These are devices that operate on natural gas fuels, such as compressed gas, a fossil fuel with methane as its active elements. It features depend upon its brand and make, as they come in various shapes and sizes. These grills have various features and functions:

• Instead of Stoves, natural gas grills are used outdoors to cook food such as meat. The heat is generated directly by a gas flame or through heat grilling elements that radiate the necessary heat.
• These grills are predominantly used for picnics, weddings, barbeques and outside functions and events.
• These grills are either made of brick and mortar or are mobile with wheels.
• Normally outside a natural gas grill you will find cooking utensils, a food preparation counter, temperature nubs, a supply shelf situated underneath the grill and condiment receptacles.
• For home use natural gas grills consist of anywhere from 4 to 8 range-top burners, each having round or square metal grill pieces, all situated over a stove with adjustable shelving which is situated over a small broiler.
• The industrial one has multiple or broad cooking spaces, several rows of temperature nubs all situated under large air vents. Some modern restaurant, natural gas grills has simple metal tops that can become quite hot when ready for cooking. They do not use grill tops any more.
• Edinburgh wood stoves are not suitable for cooking outdoors. Many natural grills are designed for conversion to accommodate either one gas source or another, depending on preference and necessity.
• Those who do not want to use natural gas grills can use propane or even coal, instead of natural gas.

If you want to produce mouth watering delights to satiate your appetite use natural gas grills to cook, but if you are not careful and have no training to use the same, don’t touch it.

Enhancing the décor in any bedroom can be as easy as adding a gas fireplace. Starting a fire at the end of the day creates a pleasing atmosphere in which to relax and unwind. Manufacturers offer a range of products with traditional and contemporary designs to suit any environment. Regardless of interior décor, homeowners can find units that will blend in with the existing furnishings while adding to the aesthetics of the room.

The average home does not have a fireplace in the bedroom even though many people find them to be romantic and inviting. Installing a traditional fireplace requires a major renovation project that most people do not have the time and money to consider investing.

Photo By: Lee Brimelow

A bedroom gas fireplace is an affordable option for most homeowners. These units offer the same look and feel of a traditional fireplace without the expense and bother associated with maintaining a wood burning fire. There are no ashes to escape and cause a fire hazard. Burning real wood can be messy but a gas fire is clean. In exchange for the convenience, users do give up the crackling sound and odor of burning wood. A gas fireplace burns at a lower temperature and will not emit as much heat as a wood fireplace.

Some people are tempted to attempt burning wood in a gas fireplace but this is not a good idea. Most manufacturers do not design their gas units to burn wood. The special design will only accommodate the gas burning logs that come with the unit. Anyone who is thinking about trying to burn wood in a gas unit is urged to contact the manufacturer first and find out what the consequences will be. It is not worth damaging the fireplace or the room. These units perform best when operated according to the manufacturer’s directions.

Many homeowners are often stuck with an old and out of date fireplace that they want to replace. Luckily, there are vent free gas fireplace inserts that are easy to install into an existing fireplace that will fit. Just remember that if you are planning on installing a vent free fireplace then you will have to use vent free gas fireplace logs as they are specially designed for this type of fireplace. Using the wrong logs could result in the emission of carbon monoxide which could be a health hazard.

How To Stop Carbon Monoxide Problems

Vent free gas fireplace safety should be tops on anyone’s list. The vent free fireplace can be an accident waiting to happen. If the combustion of gasses in not right or the improper equipment is used then carbon monoxide can be released into the house. This can result in people become sick or even dying. Good ventilation is necessary to ensure safe operation of the fireplace.

Photo By: Bart Everson

Suggestions For Safe Operation Of The Vent Free Fireplace

Anytime a vent free fireplace is is operation, the front doors should be open. Also, never leave a fireplace on and then leave the house. Vent free fireplaces should only be used when people are around. Materials and furniture that can be combustible should be kept at the proper distance from the fireplace. Always heed the warnings and installation instruction from the manufacturer to ensure safe operation. Following the directions and practicing common sense safety should allow a lifetime of enjoyable use from the vent free fireplace.

Usually when people mention ventless gas heaters they are talking about either natural gas heaters or propane gas heaters. A ventless heater does not need much installation as there are no vents or pipes attached to the heater that need to be installed outside the home. Often these are portable heaters that can be easily moved from room to room. Alternatively, you may find larger heaters set inside a defunct fireplace that is meant to be used to heat up the living room. While they are very functional heaters, there are some real concerns regarding their use, some of which I will address below.

The Benefits Of Using Ventless Gas Heaters

Photo By: Marty McGuire

First of all, let’s talk about the benefits of using this type of heating. As mentioned above, they do not require any expensive installation unless you are installing them into an existing fireplace. Most can simply be turned on and ready to use immediately after purchasing them. Ventless gas heaters are also generally considered to be very energy efficient. However, it is wise to note that this would apply to a brand new ventless heater. Energy efficiency levels should be listed on the heater itself. You should look for one that states it is near or higher than 95% energy efficient for best heating and financial saving results. You may well find that your ventless gas heater costs far less to run than a similarly sized electric heater, especially if electricity rates are high in your area.

Safety Concerns

As these heaters are not vented you will want to take a couple of precautions when it comes to using them safely. First of all, you should always install carbon monoxide sensors in the rooms you will be using the heater in. Without adequate ventilation, gases such as carbon monoxide may be released into the room and unless this gas has an outlet levels could get dangerously high. Many of the newer model heaters you can buy these days have an automatic sensor built into the unit that is programmed to read oxygen levels and turn the heater off should it detect that the carbon monoxide levels are becoming too high and the oxygen levels too low. If you buy a heater that does not have this sensor, be sure to purchase additional carbon monoxide sensors. You will also want to make sure that the room is well ventilated. This can be very simply done by leaving a door leading into another part of your home partially opened, or by leaving the window opened a crack while you are using the heater.

Other Commonly Reported Problems

The main other reported problems when using ventless gas or propane heaters revolve around an increase in humidity, an unpleasant odor in the room, and a build up of soot on furniture, walls and ceiling. These problems are all solved or prevented by instituting a regular maintenance plan. Your heater should be serviced at least once a year, before using it during winter. A properly maintained and serviced heater will not cause problems such as those listed above.

Depending on when you schedule the servicing, you should always make sure to dust off the heater, including logs or the parts that actually heat up, before you turn it on again after summer is over. If you keep your heater not only dust free but also free from small spiders, spider webs and other assorted things that do tend to creep over appliances that are left idle and unused for some time you will find it will work better once you start it up again.

Odors: You should not be able to smell any unusual odors even when the pilot light is being lighted with a properly functioning heater. There are some times when you may be able to smell something though. For example, when the heater is new or if using vent-free logs they often need to finish curing after installation. Usually the manual that comes along with the heater will give you a recommendation which could range from allowing the logs to burn anywhere from four to ten hours. In my experience this is usually not necessary. Simply open your damper (if you have one) or open up the doors or windows and burn the logs on high—if you do this it should only take around two to two and a half hours for the odor to decrease and the logs to properly finish curing.

Soot: Aside from this, your heater should not produce soot and you should not be able to smell any kind of odor. If you can, then there is probably something not functioning as it should with your heater and you should have it looked at. If your eyes or throat begin to burn or if you find you are experiencing headaches when you use the heater it may not be working properly. Sometimes it can be as simple as needing to change the regulators on the propane tanks or adjusting the pressure.

Believe it or not, a lot of the odors that are attributed to ventless gas heaters are caused by other objects around the home. Some of the common offenders include partly burned candles, putting vent-free logs in a fireplace without cleaning out the fireplace well beforehand, also old creosote that gets damp creates a terribly musty smell if it gets damp—make sure your fireplace and chimney is cleaned out if you want to avoid a musty smell! Look for other items that could be causing the smell—plug in air fresheners are notorious as are anything where incomplete combustion has occurred.

To Sum Things Up

In summary, ventless gas heaters may not be for everybody. However, many people have used them to heat their entire house, with multiple units in use, for many years. They can be very cost efficient. They are easy to install and use and will heat up the room fairly quickly which is nice during the coldest part of winter. Just remember to ensure your room is adequately ventilated and use in conjunction with an oxygen depletion sensor or a carbon monoxide sensor if one does not come with your heater. Service your heater regularly and clean and dust well before use. If you are having problems with soot, odor or are feeling physical symtoms such as dry eyes, burning throat or headaches turn your heater off. It must not be working properly if these things are happening—you will need to have it repaired or serviced.

If you are living in a milder climate, where winter temperatures don’t drop below zero, and you are interested for whatever reason in heating your new swimming pool so that it can be used during fall and perhaps even during winter, or if you have built an indoor pool that you would like to continue using, you will need to invest in a good pool heater.  Pool heaters are essential, even in warm climates, during the cooler winter months if you want to continue swimming.

While swimming during cooler months is not necessarily an enjoyable experience, if you swim in competitions or if you are using swimming as a primary means of exercise you may be willing to go ahead with swimming in heated swimming pools. I have not had such good experiences swimming in heated pools, though they do keep you warm when the air temperature around you drops, but I have to admit I did learn to swim during fall in a heated public swimming pool.

If you live in an area where you have ready access to gas, then the simplest way for you to heat your pool may well be by using a gas pool heater. Most gas pool heaters are installed outside, near your pool filter and they are specifically built so that exposure to the weather will not damage them in any way and they usually have a hood covering them. It is not essential to install the heater close to the filter, but it usually is simpler just to have all of your pool accessories grouped together in one place for easy access.  It does need to be placed on a level base, and it’s usually a good idea to build it up with bricks or concrete slabs or some other sturdy material.

Your pool pump will push the water through the heater and then the heater water will be pushed into the pool and circulated in this manner.  Pool heaters generate quite a bit of heat, so you do need to make sure they are not in close proximity to anything combustible and make sure that small children or pets can’t come in contact with them while they’re on either.

If you choose to install your gas pool heater indoors, in a garage or other enclosed space, you must make sure that the heater is vented.  Pool heaters should not be installed indoors without adequate vents installed at the same time. For this reason, many people simply choose the easier way of installing their pool heaters outdoors instead.

The additional cost of heating a pool during winter needs to be offset as much as possible, in order to both save energy and to save your money too! One of the best ways to both keep the heat in the pool and to enlist solar energy to heat up your pool more is by investing in solar swimming pool covers. These solar blankets are a great money saver, and you really shouldn’t consider heating your pool unless you use one of these as well.  A word of caution though, take the cover off completely when swimming in your pool, and place it beside the pool.

Of course, it also goes without saying that you should turn the heater down very low if you are not planning on using it for some time or if you are going away. If you only plan on using it during fall, for example, but not during winter, then you could also turn it all the way off.

Gas wall heaters are  commonly convection heaters, meaning that unlike radiant heaters which heat up objects in the room, gas heaters actually heat up the air in the room and make the entire room warm and great to walk into from outside, during winter!  It is possible to find radiant gas heaters, which work by heating up ceramic coils inside the heater, though the convection gas wall heaters are more popular.

The majority of gas wall heaters these days are vented, meaning that there is a pipe leading outside from the heater which brings fresh air from outside in to the heater so that the gas has oxygen and can burn, and also expels fumes from the burning gas back outside into the open air. You can find ventless heaters as well though these are more uncommon mainly because of safety reasons.  These days, ventless wall heaters come with an oxygen depletion sensor that can tell if the oxygen level in the room drops dangerously.  If using a ventless gas wall heater, it is also imperative to have a well ventilated room.

Gas wall heaters heat the entire room, including the air and this heat is usually disseminated around the room by use of a fan attached to the gas wall heater.  They are popular heaters for rooms that are used often during winter months, such as living rooms and they can also be great to have in a bedroom too.  Great for areas that are on city gas, they are also a real boon for those times when the electricity shuts off as most gas heaters can operate without needing electricity.

If, by chance, the pilot light does go off you will need to relight it, via a utility (or long handled) lighter and not a butane or normal lighter.  You should also turn the gas to your heater off at first and then turn it back on again just as you go to re-light the heater. Of course, some heaters start the pilot light via the use of electricity.  All heaters should automatically shut off the gas if the pilot light goes out for any reason.

Gas wall heaters come in different sizes, calculated on the amount of air they will need to heat up or the size of the room. They are generally safe to leave on while you step out for a few hours, providing they have safety features built in, though you should probably turn them down to a low heat so as not to waste gas and energy.

It goes without saying that if you plan on installing a gas wall heater, unless you really know what you are doing you should have someone who is qualified to do the job come in to install the heater rather than doing it yourself. In fact, in some places it is required that you have gas heaters installed by an authorized technician.

More and more people are beginning to use the natural gas heater as their primary heating source. In fact, in America natural gas heating is more common than any other type of heating, including the much more expensive electrical heating.  Consistently, when renovating, home owners are often doing away with the more expensive heating systems and converting to a natural gas system. While it does cost a little to do the initial conversion, enough savings are made by heating homes using natural gas to make it worthwhile.

Just about any kind of heater, or heating system, can be run off natural gas from home central heating to small wall or space heaters, and even ventless gas fireplaces. It is also easy to install a natural gas water heater, thus cutting back electricity costs even further.

There are many other reasons, besides the savings made from installing a natural gas heater, that people like them.  The warm, sometimes blue, flame and glow they give off and the consistent heat makes rooms cozy and comfortable. They heat up fairly quickly, are practically noiseless and don’t give off any unusual odors or smells.

Also, having a heating system independent from electricity means that even if the electricity goes off for a time your home can remain warm.

It is said that natural gas heaters are more environmentally friendly than many other types of heating, especially wood or propane heaters.

One thing to note is that due to problems that could result from improperly installed systems, it is recommended or in some cases required that the gas heating system is installed by a gas technician. If you’re switching to a gas system from an electric system, this can usually be accomplished fairly quickly and easily, at minimum cost.  It is, naturally much more expensive to install an entire system from scratch although the money saved from installing natural gas heaters over an electric system will soon make up for installation costs.

If you are only looking to install a heater in one room, then a simple natural gas wall heater, natural gas space heater or natural gas fireplace should suffice.  It will give plenty of heat, enough to heat up one room comfortably.  Likewise, if you’re looking into heating up your garage you will likely find that the natural gas garage heater will be perfect for what you need–simple to operate, and fast at heating up the single room or garage.

There are a few safety functions to look for when buying a natural gas heater. One of the first things you should make sure your gas heating unit has is an oxygen depletion sensor.  This helps protect oxygen levels in the room by shutting off the heater if oxygen levels are depleted below what is healthy for you.

If gas flow is interrupted at any time, it’s important that the pilot light is shut off. So, look for natural gas heaters that automatically shut down the pilot light whenever gas flow is cut off. Otherwise the unit may overheat and become damaged, or if the gas suddenly comes on it could even explode.

If the gas flow into the heater is regulated you’ll find that the heat will be steady and more even, and the heater will work so much better. A well regulated gas flow also helps to conserve gas consumption.