It’s now winter in Australia and time to get your gas heaters cranking, but if you are looking into a gas heater and not sure how to possibly choose, then not to worry because we have come up with a list of the important questions you need to ask yourself when you’re looking to get your new gas heater.
1 To flue or not to flue-
First off what is a flue? A flue it the duct or pope that allows exhaust gases from your gas heater to travel straight outside, to stop your home from being filled with dangerous emissions. There are a variety of different gas heaters that have flues and those that don’t.
Ones that don’t have flues are better for renters or homeowners who don’t want the cost or fuss of installing a flue. It also important to note that these heaters SHOULD NOT be used in bathrooms, bedrooms and other small or badly ventilated spaces as these units still require some ventilation for safe operation. Unflued heaters are great because they are portable and easily moveable, are more energy efficient, less expensive to run and can be taken with you if you move house; however, they cannot be used in small confined spaces for safety reasons and without proper ventilation build-up of condensation can easily occur damaging the unit.
Flued heaters are a more permanent option and are great to use in smaller areas and are a better solution for those suffering asthma or people suffering from certain allergies or respiratory problems. However these units do cost more and are not as efficient as unflued gas heaters.
2. Bayonet or bottled gas-
The next question to look at is whether you want natural or LPG gas. Bottled gas heaters of LPG gas heaters connect to a tube that is connected to one or more gas bottles, these bottles can be located either in the room with the heater ( not very recommended) or connected by hose that goes outside of the house. These heaters are great if you want to be able to move your heater around your house (that is if the bottle is inside) or if you don’t want to spend extra if you don’t have an already existing bayonet fitting, they also have minimal installation costs.
Bayonet or natural gas heaters connect to your homes gas supply instead of directly to a gas bottle. Bayonet is the type of gas fitting for these units that use natural gas. These types of heaters are great as they are cheaper than the standard LPG fuelled gas heaters and there is also no need to keep on refilling your gas bottles. However they do need female bayonet fittings that are permanently attached to your homes wall or floor, otherwise another will need to be installed at an extra cost.
3. How important is size-
Size is very important you don’t want to buy a heater too small for your room and you also don’t want one that’s too large and dangerous for that space. In order to determine which is the best size look at things like-
- Gas heater output
- Ceiling height
- Climate zone
- Flooring types and home insulation
4. Types of gas heaters-
There are so many different types of heaters you can choose from such as Unflued portable radiant heaters, flued radiant heaters, convection gas heaters and radiant convection gas heaters.
