way, the heat stays where you want it. And, with the heaters hanging from the ceiling, well above people’s heads, there’s no worry about someone bumping into one, burning themselves, or accidentally disconnecting it (or purposefully fiddling with the controls when they shouldn’t!).
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Easy, Permanent Installation
Now, the staff won’t need to drag those giant commercial space heaters in and out of the building when the cold weather starts rolling in. Instead, these heaters can stay up year-round. When the temperature starts dropping, they can turn them on.
The controls are very easy to use and don’t require any tools. So, anyone on staff can turn it on and off easily.
And, maintenance is fast and straightforward. We can get in to give the heaters a tune-up or quick service even when they’re up and running for the season.
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Lower Expenses Than Space Heaters
By keeping the heat where you want it, these tube heaters require less energy than other solutions. This restaurant saves money over commercial-grade heaters that use propane or natural gas.
Outdoor Radiant Heat Installation In Margate City, NJ
With the outdoor bar and dining area already in place, installing the outdoor radiant heaters in the Margate City, NJ restaurant was quick and easy! Our team mapped out the best spots to run the heaters based on where people sit and how the ceiling is constructed.
From there, it was only a matter of hanging the heaters, connecting them to the gas lines, and turning them on!
If you’re ready to transform your seasonal outdoor dining amenities into an experience that lasts well past Labor Day, reach out to us here at Broadley’s!