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Author Topic: Ventless gas heater  (Read 2879 times)

White Horseradish

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Ventless gas heater
« on: January 02, 2012, 09:26:19 PM »
My parents want to install one in their basement. They picked one up and I have been reading the manual for it. It had this long spiel on using a pressure regulator. However, none of the other appliances use those. Is that something specific to ventless heaters?

Also, any additional advice anyone has on the subject would be appreciated.
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never_retreat

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Re: Ventless gas heater
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2012, 09:41:56 PM »
If it propane powered than yes you need a regulator. Just like your gas grill.
It probably does not come with one, so there just saying that so some astard does not connect it directly to the tank and blow the house into orbit.
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GigaBuist

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Re: Ventless gas heater
« Reply #2 on: January 02, 2012, 10:12:32 PM »
Weird coincidence.

Our high efficiency furnaces in one of our greenhouses went out over the weekend.  They're the type that don't require a vent.  My father suspects it's a problem with the pressure regulator.

Personally I don't know diddly about the technology behind them, but we've had these things around here for 13 years now and if the pressure regulator is what usually throws it of for us then, yes, I suspect it's important.
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Jim147

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Re: Ventless gas heater
« Reply #3 on: January 02, 2012, 10:15:35 PM »
What other appliances do they or you think don't have regulators?

If it uses Nat or LP it has a regulator. Some units have them built into the gas valve but it is a regulator.

jim

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Nick1911

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Re: Ventless gas heater
« Reply #4 on: January 02, 2012, 10:53:39 PM »
Quote from: Jim147 on January 02, 2012, 10:15:35 PM
What other appliances do they or you think don't have regulators?

If it uses Nat or LP it has a regulator. Some units have them built into the gas valve but it is a regulator.

jim

This.  Natural comes in at around 7 inches of water column.  Most single stage burners are designed for 3.5 inWC.  Gas applicances have regulators, natural and propane.
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GigaBuist

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Re: Ventless gas heater
« Reply #5 on: January 02, 2012, 11:03:26 PM »
Quote from: Jim147 on January 02, 2012, 10:15:35 PM
If it uses Nat or LP it has a regulator. Some units have them built into the gas valve but it is a regulator.

True, but I suspect a furnace that burns clean enough that you don't need to vent it is a bit more persnickity about how much gas or LP it lets into itself.  If it's not burning clean then you're going to get CO buildup which has consequences.

That's probably why ours shut down at the slightest bit of trouble.
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cassandra and sara's daddy

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Re: Ventless gas heater
« Reply #6 on: January 02, 2012, 11:06:49 PM »
ventless in a basement gives me the willies. put a co detector with it
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roo_ster

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Re: Ventless gas heater
« Reply #7 on: January 02, 2012, 11:15:52 PM »
Quote from: cassandra and sara's daddy on January 02, 2012, 11:06:49 PM
ventless in a basement gives me the willies. put a co detector with it

[GS]Bah, I'm just fine!  I'll just crack a window.  Getting sleepy.  So.....sleeeeeeeepy....[/GS]

Actually, me too.
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cassandra and sara's daddy

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Re: Ventless gas heater
« Reply #8 on: January 02, 2012, 11:23:17 PM »
i find it peculiar that at one time these were outlawed and restricted.  then after good lobbying they were made legal.  beware anything with a low o2 sensor
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slingshot

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Re: Ventless gas heater
« Reply #9 on: January 03, 2012, 09:21:53 AM »
I would definitely have a CO detector in the room with the ventless gas heater.  Boy.  It's chilly today compared with temps we have had for the last month.  A supplemental heat source might be nice.  Actually I have one buried in my garage somewhere that I bought on sale at Lowes a couple of springs ago, but have not installed it.  I suspect my wife would like it in the master bedroom today.
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Grandpa Shooter

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Re: Ventless gas heater
« Reply #10 on: January 03, 2012, 06:03:40 PM »
Quote from: roo_ster on January 02, 2012, 11:15:52 PM
[GS]Bah, I'm just fine!  I'll just crack a window.  Getting sleepy.  So.....sleeeeeeeepy....[/GS]

Actually, me too.

I did my research before installing any.  The info is out there if anyone is unbiased enough to read it.
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zxcvbob

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Re: Ventless gas heater
« Reply #11 on: January 04, 2012, 11:13:36 AM »
I have a ventless kerosene heater in the basement, mostly for emergency use.  I'd use it more, but Wife goes into a rage if she smells anything solventy in the house.  I would not use a ventless heater w/o a CO detector, but the one in the basement has a digital readout and it barely moves when the kerosene heater is lit -- unless I adjust the wick too high and it starts to smoke (but even then the CO never gets dangerous, just detectable)

I wish I had a ventless NG heater down there.  Just a small one would make a big difference.  Electric heat is too expensive to run more than an hour or two per day, and electric is no help if the power goes out.
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Nick1911

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Re: Ventless gas heater
« Reply #12 on: January 04, 2012, 11:32:40 AM »
A properly functioning ventless heater should be just fine.

CH4 + 2O2 --> CO2 + 2H2O

Water vapor and carbon dioxide aren't particularly hazardous.  It's only when the appliance isn't operating correctly that you would see CO production - from incomplete combustion of the natural gas.  This can happen for a variety of reasons, combustion air starvation and flame impingement being the two big causes.  Thing is, it only takes a little bit of carbon monoxide to totally ruin your whole day.

Personally, I don't find ventless heaters to be inherently unsafe.  But, I do think that a carbon monoxide monitor would be a well advised and sensible hedge against the increased risk of having the products of combustion in your breathing air.
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