Propane heater


  #1  
Old 03-22-03, 02:19 PM
slumlordfrank's Avatar
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Propane heater

A few days ago I posed a question about retrofiting heaters to a small house we bought to. I received some great replies, thanks to those of you who helped. One of my customers who's a HVAC supplier showed me another alternative and I would like to know if any of you have experience with these.
The manufacturer is Louisville Tin and Stove (LTS) and the systems are Vent Free Heaters. They operate on either natural gas or propane, mount on the wall, and a 5000 Btu unit is only about 22 X 12". They are 99.9% efficient so no venting is required.
Have any of you used, or installed these? They look like they would be pretty trouble free, and are very competitively priced.
Thanks in advance
slumlordfrank
 
  #2  
Old 03-22-03, 02:38 PM
fjrachel
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Sure enough. Very common in rural areas, where electric goes out alot. Very easy to install and virtually service free. Just clean out the spider webs before first winter start.
 
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Old 03-23-03, 03:44 AM
firsthvac
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We've encountered many ventless heaters out here with mixed results, the most common problems being oversizing (resulting in carbon monoxide poisonings despite the safety shut-offs) and unreliability with the thermocouples (which are of a special size/design and cost two to three times as much as a standard thermocouple)

However, when properly sized and maintained they seem to do a good job of providing heat to the space, especially when used in conjunction with optional fan kits. We don't recommend them for spaces where children may be present or as the only source of heating due to liability and local code safety issues. Otherwise, they seem to work well.

Hope this helps...let us know
 
  #4  
Old 03-24-03, 05:38 PM
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slumlordfrank:

Although these ventless heaters seem to be a bargain it should be taken into account that you don't ever really get something for nothing.
The "competitive" price is pretty much possible because of not requiring a chimney.
Unfortunately, that 99.9% efficiency still dumps .1 % of its combustion products in the air you breathe. And this is under lab conditions, not with a poorly maintained or installed unit.
Because of our climate I guess I hear of problems with these things more than you would in a warmer climate.

I can't blame anyone for trying to save a buck, but if there is any question about waking up in the morning, it could be a rather unwise purchase.


http://hearth.com/what/unvented.html

http://www.fcabc.bc.ca/Space%20Heaters.htm
 
 

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