Are Propane wall heaters safe for this?

starjj · #1 01/13/10, 06:03 PM

I would like to get back up heat for my mobile home. Are the propane vent free wall heaters safe for mobile homes? I googled but really can't find enough information.

big rockpile · #2 01/13/10, 06:26 PM

Yes.

But I was talking with a Propane Dealer the other day if these Heaters are run full time they put off alot of moisture.

big rockpile

mossywyatt · #3 01/13/10, 06:35 PM

NO it should be vented to the outside wyatt

arabian knight · #4 01/13/10, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mossywyatt

NO it should be vented to the outside wyatt

I agree,, get a Vented one. I have a wall mounted propane heater in this mobile,, but it is Vented to the outside~!

mldollins · #5 01/13/10, 06:58 PM

I use a ventless in my house and my house is SO dry. Cabin Fever has made this comment before....but I remember when my family members had gas stoves and cooked all day while the pilots stayed on 24/7. Everyone was fine.

I would have a CO detector which I use. I have been using ventless for 3 months and all is well. Also, vented heaters end up heating the neighborhood. Ventless is near 100%.

arabian knight · #6 01/13/10, 07:21 PM

Sure the older generation had gas stoves and cooked all day. But those houses of years past were surely not as tight as today constructed houses are, even wrapped with plastic. No air getting in or out.
And that little pilot light well enough said, as that is a small small flame, of years past. And many new stoves don't even have a pilot light anymore.

rambler · #7 01/13/10, 07:35 PM

It is likely against code in most places to have a vent-free heater in a dwelling. If you had a fire of any kind, it would void your insurance, etc. Local codes likely are against it; the manufaturer will have documentation with the unit saying not for use in a home. And so on.

They work on drafty old houses that let air in & out pretty good. Not legally to code, but they work.

In a modern tight house (mobile or otherwise) they build up moisture & gases faster than the house exchanges air, and you can have some troubles, aside from the legal issue.

I hope this clears it up for all sides without a fight, this question comes up a lot, and there are different ways to look at it of course - legally, personal safety, where it works or doesn't work, etc.

It was ok in the past when houses were not insulated & drafty; it's not such a good idea on new tight construction. It will likely void your insurance, and if you have any codes in your location it will be prohibited.

--->Paul

arabian knight · #8 01/13/10, 07:46 PM

+1,000

Harry Chickpea · #9 01/13/10, 07:51 PM

I respectfully suggest that as long as the clearances are met, and the propane you get is clean, ventless heaters in a mobile home are safe.

We have a CO and gas detector along with our smoke detectors. At one point our gas cookstove dropped small flame on the small burner for fifteen minutes and there was a tiny amount of propane in the house. The CO/gas detector registered it, and before it got to a level where the warning beep would sound, I was on top of it. I say that to let you know both that the detector was working, and that if you burn any propane, you need one of these.

I have NEVER have had the detector budge off zero when the ventless wall heater was on. NEVER. PERIOD. I know a lot of people consider any combustion to be lethal, but seriously folks, that is way too paranoid. I say this as someone who IS actively paranoid about fire and wouldn't trust my own sense whether or not there was CO - just to be on the safe side.

As for the excess moisture- we still get some winter static zaps even when we cook with gas and use the ventless heater. Part of that may be because we also use the fireplace, and there is some air exchange there, but the moisture issue, IMO, is way overblown.

If you currently have a ventless heater or had one in the past that you could not use because of the issues noted, please respond. If you are merely repeating what you have read, please state that in your reply. Please help put myths to rest.

NickyBlade · #10 01/13/10, 07:55 PM

We have a ventless wall heater. It's about 6 years old and our carbon monoxide detectors went off on Thanksgiving. It has been off ever since while we decide what to replace it with. The furnace does ok keeping the house warm... but I sure do miss standing in front of that fire after coming in from outside.

PhilJohnson · #11 01/13/10, 08:04 PM

I actually ran one for two winters. It was a 30,000 btu ventless heater. One winter in a mobile home, another in an old farmhouse. As backup heat I wouldn't worry about it. It'll be fine. Just pay attention to proper clearances.

Sawmill Jim · #12 01/13/10, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NickyBlade

We have a ventless wall heater. It's about 6 years old and our carbon monoxide detectors went off on Thanksgiving. It has been off ever since while we decide what to replace it with. The furnace does ok keeping the house warm... but I sure do miss standing in front of that fire after coming in from outside.

Some times when it gets really warm i had one that would do that the colder it was the better it worked . I had mine in a travel trailer.

All these i have saw are ul approved and come with instructions . I know real mean don't read instructions

mudslinger · #13 01/13/10, 10:09 PM

I would think twice about putting in a ventless heater. I've had both about 12 years ago. A vented heater is the only way to go but costs a lot more and much more labor to install.
Unless you are trying to zone off your place, I wouldn't waist the money. The vented heaters are only about 70% efficent. Any old furnace is probably better than that.
That said. If I was to build a small cabin some place. A 'vented' wall heater would be the only heat source I would have to back up the woodburner.

brewswain · #14 01/13/10, 10:21 PM

An employee at the propane company told me that he can always tell if someone heats with propane.
He can smell it on their clothes.

Of course he is talking about ventless heaters.

ozark mike · #15 01/14/10, 12:44 AM

I live in a mobile home now and have for many years and that is all we heat with...I don't know anyone that uses the furnace that came with the house ,and no one uses a vented type heater around here... we have a carbon monoxide detector... they are as safe as your gas cook stove

starjj · #16 01/14/10, 04:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozark mike

I live in a mobile home now and have for many years and that is all we heat with...I don't know anyone that uses the furnace that came with the house ,and no one uses a vented type heater around here... we have a carbon monoxide detector... they are as safe as your gas cook stove

Mike I had a brand new furnance put in mine because the old one was shot ( just one of a few things I missed when I bought the place). It is a heat pump. I am looking for back up heat when and if (knock on wood) the electric goes off. We had the famous KY ice storm last year and most people lost electric for 2 wks or more.

Cliff · #17 01/14/10, 04:48 AM

We heat almost totally with one but in temps like we've had this last week have to turn it down and use it to supplement the central heat. Seems to suck all the o2 out of the air if it runs constantly (have a co detector.) I thought the house had enough fresh air moving thru, but I guess not for the constant use.
I get to feeling lousy before I realize it every time it happens. Won't forget again, this last week I was feeling horrible. Short of breath, queasy, yuck. Turned it way way down for now and central heat is on, and I feel great.

**Ross** · #18 01/14/10, 05:14 AM

Cliff do you have an HRV? While I dislike ventless heaters you can't help but improve your IAQ by bringing in outside air and venting some inside air. I'd change your co detector and get the heater checked out too. It might just need a cleaning. Ventless heaters don't kill people on a daily basis but I do think something's not right. I guess you could be dealing with oxygen depletion but if the wall unit really did that you would also be creating CO simply because the air settings on the burner are set for a normal ratio of oxygen in the air. Less oxygen = incomplete combustion = carbon monoxide + ventless heater means its stuck int he house with you. An HRV won't fix that and make it safe they're more like a life jacket in a shark tank. It might not be the heater at all, it might be a change in the humidity levels or just a zone change in temp can change how comfortable you are.

Joshie · #19 01/14/10, 02:00 PM

Have you ever used a ventless gas heater? I get terrible headaches from these things.

Ravenlost · #20 01/14/10, 02:07 PM

My dad installed one in my Granny's mobile home and she used it for years with no problems.

My mother's house is heated with three ventless propane heaters (and her wood cookstove) and there have been no problems over the 30+ years she's used this type heat.

In the past I rented a house that was heated with two ventless propane heaters and there were no problems with it at all.

I'm trying to talk my husband into having one or two installed in our house. If the power goes off, so does our gas heat.