Evenings on the patio move fast. One minute you’re lingering outside, the next the air turns and folks start edging indoors. And when a heater starts sputtering or tripping the circuit, comfort disappears and the night just folds early. With fake-flame heaters, the trick is remembering this: the glow is nice, but the real backbone is the wiring inside. What’s actually going on under the hood These units lean on infrared elements—carbon fiber or quartz—to put out radiant warmth that hits people and furniture directly, not the air around them. The pressure point is always where power meets element: that lead. We run a high-temperature, dual-seal lead system. You’ve got ceramic or fiberglass-reinforced insulation, then a high-temp epoxy potting collar that locks out moisture and dust. That setup keeps internal joints stable when things stay above 300°C for long stretches, so you don’t get insulation fatigue, oxidation, or the brittle cracking that leads to shorts. In practice, it means output stays consistent and you get far fewer call-backs, even after thousands of heating cycles. Why this matters on a deck or patio Outdoors, you need heat that comes on quickly and stays steady. Infrared gives you that immediate radiant warmth, and the sealed lead design keeps the electrics honest through temperature swings, humidity, and the occasional splash. You still get the cozy look of a fake flame, but you’re not gambling on performance. Conversation keeps going, drinks stay topped up, and nobody has to spend the evening hovering over the heater. It also translates to fewer replacements, which makes your outdoor season simpler and your energy use more predictable. A few practical notes These heaters are built for outdoor use, but placement still matters. Keep the unit out of direct rain and wind, and respect the clearances around fabrics and furniture so you don’t run into overheating issues. Most models run off standard household circuits, so match the wattage to what your outdoor outlet can handle and avoid long extension cords. For the longest life, store the heater somewhere dry when it’s not in use—even solid seals do better when they’re not left to weather year after year.