Space Heaters

Many condominiums and some houses are heated by space heaters. You might be thinking about the portable electric kind that you carry from room to room. No, the space heaters I refer to are permanently fixed to a wall and heat a large space.

The fuels that fire these space heaters vary from natural gas, propane (LP), or kerosene. The source is either piped directly to the unit in the case of natural gas, or is stored in a large bottle-like structure that stores about 100 gallons in the case of LP gas. The storage tank is always outside. If the source is kerosene, it is stored in a tank outside. Regular heating oil cannot be stored outside but kerosene can.

The heaters are made from different manufacturers, of course, and come in different shapes and sizes. The most common ones we see are made by Rinnai or Monitor and take up the space of a large, thin suitcase! They sit against the wall in the living room, usually, and heat the air. They have economy settings or full blast heat. They can be set up to come on and off with a timer or set with a thermostat.

Often, these space heaters can heat the downstairs of a two story condo, but the upstairs is heated with electric baseboard. The entire condo would have had electric at one point and the space heater was an upgrade.

Sometimes condos will be heated with a gas stove that has a decorative front and fake logs. I think these are great as they look nice and heat a large space.

No matter what kind of space heater is used, make sure a certified specialist installs the unit or if it is already in place, make sure a specialist inspects it to make sure it is vented properly.

It is a state law that upon sale for single family homes that there is a Photo-electric type smoke detector on every living level and a carbon monoxide detector outside bedrooms. Condominiums have similar regulations and many more. Attorneys are requiring fire and safety inspections of condos to be to the Vermont code prior to closing. But why wait? All homes should have smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors up to safety standards. Check out this site to be safe! http://firesafety.vermont.gov/

Space heaters are a good substitute for electric baseboard heat although with the cost of some fuels these days, I've been wondering how electric heat compares! Never store anything on top of the heater nor cover it at any time. And space heaters are a great source of heat if you build a small addition and want to save the expense of adding onto your central heat system.