The QC637C model from Ningbo Agsun of mainland China has a 3m heating radius. The product runs on propane gas and is priced at $116.50.

As with many categories of home appliances, manufacturing and R&D procedures in the patio heaters segments in mainland China and Taiwan are geared toward guaranteeing safety.

Consequently, most products are CE-certified for safety and fuel efficiency. Moreover, suppliers comply with requirements of similar industry standards such as CSA, UL and ETL.

It is common for makers to procure parts, including sensors, switches and wiring, from reputable providers. Some companies in Taiwan carry out production of these components in-house. The sensors and switches turn off electricity or gas when the fire in the burner is extinguished, the supply of gas is cut or the patio heater tilts.

In addition, mainland makers import key materials. Glass resistant up to 600 C is purchased in Germany while ground fault circuit interrupters are from Hong Kong.

Still under efforts to improve safety, mainland companies carry out QC testing at the product development stage. They check shut-off and anti-tilt devices to ensure these are working properly.

To determine if upcoming models comply with industry regulations, suppliers submit prototypes to third-party certification bodies for independent testing and data validation.

Ningbo Agsun Products Inc. has three temperature-testing devices in its factory in Zhejiang province, where production is done according to the ISO 9000 standard.

Patio heaters meet RoHS requirements and have CE certification.

Most Taiwan makers also turn to overseas suppliers for various manufacturing inputs. Elegant Union Industrial Co. Ltd, for example, procures gas-off and tilt switches from Japan and Spain, respectively. This is despite the fact that the company has three factories in the mainland with stamping, machining, coating and plastic-injection equipment. Elegant Union has been making most parts, including burners and valves, in-house since it ventured into the line 10 years ago.

Shie Hsang Industrial Co. Ltd prefers to import components from top-brand suppliers even though certain parts such as sensors cost at least 15 percent more.

The company is upgrading its factory in Changhua with new metal stamping and machining equipment that will enable it to produce more parts in-house. This, in turn, will help reduce spending, improve quality and facilitate manufacturing lead times.

Global Orbit Tech Co. Ltd adopts tilt and gas cut-off switches from Japan and gas valves from Italy. To stimulate orders, the company started offering liability insurance in 2007.

Promac Home Appliance Corp. designed its burners four years ago. It now produces most parts in-house, but procures gas valvesfrom Italy.
Upmarket shift

	The PH-1200 model from Taiwan-based Elegant Union has flame-off and anti-tilt switches. It comes with a column-type heating element, and a powder-coated housing and mesh guard.

Faced with competition from the mainland in the low-end segment, Taiwan suppliers are moving toward the high end by introducing patio heaters with stainless steel housings and cylinders.

Elegant Union offers models for all market levels, but has started to concentrate on upscale products.

The company is establishing another factory in the mainland province of Guangdong specifically for high-end patio heaters.

Although the manufacturing process is the same, the supplier opted to separate the facility for upscale models from low-end versions to prevent copying.

“Many of our designs are being duplicated at a rather alarming speed, shortening their life cycle,” managing director Joseph Yang said.

Elegant Union’s new plant will be smaller, with an initial annual capacity of 50,000 units.

Patio heaters from this factory will be priced at $100 to $300.

Among the company’s upcoming products are models that generate a decorative flame, which will be enclosed in a glass shade.

Shie Hsang is developing a patio heater that will try to reignite the flame once and then automatically turn off the gas supply if the attempt fails. The supplier plans to release the model within the year.

Improvement efforts in the mainland focus on heating efficiency.

Both Zhongshan New Nomura Electronic Mfg Co. Ltd and Zhongshan Kisense Household Co. Ltd adopt advanced technology in their heating tubes. The NPO-20E and NPO-12C models from Zhongshan New Nomura and Zhongshan Kisense’s RH-330 and RH-660 use reflective covers that help minimize heat loss.

Zhongshan New Nomura’s NPO-20E is a wall-mount unit with a three-step quartz heating tube. It has an IPX4 protection rating and is CE-certified.

Fulling & Ceiec Co. Ltd said that compared with electric versions, gas-powered units have a thermal efficiency of 99.5 percent. Its model FC01-SS floor-standing heater gives off 41,000Btu per hour.