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Natural Gas Heaters
Single room heaters that use natural gas
are a good choice for houses that are already
hooked up to a gas pipeline because there
is never the need to stock a fuel source:
you simply pay monthly for the gas you used.
Natural gas burns very cleanly, so these
heaters are easy to maintain. And while the
price of gas can fluctuate quite a bit and
gas cannot be stockpiled during periods of
low demand, it is usually moderately priced
compared to other sources of energy.
If you are thinking about buying a natural
gas room heater, consider the following:
- There are different types of gas heaters,
but most of them are wall heaters that are
mounted on the floor of the room and vent
outside through a horizontal flue.
- Gravity heaters are tall and thin. They take
in cold air from a grate located at floor
level and release the heated air at another
grate at the top. These heaters come in sizes
from 10,000 to 50,000 BTUs. Airflow can be
improved if they have an optional blower.
- Counterflow heaters are similar to gravity
types, but in these an internal fan reverses
the natural upward flow of heated air within
the heater so that warm air is blown out
of a grate near the floor. They can produce
up to 65,000 BTUs. These are more expensive
than gravity types but can provide more efficient
heating by dispersing heat first where it
is used rather than having to heat the upper
portion of the room first..
- Console model heaters are low and wide. They
take up about as much room as a wood stove.
They can provide 20,000 to 70,000 BTUs and
are less expensive than counterflow units.
- Fan forced heaters can also operate on gas.
These usually hang from the ceiling, so they
are a good choice if space is limited. They
produce 30,000 to 75,000 BTUs.
Many natural gas heaters will also operate
with propane if the unit has been adapted
for it. Propane needs to be stored in a tank
located outside the building. And while it
has the advantage of being able to be stored,
propane generally is more expensive than
natural gas. |
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