A high-end version of the familiar mushroom top style heater, the evenGLO is one of our flagship models. It's versatile, and can work nicely in both residential and commercial/hospitality settings. It's available in NG or LPG, fixed or portable, and various finishes. Both 'on' and 'off', it's a beautiful appliance (photo below is brand new, out of the box, and off, ie. no flame). It's rare to find an advertised heater image of a unit when it's off, but we show this so you can see how nice these look irrespective of the flame and red glow you get when's on. 
From the moment you take delivery, you'll know this is a high-quality manufacturer, as these come very well packaged and as you lift the main header unit out of the box, right away you'll notice the quality, and precision crafting. You'll see crisp lines, excellent detail, and quality construct. It arrives in a few boxes, requiring minor assembly. An average a do-it-yourself handy person will take about 90 minutes to put together one unit, and if working slowly for the first time, say 2 hours. You could ask a local gas technician or handy helper to come in if you're not comfortable taking this on. It's similar to a BBQ assembly, but a somewhat easier given fewer parts.
When you fire it up for the first time, you'll want to give it a few minutes to flush out the gas line, and eventually you'll see a smooth flame rolling upward, with typically a blue-red, occasionally yellow-orange flame (depending on gas pressure and quality, wind, temperature, etc). The flame heats up the metal mesh ring, which glows bright red after reaching full temperature. During the day, you won't see the flame or red glow as much, or at all if it's full sunlight.
For heat distribution, you'll find the product is very suitably named "evenGLO". As you stand around the unit, the heat is very evenly distributed throughout the prescribed area. A 10 to 12 foot radius, and you can feel the impact. Inside 7 or 8 feet, it's a nice cozy yet not 'in your face' warm feeling. If you're right by the heater, face level, it can be very hot. This is subjective and obviously the weather makes a big difference, but generally speaking, this heater is a very nice addition to any patio. It's not a beast of heater, and you might want to space multiple units, say 16' to 18' apart, especially if you're heating an open area.
Wind does impact the evenGLO, but that's not unique to our product, simply an important consideration and something to consider when deciding how much power/equipment you'll need to get the job done. This is one of the reasons why I like using infrared electric units in conjunction with gas, when/where possible, and provided budget allows (electric radiant infrared heaters aren't impacted by the wind, and the different style of heat compliments the gas heaters very nicely).
When the evenGLO heater is on, you can hear a very smooth, gentle, and consistent fire flicker, and as the evening sets, your guests will complement the open flame of the evenGLO. This flame and the reflections you get is one of the key features that make this unit a stand-out. evenGLO heaters photograph very well, and compared to other brands I've seen and experienced, for a mushroom top style fixed or portable, NG or Propane heater, this is best in class.
Please contact me with any questions.
evenGLO is an awesome heater, but what other choices do we have? For more power, if super HIGH HEAT is the goal, if you want to roast your guests, The Habanero is a game changer.
This unit arrives in one box, with optional mounting hardware sold and packaged separately. Out of the box - you'll feel the solid weight (+50 lbs), quite large, and beautifully built. Right away you will be excited to get the installation done and 'fire it up' for the first time. T
his unit is no joke, and again (similar to evenGLO), rightfully named!
I have one HAB50 in my cabana, and after trying several heaters, this is the first heater that resulted in jackets coming off. This unit packs a punch, with very well distributed heat, handles wind well, and flaunts a vibrant orange/red glowing mesh emitter that seems to attract the sort of gaze you normally give to an open fire pit.
HAB40 on HI is the HAB50 on LOW (structurally, they are the same), while the HAB20 is a smaller version. Review the spec sheets for info on dimensions, btu's, heat coverage, etc., and contact us anytime to discuss your setting and figure out which unit(s) would work best.
HAB50 is hands down my top pick, provided you have the space for it. One unit on each end of a large patio area, or two wall mounted units for example, and you will achieve the desired environment.
For mounting - I went off the main beat and path, and used DIY engineered tracking with chain system to hang the unit below a bulk head beam in my cabana, so I could swivel it out for a more camp fire chair or table type seating, or swivel inward to face the bar and warm inside the cabana bar area. This means my unit is much lower than what is recommended, but it's worked out quite well, for this particular situation.
In my
Cabana (discussed more in
Dave's Backyard Reno), I have the
evenGLO and
HAB50 on the outside of the structure, plus an ETS50 facing a seating area outside the Cabana, and inside the bar area, a few of the electric
eWAVE units - one
Medium Wave, and a few
Long Wave units; two very different heaters which we'll discuss following the evenTUBE/ETS review.
I installed an
ETS50 along the fence, outside the Cabana. This unit is 9-1/2 feet long, and it's a bit too long to fit inside my Cabana, so to demo the heater, I needed to think outside the box and figure out a suitable location. Similar to my Habanero installation, I used metal rods from hardware store, custom cut/fit to mount in this location. In summer months, I have a teak table set, and this heater will work perfectly on those cooler nights. In the winter, I have a fire pit instead of the table, and combined with heating equipment, makes for a very warm social seating area.
My two-stage switch is located at the nearest cedar post, nice and easy to see/find and turn on-off. The unit plugs in (to power the blower), and a second wire comes from the heater to the switch (24 volt; this heater has an internal transformer). Only minor assembly was required, and other than lifting the unit, I was able to do the work myself (professional installation is recommended).
This unit covers a larger area, and I'd describe it as a 'longer wave heat pattern' vs. the high intensity you get from the Habanero. evenTUBE heaters cover a large area, and it's a smooth and consistent heat pattern throughout, and very comfortable to sit near. There's no illumination of any sort, which some prefer. There's an internal fan / blower, that makes a slight fan-noise, so that might bother someone who wants a near-silent solution, but in general its a soft white noise that no one seems to fuss with. It heats up quickly, and you'll find that heat is directed to where its supposed to go ... that is to say, when I put my hands around the unit - top/sides/etc., exterior surfaces are not being cooked. Minimum distance to combustibles is essential, but I like to pay attention to how well the heater contains vs. throws the heat, toward the intended zone vs. say up toward ceiling or back toward the mount surface.
Overall this is an excellent heater, and given size options, incredibly versatile and can suit all sorts of residential as well as hospitality/commercial applications.
This unit arrives in one box, very well packaged. As you lift the unit and remove the plastic and cardboard protection, right away, you'll notice the very sleek design and craftsmanship. It's sturdy, somewhat heavy feeling, and very simple - one solid piece, with no assembly required other than the mounting. Mounting hardware will be inside the main box, and requires very straightforward installation. If you're ceiling situation is unique (angled or very high for example), you could consider your own style solution. My
Medium Wave unit is installed on a cedar wall, facing toward an outdoor bar (standard mounting hardware worked very well), pics shown here.
Wiring is pretty straight forward, but you'll quite likely require an electrician to help ensure adequate power supply (this is not something we get into, as it requires on-sight professional service). I have the larger unit, in 240v, but 'heat wise', they're all about the same, so I'd suggest the larger size, either 120v or 240v depending on what you have available.
What does it feel like? These units give a more intense heat feeling (than the long wave units, discussed below). Infrared waves effectively warm surfaces, your skin, your clothes, and your body, when within range. If you're standing 10' away, and it's very cold, I'd say you'll probably be underwhelmed, even though the heater is subtly taking the bite off the cold air. Stand closer to the unit, and you'll more easily notice a cozy warming sensation. So range/size of patio is very important to make what you're getting is enough to cover an area.
My strong opinion here --- a one-heater low cost solution can be problematic. When it's cold out, you need power, whether gas or electric. These units will take the bite off, but you need several units evenly spaced to cover an area, so veyr important to review coverage and talk about he heat sensation you get from these units.
Unlike the long wave units that do
not illuminate at all, the medium wave units do show an amber/red glow, so you can tell it's on, and if you touch the glass (do not), it will burn!! In another blog, we talk about
illumination and how the various heaters compare.
Generally, it's a nice heater and a great addition to the cabana.
For larger areas, seeking an electric solution, the long wave units offer dimensionally longer, and higher power units, that might be a better choice.
These heaters looks awesome. Sleek, all black, and they emit no illumination. These units produce a gentle warming sensation on nearby surfaces. Sitting below a unit, it's very subtle, as the long waves warm surfaces (not the air), and the long waves produce a more subtle warm feeling, than the medium wave unit discussed above, which is a little more intense. Through your clothing, the long wave units sort of dig in, and I find the longer you sit there, the more it warms your skin and near-surface flesh. It's subtle and effective, but it's not the hard-hitting high impact heat that you get from say one of our gas-powered Habanero's. Long wave units look great, and the longer units can provide even coverage over a large patio. They do not heat the air, only surfaces. Design wise, they look really good in sophisticated, modern, minimalistic settings.
Similar the medium wave discusion, please do not buy one small long wave heater and expect to turn your patio into a tropical paradise! It simply doesn't work that way, and in general, you need more power, more juice, more equipment, to achieve serious results, and particularly in colder settings.
For
mounting, you can use our standard mounting hardware that comes with the heater. Or as I did,
DIY chains (from
Home Depot), can add flexibility, as you can adjust height and angle easily. These heaters don't have holes that allow for hooks to connect to chains, so my solution --- I used one piece of the original mounting hardware (that connects to the heater; it's the moon shaped piece of metal), and I drilled a hole into each side, which the hooks can connect to (
more details here, in a separate blog re. alternative mounting solutions). It's an easy solution, and for angled ceilings or unusual situations, hang chains work very well and look pretty good. In these pics, my chains are chrome, but ideally, I think black would work better, and about a 150 lbs chain is ideal (these are 300 lbs chains, a bit on the heavy side IMO).
Thanks for reading, and again if you have questions that aren't addressed herein, please
contact me anytime.
