Gas heaters? ? ?

Question

I live in an 80-year-old six-unit apartment building, and the single-pipe steam radiator system doesn't work all that well.

I'd like to put in supplemental heating, and one good possibility seems to be a natural gas stove-heater.

I see that there are vented and unvented models. It seems to me that unvented might be a bit dangerous.

But I remember that years ago, many houses had room gas heaters with no venting at all. You just lit them, and the heat filled the room -- gas fumes and all -- and I don't remember any bad results.

Any guidance welcome.

George · Accepted Answer

Maybe you can't recall anything because of all that exposure to combustion byproducts? But seriously I can't ever remember any of the older equipment that didn't give me a headache and a "blah" feeling. The newer electronic control units with good flame control and oxygen sensors etc seem to be a lot better.

Frank · Answer

Unvented scares me. Friend put in his hunting camp when he got gas for free from people that have mineral rights to property. I know that the new units have sensors to protect against low oxygen and carbon monoxide, but I'd rather not have to rely on them when I'm asleep. You're still going to have to breathe combustion products and will get extra moisture. I'd get vented or electric space heaters.

Frank

Speedy Jim · Answer

The new unvented heaters with ox depletion sensor are quite good.   BUT....even these are generally prohibited in sleeping rooms.   Some cities ban the heaters for *all* uses...period.   Ask first.Jim

George · Answer

Agree about using them in a sleeping area. You may just never wake up. Every one I have seen is placarded against that use.

Charles Schuler · Answer

God, but that cracked me up!

m Ransley · Answer

Steam one pipe? go buy some Dole 1-10 adjustable air vents, you mighteven get too hot, or a Vari-Vent. Bad air vents leave radiators cold.

Proctologically ViolatedÂ©Â® · Answer

Even these suck, imo.They *clearly* change the air quality, add boucou vapor into the room.I have one in my shop, a 20,000+ btu unit.I use it for a while to take the chill off the whole shop, then use electric, or a dehumidifier (like a half-assed heat pump).  They do put out a lot of heat, so I would use them judiciously, in conjuntion w/ other methods.--Mr. P.V.'d (formerly Droll Troll), Yonkers, NYEver-preparing for The Grand InsertionParty Nominee, IPPVMIndependent Party of the Proctologically Violated®© (M)asses"That's proly not a hemorrhoid you're feeling.... "entropic3.14decay at optonline2.718 dot net; remove pi and e to reply--ie, all d'numbuhs

Gas heaters? ? ?

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