Warmwatcher 3kW Athena Weatherproof Electric Patio Heater with TV

This item is now discountinued. We will update if any stockists decide to import.

Are you looking for a futuristic patio heater that has it all? Warmwatcher have released a patio heater which we’re going to try and review as fairly and as impartially as possible… but one look at the specifications and you’ll fall in love with it as quickly as we did!

Featured in our best patio heaters of 2020 article!

Warmwatcher – 3kW Athena Weatherproof Patio Heater with TV

Firstly, this is a commercial patio heater and would make a great extra to any pub garden, smoking area, restaurant, patio, hotel or even for events. If you really wanted to use it as a domestic heater you could, but we’d recommend buying a cheaper heater and a giant TV with the money you’ve saved!

Heating Area

This heater offers up to 30sqm of heat coverage. With dual 1480W carbon halogen bulbs, you’ll be able to heat up to 5 metres away in a 110 degree radius.

Bulb Life & Heating Type

With these dual carbon halogen bulbs, you’ll be able to provide instant infrared heat to your patrons indoors or outdoors. The bulb life is 10,000 hours making this heater somewhat more affordable in the long-term.

We’ve calculated the cost before electricity to be 10p per hour, however replacement bulbs are available at a cost of £39.99 – this makes our ongoing cost just £0.008 (8 tenths of a penny thereafter).

The bulbs have a snap in design, so replacing the bulbs takes just minutes.

Power Settings & Specifics

We’re happy to say this heater has 2 heat settings – 1480W / 2960W.

Rated 208-240V 50/60Hz and comes with a 3 pin power plug.

The reason for its 3000W consumption rating is due to the additional 40W usage which is split between the 2 x 5W speakers and 30W inbuilt 7 inch LCD screen!

Aesthetics

Not only is this heater packed full of features, it’s a marvelous thing to look at. With a satin lacquer finish and built in TV, you’ll have your patrons actively wanting to look at this patio heater rather than complaining about the infrared glow of other heaters.

This heater has a built in media player that can be used to show your customers videos, play music or display adverts. Perhaps showing your bar menu or nearby attractions. You could even sell ad space if your venue is busy enough, which would mean this heater pays for itself!

Standing at 190cm tall and 50cm deep it isn’t small by any means, but its size is a small price to pay for the level of heat and amenities this heater has to offer.

Features & Extras

We’ve covered a few of the extras already but we’ll go into greater detail below.

It comes with an in-built PIR economy function, which means this heater will turn itself off if no movement is detected for 4 minutes. Saving you money and the environment.

The magnetic remote control attaches itself to the unit when not in use and can be used to control heat output as well as the media centre. It has built-in sensors to prevent overheating and shut off control if the heater were to fall over.

It also comes with a handy roller base for easy mobility. Considering it weighs 24.2kg it is a much-needed feature.

To prevent damage, Warmwatcher provides a waterproof protective nylon cover as well.

Weatherproof Rating

The Athena heater by Warmwatcher has a weatherproof rating of IP55.

Solid rating 5 – this heater is protected from solids and dust! The front grill also offers some protection from the heat output, so if your customers do accidentally touch it, they shouldn’t get burnt.

Liquid rating 5 – it also offers superior liquid protection and is rated to protect from rainfall and water jets!

This heater was built to withstand the elements and will survive outdoors without fear of damage or rust.

Built In TV / Media Centre

Time to separate the boys from the men. This is what truly sets this heater apart from any other on the market. A built in 7 inch LCD screen (DPI: 800×480) with two 5 watt speakers. It has an auxiliary input, supports audio playback from USB, Mp3, Mp4, iPod / iPhone and will play video or images in the following formats – JPEG, BMP, MP3, WMA, – MPEG1, MPEG2, VOB, DAT, MOV, AVI(XVID), – DIVX etc (WMA, VOB need license) MP4.

The media centre is also tiltable, so you can adjust the display angle.

The only thing it’s really lacking is WiFi control for remote playback – maybe in a future release?

Suitable For

We could see this heater in any number of commercial establishments ranging from outdoor events to hotels, cafes, bars, bistros, airports, outdoor restaurants and the list goes on. If you want to keep your customers warm, but also offer them something that has a real wow factor, then this heater is perfect for you!

Running Costs

We can calculate the cost of electricity by doing the following: (based on an average price of 14.7p per kWh & including TV / speaker functionality).

Heater running costs:

Full Power (3000W) – 3.0kW x 1 hour = 3.0 kWh x 14.7p = 44.1p (per hour)
Low Power (1500W) – 1.5kW x 1 hour = 1.5 kWh x 14.7p = 22.05p (per hour)

Assuming we were to use this heater for 9 hours per day.

Full Power (3000W) – Our monthly electric bill will be £119.07
Low Power (1500W) – Our monthly electric bill will be £59.54

It may be pricier than other heaters on the market, but it’s the sheer heating area provided makes it a worthwhile investment. If you were to sell ad space or advertise your menu/bar list on the heater it would inevitably pay for itself.

Heater Specification

• Type of heater: Electric, Carbon, Halogen, Infrared
  
• Suitable for: Commercial
  
• Comes with: Remote Control, Built In Media Centre, Anti-Tip Protection, Corrosion Resistant, PIR Sensor, Waterproof Nylon Cover
  
• Height: 190cm
  
• Depth: 50cm
• Weight: 24.2kg
• Power settings: 1500W / 3000W
  
• Cost to run (per hour): 22.05p / 44.1p
  
• Additional: IP55 Rated
  

PatioMate’s Thoughts

We don’t like to pick favourites here and this heater really does cost a fair amount. But commercial heaters are fairly expensive as standard, so you could argue that spending a bit extra to keep your clients coming back is worth it in the long run.

Although the upfront costs are high and it may be hard to justify spending just shy of a grand on a heater, the ongoing costs are minimal and the money saving features included make this a worthwhile investment in our eyes.