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Open Flue Gas Heaters Explained
Some parts of Australia experience sub-zero temperatures and are even covered in blankets of snow during winter. In Wollongong and Illawarra, for example, winter is cold, with temperatures typically below 0°C at night. Most of us begin to think about space heaters we have in our homes when temperatures start to drop and cold winter days start to set in.
Will my space heater get my family through the coldest months? What will be the heating bill? Has any safety alert been issued for the space heater in my home? Are there better options to keep my home cosy and warm while staying safe?
If you live in cold regions, several space heating options are available to get you through the coldest months. By combining energy-efficient space heating systems with proper maintenance, you can save more money without compromising on your comfort and safety during the cold season.
This article highlights the common types of space heating options available, focusing on gas appliances used for space heating. The article also provides essential safety tips to make your home safe for you and your family when using indoor gas heaters.
Space Heating Options To Consider
Space heating appliances are essential home heating elements that have enabled us to comfortably get through the winter seasons by keeping our living and working spaces warm. Many options of these appliances exist in the market and come in different designs that can be used for outdoor, single rooms, or central heating.
Such systems take up more energy and make up a substantial proportion of household utility bills. Combining energy-efficient space heating systems with proper maintenance positively impacts your energy bills, comfort, and safety.
Indoor and outdoor heating systems are broadly categorised based on the source of energy used to power them and include:
• Gas heaters - Burn natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), propane or butane to produce heat.
• Electric heaters - Some have solar heating capabilities besides using electricity for heat production.
• Fireplaces - Use wood, gas, or electricity to generate heat.
Different types, models, and designs of space heating appliances are available for use as part of each of the above heating systems. When selecting a space-heating appliance for your home, always look at the efficiency standards. Choosing a certified space heating appliance saves you money, impacts your safety and comfort, and above all, prevents emissions to the environment. The subsequent sections largely focus on gas space heaters and briefly highlight electric space heaters and fireplaces.
Electric Space Heaters
Electric space heaters can be powered by wind, hydroelectric power, solar, or fossil fuels. The efficiency and environmental health impact of electric space heaters depend on the source of the electric energy.
Powering electric home heating appliances using electricity from renewable sources is environmentally safer than using electricity generated from fossil fuels.
Fireplaces
Fireplaces using wood are still prevalent in most homes. Although they effectively heat large rooms and have aesthetic value within a home, fireplaces can be expensive to build and maintain. Gas fireplaces have recently become an alternative to wood fireplaces as they are more affordable.
Gas Space Heaters
Gas space heaters are gas appliances that burn natural gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), propane, or butane for indoor or outdoor heating.
Categories Of Gas Heaters
Gas space heaters are categorised based on the level of ventilation achieved during operation. The ventilation levels are determined by the gas appliance's design and the premises where the appliance is installed. Some gas space heaters are ventilated by a flue, which is a passage for venting exhaust gases from combustion chambers and may include a duct, pipe, vent, or chimney. Other gas appliances are designed without a flue.
There are two categories of gas space heaters based on whether they operate with or without a flue:
• Unflued gas heaters
• Flued gas heaters
The level of ventilation and flueing achieved by different gas space heaters determine the efficiency and safety levels of operating them indoors.
Unflued Gas Heaters
Unflued gas heaters do not have an inbuilt mechanism for discharging combustion products outside. When used indoors, these heaters operate by drawing combustion air from the room and discharging the products back into the room.
As a result, a consistent flow of fresh air should be maintained through proper room ventilation to burn the gas and keep the indoor air safe. Flueless heaters may not be safe for indoor heating.
Flued Gas Heaters
Flued gas heaters use ducts, chimneys, vents, or pipes to channel combustion products outdoors. Many indoor gas heaters are designed to operate with any of the following two common types of flued systems:
• Room-sealed flue
• Open flue
Room-sealed flued gas heaters have a combustion chamber and flued system that is completely sealed from the living space hence the name. All air used for burning the gas in the combustion chamber is drawn from outside the room, and all combustion products are discharged outside the room via separate ducts. The ducts are usually fitted through the wall.
Due to the way room-sealed flued gas heaters operate, they are associated with the following advantages:
• Ventilation is not required for living spaces.
• Their safety is not affected by exhaust fans.
• There is a low risk of harmful combustion products getting into the room.
Open-Flued Gas Heaters
Open flued gas heaters are typical in Australian homes. If you want to know whether your gas heater is open-flued, contact the manufacturer or inquire from a qualified gas fitter.
What is an open-flued gas heater?
Unlike room-sealed flued gas heaters whose ducts are fitted through the wall, open-flued gas heater vents, ducts, or chimneys are usually fitted through the ceiling and roof. The combustion chamber and external flue terminal are connected to the living space hence the name.
How does an open-flued gas heater work?
Open-flued gas heaters operate by drawing air from inside the room into the combustion chamber via a burner inlet and discharging combustion products outside via the flue.
Because the burner inlet of open-flued gas heaters is exposed to air pressure from within the room, it is associated with the following disadvantages:
• They require a high level of room ventilation.
• They are affected by negative pressure from the exhaust fan. This implies a high risk of carbon monoxide entering the room when appliances like bathroom fans that create negative pressure are used while the gas heater is running.
• The combustion products spill into the space in case the flue is blocked.
• Risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
What are the available open-flued gas heater options?
Common types of open-flued gas heaters include:
• Vulcan heritage
• Proxy heater
• Regency i31
• Regency F38 and FG38
• Nectre 2000
• Real Flame Pyrotech
Common open-flued gas heater brands include:
• Rinnai
• Regency
• Braemar
Are open-flued gas heaters safe?
A nationwide gas heater safety alert was issued on the following four open-flued gas space heaters:
• Regency i31
• Regency F38 and FG38
• Nectre 2000
• Real Flame Pyrotech
Carbon monoxide tests show that these heaters spill dangerous amounts of carbon monoxide and other exhaust gases with potential health risks.
Open Flue Gas Heater Services
You are advised to ensure your open-flued gas appliances and gas heating systems are serviced regularly by certified gas fitters. How do you find a qualified gas fitter, and what does a good service include?
Finding a qualified gas fitter
There are many gas fitters in Australia. If you want to establish if a gas fitter in your locality is qualified, look for the following:
• If the gas fitter is registered.
• Whether the gas fitter is endorsed to service type A gas appliances.
• If they have the training to detect carbon monoxide spillage.
• If the gas fitter issues a compliance certificate for undertaking gas fitting work.
Open flue gas heater service checklist
The essence of undertaking inspection and maintenance of an open-flued gas heater is to ensure it is maintained for a proper and safe working condition. When you hire gas fitters to service your open-flued gas heater, you hope that your gas appliance will work properly and efficiently after the technicians have left your premises.
Here is a brief checklist you may handover to your gas fitter to ensure your gas appliances and the heating system are serviced well:
• Internal cleaning to clear combustion products such as soot.
• Repair and replacement of broken or damaged components.
• Inspection of your flued system.
• Negative pressure and carbon monoxide spillage tests should be conducted at the heating vents in all the rooms.
• Letting the system run for some time to ascertain if it is working correctly and safely.
Open flue gas heater safety tips
Here are the tips to improve the overall gas heater safety outcome while using gas appliances in your home:
• Hire qualified gas fitters to ensure proper installation of your gas appliance.
• Regularly service your gas heater.
• Install carbon monoxide alarms as a backup precaution.
• Buy safe gas appliances that meet the set safety standards.
• Regularly inspect the outdoor end of the flue and remove anything that can push carbon monoxide back into the room.
• Consider using alternatives like the room-sealed flued gas heater or split systems.
• Avoid leaving your gas heater on overnight.
• Check if there are any safety alerts on your heater.
• Do not ignore symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Is A Flue Necessary For All Gas Heaters?
A flue is indeed necessary for all interior gas heaters. A flue is a chimney-like device that is used to vent out possible contaminants produced by gas combustion from a home or office. You might be breathing in harmful carbon monoxide if you don’t have a flue present in your house. However, outdoor gas heaters need not require a vent, although the vapours can still be hazardous.
Hire A Qualified Gas Fitter
Whether you need home heating or not largely depends on where you live. There is, however, no doubt that in places like Wollongong and Illawarra, it does get frigid during winter, and so you will definitely require some form of heating in your house. This article has highlighted common types of space heating systems with an emphasis on gas appliances.
Using gas heaters has inherent danger, and you should never ignore or attempt to fix any gas faults by yourself. It is recommended that you hire qualified gas fitters to handle all issues related to gas fitting. You must ensure that your gas fitter issues you with a compliance certificate for all the gas fitting work, including installation, replacement, and conversion of a gas appliance from one gaseous fuel to another.
Qualified gas fitters also have access to the best gas heating systems that handle the coldest winter months. You can consider them if you are looking to install a new gas heating system or to inspect and repair your existing gas space heater.
