Propane heater inside house????

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I bought a "ventless propane heater" at Sams. I'll admit that it's still in the box in the barn. However, when I asked the local propane sales place about a small tank "to go inside the house" they informed me that NO PROPANE TANK CAN BE INSIDE THE HOUSE. You would think that any company making a "ventless" heater would realize that people would want to use it inside the house. Anyone else have any info on this problem?????

-- jeanne (jeanne@hurry.now), September 13, 1999

Answers

A "ventless propane heater" for *indoor* use?? Eh? Surely the fire risks of a propane tank are marginal compared to the poisoning hazard from our ol' friend carbon monoxide. I'd have thought all indoor gas heaters would have to be "vented" to the outside, rather than ventless. Treat that heater with caution. Use in well ventilated areas only (yeah, kinda tricky indoors, can't help you with that one). Or maybe I've completely misunderstood the question. Wouldn't be the first time...

-- Glad to be of service... (hop-hop@hoppity.hop), September 13, 1999.

They do make "ventless" propane/gas heaters now. You are expected to have a tank outside and pipe it into the heater (usually set up permanently like a wood stove). Please talk to an installer locally since your questions indicate that you do not have the skills/training needed to do this yourself. Please do not take offense, just pay to get it installed by a "professional". There are a few tricks to working with gas that can make all the difference between being happy and safe versus burned or killed. Good luck.

-- Kristi (securxsys@cs.com), September 13, 1999.

I have used a propane heater INSIDE the house for YEARS with no ill effect. We attach the standard 5 gallon "gas-grill" size tank to the heater, and we got a week or two from a single fill.

Keep a couple of carbon monoxide detectors nearby, and you should be FINE. I don't think the "propane police" are going to show up at your door for doing it, either.

Having heat is more important than "the rules".

-- Dennis (djolson@pressenter.com), September 13, 1999.


The combustion in the ventless propane heaters is so efficient that the only by-products are carbon dioxide and h20 (the same by-products that humans emit). Not carbon monoxide. There was an earlier thread on this topic with a link to an article by Jim Lord on the Westergaard site about the heaters. I think the thread was something like "alternative heat sources" or something like that.

-- Jill D. (jdance@mindspring.com), September 13, 1999.

Here's a link to the article by Jim Lord: http://www.y2ktimebomb.com/Tip/Lord/lord9902

-- Jill D. (jdance@mindspring.com), September 13, 1999.


Hey, Jeanne,

I researched this issue for my sister last year, for a backup heat source in her apartment.

The ventless heaters claim to emit no CO, which is good. They also should come equipped with an Oxygen sensor, which shuts off the fire if the Oxygen levels become dangerously low (like, low enough to suffocate you.)

The dealer in my town does NOT recommend these units for indoor use, however, because the amount of water vapor emitted is so high as to make your living space very humid and uncomfortable. Not to mention problems with mildew, dry rot in your exterior walls, etc.

I don't know why they make the darn things, then tell you not to use them. I think they might be ok for SHORT TERM, emergency use, if care is taken. I'd personally leave a window or two cracked, though.

What the dealer recommended, and I suggested to my sis, is to put in a vented heater, and run a vent pipe through a piece of plywood which is put into an open window space (using proper wall thimbles, as recommended by a dealer in her area).

In my opinion, this would be a far safer, and ALMOST as efficient, solution to the problem.

My recommendation to you: call your local, or not local, propane dealer, and ask his/her advice.

Stay warm,

Al

-- Al K. Lloyd (all@ready.now), September 13, 1999.


I ran into the same walls you did Jeanne-- only I haven't bought one yet. I wouldn't mind a permanent install to a fixed pipe and outdoor tank, but others in my household don't like the idea. My preference would be such that it could be moved from room to room as needed with a little tank-- but as you said, the little tanks aren't supposed to be used indoors.

One other thing-- I'm not sure about the claims that they don't give off Carbon Monoxide. My understanding was that they operate with an oxygen sensor. If the oxygen sensor doesn't detect enough oxygen, it shuts itself down. I do recall when reading about these that there have been some problems in the past with faulty sensors-- i.e., ones that didn't shut the thing down when there wasn't enough o2.

I guess between the potential problems of the little tanks and the concern about faulty o2 sensors, I have them really low on my list of heat sources.

Aw, who am I kidding. I keep running into walls with all alternate heat sources (alternate heat in the sense of anything other than my LP furnace with electronic ignition...). Just about everything is low on my list of heat sources...

-- winter wondering (winterwondering@yahoo.com), September 14, 1999.


Propane gas is heavier than air. If you have a leak the gas will settle to the floor. When an ignition source combines with the gas, kaboom. No more need to worry about Y2K....Ventilation is the key to breathing good air and moisture problems. I use a vented propane heater and kerosene lamps here on my boat. My propane tanks are mounted outside where leaks can slip to the water.....If you want to know how to use alternate heating sources, read up on cruising in smalll boats, ie, 25---40'. The library would be a good start. I don't have any online stuff bookmarked for this.....Be careful, Tim

-- Tim Johnson (timca@webtv.net), September 14, 1999.

jeanne...i was born and raised in the rural areas of tx, and have used nothing but indoor, unvented propane heaters all my life (near 50 yrs) and have never had a problem. Make sure you get a reputable brand (I prefer the Deerborn brand) and follow the instructions TO THE LETTER. The heater I now use even has a thermostat for more efficient use, and propane conservation. Good luck, and don't forget propane cooking, refrigerators,and lighting.

Dennis

-- D.R. Green (Greenshouse@hotmail.com), September 19, 1999.


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