O/T room heaters

37chief · Dec 26, 2011

My daughter lives in a small house on my properity. There is a propane heater in the living room, nothing else for heat. I would like to replace the heater as it is about 20 years old. It has a vent in the back which I vented into the old chimney when I installed it years ago. Almost every room heater I locate on the net is a vent free, or vented through a outside wall. I thought all heaters needed to be vented to the outside. The vent free heaters must be safe, or thye could not sell them. Any thoughts? Stan

2x4 · Dec 26, 2011

put in couple vent-free heaters 15 yrs ago. no problem.

Sean Feeney · Dec 26, 2011

http://www.advancedenergy.org/buildings/knowledge_library/indoor_air_quality/dangers_of_vent-free_gas_heaters.html

Anonymous-0 · Dec 26, 2011

Don"t trust vent free! A couple in town died from one! There is no such thing as 100% gas. Carbon monoxide is always a biproduct!

Janicholson · Dec 26, 2011

I do not like vent free heaters. They night be acceptable to code, but they do put flue gasses into the dwelling. They must! Therefor they need a source of incoming air (which is cold) for proper combustion. I recommend a device using external air supply directly, and a condensing system for efficiency, and a flue pipe (PVC) Jim

Geo-TH,In · Dec 26, 2011

I would install 220v baseboard electric heaters in every room. Ventless gas heaters give me a headache. My house is total electric baseboard heat, over 2000 ft2 and last month my electric bill was $150. West centeral Indiana

Gas heaters burn up the oxygen in the room and fill it with CO2. Sometimes CO

Bus Driver · Dec 26, 2011

Most codes do not permit unvented heaters in sleeping rooms. Unvented heaters add huge amounts of water vapor into the living space.

Tom in TN · Dec 26, 2011

Chief,

One of the problems with vent-free propane heaters is the moisture that they put into the air. In my experience, where they are used, the windows are constantly dripping with condensation.

Also, as has been said, you really need to let fresh air into the house at all times to dilute the concentration of carbon monoxide that invariably is emitted from the burning gas.

I have a propane gas range and a vent-free propane fireplace insert in my house. I don't really like either of them because of the smell.

But then, that's just one old guy's opinion.

Tom in TN

JDseller · Dec 26, 2011

37Chief: It depends greatly on how tight the house is. If it is a newer one with few air leaks then I would not use a vent free for long term heat. If it is an older house that is not sealed the best then a vent free is OK to use. I have one in my house we used for the main heat for years until I put it a outside corn fired boiler. One thing I like about the non vented heater is that they put water in the air as they burn. It made the heat warmer and kept your hands from cracking so much.

I still use it in the early fall and late winter when you just need some heat at night. The one I have also does not use any electric so it makes a great back up heater when the electric fails.

Two things to conceder when getting a heater. 1) I don't like the Infrared heaters. The one I have is a flame heater, Desa International 30,000 btu. 2) The better ones have a low oxygen shut off but I still would get the combination CO2/fire alarm, it just adds a safety factor.

It seem the vented heaters are more like a small furnace that requires electric. They are higher priced but seem to be a heavier heater. I am not sure you need that as mine is over fifteen years old and still working fine.

Here is a vented one that the vent goes directly out the back. It is a Williams Chamberlain Direct Vent Gas Wall Furnace $632.00

http://www.kennspenns.com/heating/wil~chmbrln~dv.html#price

Here is a direst Link to the vent free style.
Heat Star Blue Flame heaters

George Rausch · Dec 26, 2011

See if this copies;
Un-vented Space Heaters; (Fuel Gas Code Section 620)
• Unvented space heaters must be tested to meet ANSI Standard Z-21.11.2.
• Cannot be “the sole source of comfort heat in a dwelling unit.”
• Cannot exceed 20 Btu/hour/cubic foot of room space.
• An individual unvented space heater cannot exceed 40,000 Btu/hour.
• Cannot be installed in educational, institutional or public assembly occupancies.
• Must be located in main rooms. Cannot be located in bedrooms, bathrooms,
storage closets, etc.
• Must have an oxygen-depletion safety-shutoff-system, which switches off at 18%
oxygen or lower, and which cannot be re-adjusted in the house.
• An un-vented fireplace log heater cannot be installed in a factory-built fireplace
unless the fireplace has been built and tested to meet UL-127.
• All equipment shall then be installed per the manufacturer’s instructions.

All these pecky Codes are based on someone's tragedy.

JDseller · Dec 26, 2011

37Chief: I forgot to mention that I used mine for years as the only heat in the main part of the house. We used the electric oil filled radiator heaters in the bed rooms.

I also never had any moisture problems but I did have good windows. The toilet would sweat just a little but not a problem. No more than in the summer.

As for the smell I never notice it. I also have not had anyone complain about it that visited.

Don't let these guys scare you out of them if your house is not real air tight. The vent free ones are the most efficient heaters out there you get all of the heat. There is none going out the vent.

I would trust one of thevent free heaters more than a wood stove inside of the house. How many die from chimney fires each year? All things can be dangerous if not used properly.

Texasmark1 · Dec 26, 2011

Respect all the answers and have no contest with them.

I have a room to room heated and cooled house. I use a vented wood stove and two other types of heat.

One is the propane radiant heater that just has a radiant grille and is 99.9% fume consuming...had them for about 20 years. Other than a little fume smell when you first start it, no problem. Have a CO2 sensor on the wall about 5 feet from it, just bought it recently and the dial sits on 0 all the time. Also have smoke sensors that are quiet.

The other thing I have, for the bedrooms/laundry room and small areas is the electric oil radiator type that has no flame, no combustion and no oxygen depletion.

Both work great and are safe.

Hope this helps you.

Mark

36 Coupe · Dec 26, 2011

Eriend has a non vent propane heater for back up.He cant use it because of moisture problem.Another friend uses a wall vent propane in his camp.It works fine,uses outside air for combustion.Another friend uses a pellet stove that works well.Pellets are delivered and stacked in his garage for 216.00 a ton.The stove uses 40 to 50 pounds of pellets a day.The hopper is filled daily.

tomNE · Dec 26, 2011

vented heaters are available. just hold onto your shorts when u see the cost. my house is heated by 2 of them. i convinced myself i needed new ones. furnace guy came and said the ones i have are better then any new one. mine were put in 1963. just bought another one the other day to keep for parts.

tomNE · Dec 26, 2011

vented heaters are available. just hold onto your shorts when u see the cost. my house is heated by 2 of them. i convinced myself i needed new ones. furnace guy came and said the ones i have are better then any new one. mine were put in 1963. just bought another one the other day to keep for parts.

Ray · Dec 26, 2011

Unvented heaters use the oxygen inside the room to operate and can cause moisture problems.I've got one in my shop office.It works good,but my windows drip with moisure.

37chief · Dec 26, 2011

That looks like a good heater, but not for sale in California. Stan

fixerupper · Dec 26, 2011

We heat with two vented heaters. I bought the upstairs one maybe five years ago or so and it cost almost as much as a furnace. Jim

Texasmark1 · Dec 27, 2011

Interesting comment about moisture. I don't have a condensation problem with my Propane radiant heaters, but on the double pane aluminum framed windows in my house, I can get moisture on the inside and on really cold days frost. But I had the same problem back in town when I had central AC/Heat.

In an enclosed area such as your shop, some of it may have to do with the moisture you exhale. Especially in the winter time, If I want to clean my eye glasses, I just breathe on them and they get foggy and I wipe the moisture off and they are good to go. Warm air can hold more moisture than cold so that is where it is probably coming from....but how does it get into your shop? Ambient humidity?

Mark

Texasmark1 · Dec 27, 2011

Interesting comment about moisture. I don't have a condensation problem with my Propane radiant heaters, but on the double pane aluminum framed windows in my house, I can get moisture on the inside and on really cold days frost. But I had the same problem back in town when I had central AC/Heat.

In an enclosed area such as your shop, some of it may have to do with the moisture you exhale. Especially in the winter time, If I want to clean my eye glasses, I just breathe on them and they get foggy and I wipe the moisture off and they are good to go. Warm air can hold more moisture than cold so that is where it is probably coming from....but how does it get into your shop? Ambient humidity?

Mark

Janicholson · Dec 27, 2011

Oxidized hydrogen is Water. The Hydrocarbon fuel Makes CO CO2 and Water. Jim

showcrop · Dec 27, 2011

I have had a catalytic non vented unit in my shop for 6 years with a CO detector four feet away. No problems. My buddy has one in the family room of his camp. that building is about six years old and VERY TIGHT. No problems. If they do give off moisture I haven't noticed, but it would be a GOOD THING because that would mean you need to refill your humidifier a little less often.

Tim in OR · Dec 28, 2011

ever consider those small single room heat pumps?
I have seen a few around here, but I don't think they are too good at 40 degree's or lower. That would heat and cool with one unit.
Tim in OR

O/T room heaters

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Similar threads