Friday, July 3, 2015

Ventless Gas Heaters increase moisture in home...


This is something I found out a few years ago. At first, I found it hard to believe because I have always heard that gas heat will dry out the indoor air. Yeah, well, that is for the old-style gas heaters that have a vent, flute, chimney, etc. The ventless version is a bit different. Yes, they are more efficient, as they don't waste any heat or air during the heating process, but they do increase the moisture in your home.

There is a simple solution for this, but first, you may be wondering why it would matter. Well, if you use ventless gas heaters as your primary heat source, you will end up with excessive amounts of moisture and if you have a cold winter and use a lot more gas, this prolonged time of high moisture content can cause mold problems in your home, for example. And mold is sneakier than you may think, trust me. Mold doesn't just grow out in the open for you to see or remove it, as it often develops behind things. In fact, I've even seen it growing in drywall, behind the walls. The other thing I don't like about ventless gas heaters, is their oxygen consumption. The old fashion gas heaters use outside air, and do not affect the oxygen level in your home. Then again, any type of open flame will consume oxygen, like burning candles, gas stoves, etc.

The simple solution for this is to either buy some dehumidifiers to pull the excess moisture out of your home, or simply use this particular style of gas heater as a backup only or as an accessory heater to compliment your main heat source. When used in conjunction with electric heat or a vented gas setup, the moisture level should balance out.

On a good note, I do like the fact that all gas heaters, whether they are ventless or not, don't require electricity to operate. So, if you have a power outage and have no access to a generator, you will still have heat. In my opinion, just to reiterate, ventless gas heaters should only be used as backup heaters or as a supplemental heat source. Plus, I was told that once, by a guy that worked at a gas company. Even he recommended the vented ones for a primary heat source. To read more about this, visit: http://mundane-blog.blogspot.com/2011/10/does-ventless-gas-fireplace-or-stove.html

Image Credit: Product Depiction - Fair Use - ebay.com

---End of Post "Ventless Gas Heaters increase moisture in home..."

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