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robt65

Feb 13, 2011, 11:37 AM

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Re-Visiting Propane Heaters During Our Cold Spells This Winter

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When I moved our household goods from Kentucky to San Juan del Rio area in Queretaro last year, three of the items were vent less wall heaters; two large ones and one smaller one. We have a 450 square meter house (three generous sized) bedrooms, two bathrooms, office, rec room, living room, dining room and kitchen. I put one in the dining room and another n another place of the house. The total cost of operating these heaters. I wish I had not sold the other larger one as we have now bought the house next door and will be adding a new master bedroom, master bathroom and large laundry room.

Since I am here already in Texas for some eye surgery tomorrow morning, I will go shopping at either Loews or Home depot for another (at end of season pricing) to have for the new addition. I used to have one of the portables in Kentucky and found they used a significantly higher quantity of gas than the perm installed model. Propane gas heaters will burn the Mexican propane without any necessary changes. In fact, butane burns better and more efficiently in cold weather than does propane. Usually the pressure regulator on the Mexican gas tanks are set lower and the only special requirement is to make sure your tank always has at least 40% in the tank to give a better pressure for the propane heater to operate more efficiently. The stove and the gas water heater do not apparently have the need for as much pressure but seem to operate just fine with a little higher pressure.

If you have an electric ceiling fan in the house, just reverse the direction of the blades and this sends the rising warm air back down to floor level and around the house repeatedly for efficient total house heating.

Usually smaller portable gas heaters using the smaller tanks if you are going to stick with the smaller units can be filled by most propane trucks IF they have a Recreational Vehicle adapter for their loading hose. I have found many of them do carry such an adapter.

A new larger Vent less Gas wall heater unit will cost only about $179.00 The one I am using is about five years old with very little maintenance required and has a thermostat as well as an automatic igniter. Used ones can usually be found NOB at auction sales and yard sales. Take you BBQ small tank with you to make sure that it works before you buy it. hey can be bought for between $25 and $75 dollars depending upon the size and how desperate the person selling it wants to sell it. Really cheap at late Spring or summer sales.

robt65

robt65

Jerry@Ajijic

Feb 13, 2011, 7:46 PM

Post #2 of 9 (2741 views)

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Re: [robt65] Re-Visiting Propane Heaters During Our Cold Spells This Winter

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Very Interesting, Thank you.

Rolly

Feb 13, 2011, 8:40 PM

Post #3 of 9 (2725 views)

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Re: [robt65] Re-Visiting Propane Heaters During Our Cold Spells This Winter

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You speak of using butane for heating. This is not always a wise choice because nitrogen dioxide (NO2) is an undesitrable by-product of burning butane. Read more here.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

raferguson

Feb 13, 2011, 9:32 PM

Post #4 of 9 (2710 views)

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Re: [robt65] Re-Visiting Propane Heaters During Our Cold Spells This Winter

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To me, a ventless heater is a recipe for disaster. Any malfunction could kill you. A vented heater is inherently safer.

Especially if you run a ventless heater, you should pick up a carbon monoxide detector. Actually, every house should own one. I had a heating guy come in to check out my 25 year old furnace, and he told me I should have a carbon monoxide detector, that he could not 100% inspect the heat exchanger, so a leak is possible, even after it was inspected.

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The dangers of using ventless gas heaters are many and controversial, which is why some states, such as California and Massachusetts, do not allow ventless gas heaters to be used. Some of these dangers include asphyxiation, as the air inside of a well sealed house is depleted of oxygen, and carbon monoxide poisoning, as the minute amounts of carbon monoxide can also build up over time in a well sealed house, attaining levels that are dangerous and can be deadly. Although these dangers should be taken seriously, it should also be noted that open fireplaces emit even higher levels of these substances. Lastly, ventless gas heaters create water vapor as a part of their exhaust, which raises the humidity in a room or house and can result in mold or mildew growing on all the surfaces therein.

Richard

http://www.fergusonsculpture.com

RickS

Feb 14, 2011, 11:26 AM

Post #5 of 9 (2653 views)

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Re: [robt65] Re-Visiting Propane Heaters During Our Cold Spells This Winter

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..."In fact, butane burns better and more efficiently in cold weather than does propane."

Actually, robt65, it is just the opposite. The biggest disadvantages of butane are that it does not burn well at high altitudes and will not burn at all below freezing, as it is no longer liquid at that temperature. At atmospheric pressure Butane has a freezing point of 0ºc while Propane has a freezing point of -42ºc. When liquified gas approaches its freezing point, it ceases to vaporize effectively and the gas available is dramatically reduced. If you have a heavy draw on the regulator (total gas demand maximized) in cold temperatures (winter) as the vapor is drawn off, it causes the remaining liquid in the tank to become colder, and, as the temperature falls, butane becomes less and less effective.

mazbook1

Feb 14, 2011, 12:31 PM

Post #6 of 9 (2637 views)

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Re: [RickS] Re-Visiting Propane Heaters During Our Cold Spells This Winter

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RickS, You are correct. This is why butane tanks (getting rarer and rarer) are buried underground and propane tanks can be kept above ground. Also, butane is a lower heat-energy fuel (more butane needs to be burned than propane to get the same BTUs) than propane, so, to my knowledge, only propane is commercially available in México.

turnabout

Feb 14, 2011, 1:09 PM

Post #7 of 9 (2624 views)

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Re: [raferguson] Re-Visiting Propane Heaters During Our Cold Spells This Winter

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geez, you live in Colorado. You think anyone will sign off on anything with regards to a lawsuit? This is Mexico, not the USA and the land of litigation. They also say eggs must be refrigerated at "X" degress but in Mexico you buy them off the counter at the local store.

robt65

Feb 15, 2011, 8:13 AM

Post #8 of 9 (2554 views)

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Re: [RickS] Re-Visiting Propane Heaters During Our Cold Spells This Winter

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RickS,

I stand corrected. You are right and I had it turned around. (source: http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/...tane-mix-d_1043.html

However as far as being safe I initially totally disagreed with raferguson on his information. "To me, a ventless heater is a recipe for disaster. Any malfunction could kill you. A vented heater is inherently safer." . . . . . . . . As I have done a great amount of research on this matter since reading the raferguson response to my post, I am about to get rid of my ventless wall heaters that I have used for many years (thankfully without problems). During that research in which I was looking for backup for my point of argument, I came across this information, that I feel obligated to point out. http://www.epinions.com/...5476612/show_~allcom

Now my search is on for a better reasonable cost heating system for my family and I. Thanks raferguson for getting my interest up on this subject.
Robt65

(This post was edited by Rolly on Feb 15, 2011, 8:22 AM)

Moisheh

Feb 16, 2011, 5:14 AM

Post #9 of 9 (2481 views)

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Re: [robt65] Re-Visiting Propane Heaters During Our Cold Spells This Winter

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robt. Those ventless heaters may be safe in Mexico if your house is a typical Mexican home. If you seal it tightly they are DANGEREOUS!! They also give off a lot of humidity. If you use celing fans with them the air movement moves the "flame" away from the catalyst . Not good. We have a thru the wall US built wall heater . It has a thermostat and a circulating fan. Works well. If you live where AC is necessary the new mini splits with a heat pump are awesome. Less costly than propane. Personally I would NEVER use a ventless heater. Almost as bad using hot coals in a pail!

Moisheh