I have a 30K and a 20K and the Mr. Heater duel regulators. I have used these to heat my house for the last 2 years and, knock on wood, I have not had a problem. I love them.
I use a 20lb tank and a Hose with regulator. I put my tank outside, cut a hole in the wall, ran the hose through the wall and to the unit. Works great!
Have a similar 30k BTU propane heater...Dyna Glo. Had a 200lb tank installed outside, signed up for auto delivery. Originally, we used this to heat kitchen (large, high ceilings and laundry room) it did an amazing job, never turned it up past 1. We now have another one in living room, with blower fan installed, and it keeps our house at 72° on the coldest days and nights. Atrached to another 200lb tank. Highest propane bill last winter was $173 (both units combined). We had a power outage fir 3 days, stayed toasty warm. Had some neighbors over to get warm too. Dont balk at these things, they're well worth the $250
@Docwho10th actually I'm just a well-traveled Yankee duck hunter. You're right. North of a certain point you just won't see them in use. You can heat a ranch sized home in Arkansas easily with a 5 burner ventless heater.
@@mikeries8549 These new units put out about 3 times more heat than those old heavy GIANT sized ceramic tile heaters they used to sell at the mom and pop furniture stores from about the 40's till the 2000's when were finally outlawed.
Have had a nat gas non vented heater in my 400 sq ft greenhouse for 20 years. A 30K Btu nat gas will keep a -10F outside above freezing inside. I have double inflated poly IR 6 mil film which also helps. I pull in outdoor air from the back and tape off the front grill and the O2 sensor isn't constantly shutting it off. The GH is not airtight. I blow out the burner to clean out the burner system each year. Works great.
@@Egleu1 I’m 65. Have grown up with propane heat my whole life. Have used it for 40 years as an adult. Cook with it and heat with it. Never an issue. No health or safety problems at all. Almost every house in the rural county I live in, and I mean thousands of houses, has a big 250 or 500 gallon propane tank that supplies all our cooking and heating needs. Been this way since the late 1940’s.
@@robertwylie5567 there's a difference between a forced air lp furnace with a chimney and these open air heaters. I have a propane furnace in my house.
@@Egleu1 Older homes can be so drafty, the CO2 level never gets above 1200 ppm running at #2. If your place is built modern and tight, you could have problems. If you have a heat recovery fresh air ventilation system, you will probably be OK. Check with a pro.
@@Egleu1 It would be interesting to see how much co2 a person puts out in a day. I'll look it up and get back to you. OK... I'm back. (The internet is amazing.) The 30,000 BTU heater will burn about a pound of fuel an hour generating 5 pounds of CO2 an hour. A human being will generate 2.3 pounds of CO2 per day...or close to 0.01 pounds of CO2 an hour. So a human is a pretty efficient emitter of CO2 and the propane heater puts out as much CO2 as 500 people. Get a CO2 meter with a big display and alarms. Then, you won't have to worry. Get a separate CO alarm with a battery backup. Follow the instructions that come with your heater.
my Mr Buddy sits under our ceiling fan which is in reverse and on low speed. Heats our den very fast and maintains the warmth… y’all stay warm up there👋🏼😀👋🏼
2 stage regulators work better when the setup is changing altitude. Like in an RV or Camper.. if you are over 5000 ft above sea level.. try and find an adjustable regulator so you can tune the flame to optimum efficiency.
per call to mr heater tech service use yellow teflon tape 2 to 3 wraps ( not ten like in your vedeo) tank pressure 0 f 30# -50 f 11 # thanks for your work
100% correct. I forget what it was that caught my attention during that part, but when we were editing I was like why did I put so much tape on LOL. Since this was temporary until I can do a permanent install, I didn't worry about undoing it. Based on past experiences I personally don't think it will cause an issue.
We have a second home in Puerto Rico where it’s commonplace to not only have a propane tank inside for your oven/stove, but they also bury the tank INSIDE A CABINET 😳 I’ve always had a very unsettling feeling about that practice even thou all the neighbors assured us it’s perfectly okay
I bought 1 of these to heat my 1 car garage. I also bought a window fan to bring in fresh air to combat potential high co2 levels. My co2 detector goes from 400ppm to 2000+ppm with in 5 min of both running at the same time. I thought my detector was possibly bad but feel dizzy when in the garage at the time of the heater running. Everything is installed correctly with no leaks. I believe these are unsafe and am returning mine.
You need to have the fan pulling air out of the garage. If you have the fan pulling air into the garage from the outside the air might be pushing the CO2 back into the garage instead of letting it escape
@@OlDirtyBandit I’ve tried everything with the fan. It has dual blades so I can set it on both bringing in air, both exhausting, or 1 pulling and 1 pushing out air. I also tried two different regulators on unit and still the same results. I’m fxcking riddled. In the process of returning for the radiant version to see if there’s a difference. Heats my garage comfortably tho but again I can’t enjoy it.
I have 2 car garage in upstate ny, been great for 4 plus years now we are smelling some fumes. We are hooked up to our gas line and everytgijg seems fine. No clue
@@ceezy585 yea to be honest I’ve never ran one and not smelt a hint of fumes. But if this guy says he’s feeling dizzy I would probably ask some friends if they know anyone that works with propane or natural gas and let them have a look or just call a professional
I set one up in my 200 sq ft cabin. I put a CO2 sensor alongside my CO sensor. I will never use one of these again! CO2 level hit 5500 ppm in under one hour, and it's a drafty cabin! I now have a vented gas heater and a big door stop.
You can buy Mr Heater in California our Home Depot sells all kinds of Mr Heaters even the ones you mount on top of the propane tank and another is a contractor heater that's a propane 60k BTU so not sure where you heard they don't sell them. Our new propane stove is not even vented. Last year the power went out in cold weather for 4 days I used the stove to help heat the house yes i did oh you don't like that ok I'll make it safe and add 4 pots of water and a turkey in the oven and cook for 4 hrs ? explain the difference ?
That is so interesting. Makes me wonder if there is some difference in the models maybe. Or maybe the manual is just wrong. That is where it says that. Someone in Canada said the same thing. They can get them, too. I just checked the website, and it still says restricted. Maybe use outdated info. Thanks for letting us know.
MrHeater as well as most ventless heaters use to be very good but most are now produced in China by one plant that uses reverse engineering.The quality control is marginal at best , Empire vent free products are still produced in the USA but are priced considerably higher but are of very good quality.Any vent free will produce water vapor in your dwelling or structure which usually condenses on windows,providing fresh air as stated in the warning section of paperwork helps.
My Mr Heater 30k flame propane heater in my garage has a smell only while burning. It even bothers my eyes. I do have a CO2 detector near it but hasn’t gone off.
My wife is more sensitive to things also. That was the reason for replacing our Kerosene heater in the basement with this. Everyone is affected differently and these may not be an option for everyone.
Murphy’s law must always apply.. let’s be real, we’ve been i enough situations to know that lol. We’d be the same. It may be ‘designed’ to be left on.. but what happens if something just goes wrong?! Great advice actually, you two! Really good to hear a non biased view. ❤ God Bless 😎😍✝️🙌
Absolutely. Our rule of thumb is anything with fire should never be left unattended. :) We won't even run our gas logs at night while we're in bed. The other night it was exceptionally cold (it got down to 8 degrees F) and we still turned the logs off.
Most heaters like these shut off the gas and it basically burns itself out for a couple seconds. I have had my gas logs and even my gas grill occasionally have a lingering sulfur smell from the additive they use to give it the smell. In fact, when I replaced the gas line on our Gas Oven it had a strong smell in the old line for many days. My gut tells me it is just that chemical not burning completely as the flame goes out and it takes it a few mins to dissipate. But gas is something not to mess around with. Wouldn't hurt to get it looked at just in case.
Can you help me! My husband installed a Mr Heater 30,000 in the basement turned office, he has a small window and door that opens to rest of the basement and goes straight up the steps to open door to the kitchen. When he runs it makes my living room smell like when a pilot first goes on. But it stays that way and becomes so annoying. We did CO2 test and all are zero, no hisses. He says it’s safe and it’s just the gas burning off. I can’t even be in that room. It tends to just stay in that room. I keep telling him something does not seem right. That smell should not be lingering. I don’t feel safe and he says it will be fine.
Let me start by saying that I am not a licensed professional. Anything I say is purely my opinion and by no means should be taken as fact or correct. When in doubt, get it checked it out. Basically meaning that if it makes you feel uncomfortable, then having a professional check things over is well worth the extra peace of mind. Having said that, different people have different sensitivities when it comes to these. My wife is one of them also. I used to use a kerosene heater before getting this and she had the same complaints about it. For her, this was a better compromise option. Anything that vents directly into a space has always been one of those controversial topics. Because what they say is true. All of your exhaust gases are going directly into your space and being breathed in. The question has always been, is it enough to detect with your nose, but still safely within guidelines, or is it enough to cause actual health issues. Again, this is a long running debate with very passionate opinions on both sides. For me personally, I acknowledge the risk of using mine and feel that the advantages outweigh them. One scientific study found that cooking beef on an electric stove puts out a higher concentration of carcinogens than a running gas stove does. (Cooking beef on a gas stove was naturally highest) When we walk around in a city with a lot of car traffic, we are breathing in gas and diesel fumes all the time. But we generally don't think about it as being dangerous. But to get back to answering the question, these do have a slight smell. Having a slight smell is normal. Anything that burns will have a slight smell. BUT, it never hurts, and I would always recommend, getting a professional opinion to check it out anyway. Just to give you the peace of mine that it isn't a malfunction and is just the normal smell of one.
I have a redstone made by ProCom but all the ventless gas wall heaters I see here in Ohio they all state 100-lb minimum on the tank not 20 lb because it may not function right. Specifically it states that it's a danger, Basically it warns not to use the 20 lb
The Mr Heater owners manual does allow a 20#. But I agree that the bigger the tank the better. Technically the 20# and 100# tanks both have the same vaporization rate. But the 100# tank can absorb the 'coldness' of the vaporization process better. Also, different states have different codes and laws also.
I’m trying to figure out how to convert my natural gas blue flame heater to propane for my shed. I don’t want to blow up. On the blower types you can change the orifice with a conversion kit. Is this possible? Where do I get it? Do I need a different regulator also?
So answering this is a slippery slope of liability. :) I would recommend checking the manual. They do make a Dual Fuel version of these. But I am not 100% sure what that involves. Usually, the orifice and the regulator are the two parts that matter. But these could be different.
Live in upstate New York, this is about the fourth year with this heater hooked up to a gas line. Everything works fine except now we are noticing the smell of fumes. We are in a garage and the flame is blue. We do air compress, blow it out regularly. Any tips? The smell has us worried
We haven't had any issues with ours. But it isn't as old as yours either. I am afraid that I do not have any ideas in this case. Might be a good one to get a pro to look at just in case.
Could be a bad sensor too maybe. In one of the videos in this series we list the Temps that relate to those numbers. So far ours has stayed accurate (MOSTLY) on 1 and 2. Technically the sensor shouldn't be messed with. Not that haven't been known to violate a warranty or two myself.
So far no real issues. But I haven't had a chance to do a lot of wood working since I set things up. Sadly life got in the way. My dust collection system is pretty good so there isn't a lot of dust floating in the air anyway. If there were, I wouldn't be using gas anyway due to the explosion hazard.
It depends on where you live and the harshness of the conditions in Winter. In north Georgia, it rarely gets below 20 F degrees at night. With an insulating box around my tanks, they stay warm enough all Winter to get the gas evaporated and into the line. If the tanks hit 20 degrees, you could lose vaporization and your heater could go out. So, it's not a problem where I live, but it's pretty warm here. Your results may vary if it's colder where you live. 20 F degrees is the magic number.
They do not want you to put the tank in a house or enclosed space because ( gas ) is heavier than the air so it goes to the lowest point where it will accumulate till vented or booooom. So are doing the right thing to turn off the tank valve when not in use. But keep in mind any leak of gas will go to the lowest point and accumulate if you walk into a basement full of gas vapor you might not be able to walk out due to a type of suffocation affect from lack of oxygen. Hope this helps 🙏
But are the odds any different of the connection hose or the heater itself leaking propane unexpectedly, vs the tank itself spontaneously developing a leak? True that if tank itself spontaneously develops a leak, IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE OUTSIDE where the leaking propane will disperse without becoming an explosion hazard.... but if the line inside the house, or the heater itself develops a leak that's not discovered promptly then you're back to square 1 making for an explosive situation as the leaking propane cannot disperse rapidly. Clearly nobody can argue it's much better to keep the propane supply (ie. tank) OUTSIDE of the structure!
These are really good heaters but there are things about them and propane everyone should know. Never store propane cylinders inside or under a deck. I worked for an LPG company for 17 years and manufactures of non-vented gas heaters and gas logs had to install oxygen depletion sensors on these units, this was done through the pilot light and a very small tipped thermocouple. If oxygen levels fell too low the pilot would become unstable, and the unit would cut off. The pilots are a precision device, the orifice is a thin piece of mica and cannot be cleaned with a broach, only compressed air can be used which usually doesn't work requiring pilot replacement. The thermostats on these units are hydraulic and are usually not adjustable, they can also function in one of two ways, a unit that will throttle back to a minimum flame as the selected temperature is reached but not cut completely off, or a snap operation where it cuts off the main burner leaving only the pilot until the thermostat calls for heat. These unvented heaters cannot be installed in a sleeping area or in a manufactured home, only certified heating units can be installed in a manufactured home that draws combustion air from the outside and vents to the outside. Most manufacturers will provide fresh air requirements for these units such as a slightly opened window or a wall vent of a certain size. As far as run time on propane, a gallon of propane contains approximately 91,500 BTU of heat energy, a 30,000 BTU heater running at full throttle will run about three hours. Proper regulation is important. A two-stage system will provide more stable downstream pressures, and it can help reduce the chance of regulator freeze due to moisture in the gas. The stink you get when there is a leak comes from Ethyl Mercaptan injected in the gas at 1.5 pounds per 10,000 gallons of gas, the gas has no natural smell of its own.
I have not had any issues with ours in those regards. I haven't had a lot of chances to use it for long periods though. It 'could' be the low oxygen sensor. I would highly recommend a Co2 alarm just in case. Might be worth getting someone professional to take a look. Just to be sure and safe.
@@TheProjectHelpDesk Thanks!! We have tried running it for long period’s of time and we are having no luck. Working great for hours then goes off!! 11 hours is the longest run time we had with it and now about only 3 hours at a time now. Hopefully I can get it fixed. Thanks for your reply!
@@kennetheasterly9455 yeah, that really could be the O2 depletion sensor kicking in. If that is the case then it could be dangerous. I would highly recommend getting a Profesional opinion in that case. At a minimum, make sure you have an Co2 alarm.
Second year with a portable buddy and over the summer it built up some liquid in the lines I had to open it up and phisically blow out the lines with air compressor so it would work right. Does this heater have the same issue or is there a way to prep the heater if you stop using it?
So far I have only ran one tank through mine. But to my knowledge we had no issues. IE I saw nothing being pushed through the igniter or burner and had no issues with gas stoppage.
When I first started out I got a regulator that has 2 sides where it automatically 1 tank runs out it switches over to the other and on top of that you can split 2 tanks on each side so technically you can run 4 100 lb tanks. Now 1 100 lb tank last me 5 to 7 days depending on whether but being the only heat source in a trailer so I don't know about the 20 lb tanks but if they're only getting around 13 hours that's only half a day I would not even use something like that, and due to the fact that it warns do not use under 100 lb do not use a 20 lb tank 🚫 about that, because the problems that come it's safety-wise and I think it was explained from the factory it's got to do with the pressure in an end up with carbon monoxide in other problems, you're supposed to use a 100 lb minimum. Now campers I think they use the 20, most generally those are 40 to 60 lb minimum, but they're set up is a little different that they can handle the lower tank. But nowadays I just use a permanent set tank 500 gal and if you actually figure how many gallons are in the small tanks and then you go to a bigger tank for some reason the bigger tanks will last longer in the long run. Probably due to more air space in order to allow the gas buildup and you're just burning off fumes anyways so yes the bigger the tank the better it runs and most definitely last longer even gallon per gallon being filled in there like 100 lb I think holds 24 gal if I remember correctly. And if I fill it 10 times I got 240 gal but if I have 240 gallons put in my big tank that big tank will last longer with one fill of 240 gallons then 100 lb being filled 10 times in a row still being the same amount of 240 gallons. I only had the concept of the understanding of things to an extent but actually somebody who is very good at math and understanding chemicals and pressure yeah they can definitely explain this to you but it's been explained to me by the people who have the propane to fill my tank in different other companies they've always said the same thing the bigger the tank the more output you will get per gallon and that's why the bigger tanks are better plus it's got something to do with pressure and carbon monoxide there's a lot of problems so you don't want to use a 20 lb or even if it works because the way everything set up with all the components. Now if you have something like a 10,000 or another type of setup yes you want to use a 20 lb and you probably don't want to exceed too high
Thanks for the data and response. If you don't mind, would you pass along where you found the warning not to use anything smaller than 100#? I know that manufacturers make mistakes, so if something conflicts with the online manual, or has changed, I would love to include it. Currently the manual from the website states "Tank Capacity (Min) 20# Propane Cylinder". I do agree that the bigger the tank, the better you are. That is why my plan is to connect mine to my 500 Gallon outdoor tank for a permanent black iron pipe connection. It is called vaporization rate. Basically the surface area of the liquid gas is the only place where the liquid converts to the vapor that you burn. The larger your surface area, the faster you can convert liquid to gas and the larger the appliances you can run. Interestingly enough, a 20# and a 100# have the same surface area as they are the same diameter and both stand vertical. So the vaporization rate is often argued to be the same. Tanks that are designed to lay horizontal have the largest vaporization surface area. The 100# tank is better able to withstand the cold that is 'generated' when the liquid converts to a gas though. (Before the physics people start yelling, yes I know that cold isn't generated. See laws of Thermodynamics) And that cold, affects your vaporization rate. So from that perspective I feel like the 100# tank is better.
@@TheProjectHelpDesk the Redstone I have which came from TSC so that's probably why it was badged that way, I've had it I believe 8 years, the last six has been the primary heat for the whole trailer(12x50) after I took the wood burner out, all though when I looked at the date on the side it was showing for 2010, wich ain't to say it didn't sit somewhere before it finally got on the shelf and sold. I'm trying to find my manual, but I remember when I bought that it specifically stated to use the 100 lb tank. I can't remember if it was on the original box or in the manual I think it was all on the box show The 100 lb tank back then. Also that would actually be made by ProCom for Redstone, I think the badge they put on there when they're sold through TSC. And I make note that it is a DUAL FUEL also so I'm not sure maybe that's got something to do with it too if I was running natural gas instead of propane and maybe that's what the 100 lb minimum tank warning ment. I will try to see if I can find that manual cuz I need to find it anyways to try to see if I can still get a new burner for it, as it is kind of getting to the point it might be time to change it sometimes they get a little crack and them right where the pilot light sits. Of course I'm running at 24 7/8 months a a year not as a part-timer emergency source because ever since the wood burner got the cracks in the cast iron and I took it out, my main source of heat went from wood burner to the wall heater which is a 30000 BTU and that might also have something to do with the 100 lb tank and that's what I'm thinking it's probably got something to do with when you're using a 30000 versus a little 20 or 10000 BTU, and using on a daily basis, not just an emergency everything went out, and because being dual fuel with might have something to do with natural gas I'm not sure but I do know that I've seen that warning and that's the whole reason I did the 100 lb tank which I'm glad anyways cuz a 20-pounder I do not see that working out because you'd be filling the tank every single day switching tanks twice a day if you had to use it as a only source. Like I said even the 100 lbs only got me 5 cold days or 7 not so bad, but still need it to be running all day long, 24-hours day in day out with no other source of heat, and you got to consider though I'm not doing just a small little area like a shed or a garage or one room I'm doing a trailer that is 12x50 what's 7 ft walls in the insulation coming out the bottom underneath and a bit drafty, as its seen its better days it was built in 1973. I would imagine something like a smaller area would definitely probably last a lot longer on its fuel consumption you could put it down to a lower hard set level on the thermostat dial. What I love about it even if the electric is out you still get the heat regardless of the fan not being able to run. And one of the good things is I have the glass in mind plus I don't have that grid where somebody can reach their hands in their like a child it's actually got the little quarter or half inch diamond style protection. Children don't get their hands in their no type of paper or anything like that can just accidentally float in, it holds back more dust from getting on berner and when you get heavier Winter winds opening the door it does not put it out. Unfortunately a lot of them nowadays are not built as well as this one they're all no glass the grid's got like a couple inches between each bar so all the extra things I just talked about at the end the older ones are more protective the newer ones that's kind of the flaws that come with them. And like I always say you find a product you like you better by 10 of them because in this day's world it ain't like you can buy something back in the 1960s and it still works today, primarily anything built after the 90's, especially last 5 years I mean just automobiles riding mowers heaters everything just seems like it don't last very long anything can go down as quick as the very year you got it to within less than half a decade. So I really value this one I wish I would have went ahead and bought all the replacement parts or two of them when I first bought it just to have it sitting around. But yeah other than cleaning it every year , can't complain. I've only had to clean the burner and pilot light twice, and never replaced a part except for this year like I said might be time for a new burner flame rail whatever you want to call it.
I am having problems with my 30,000 blue flame Mr Heater. Wondering if anyone has had similar issues. I keep my 30lb tanks outside. I have the single regulator on my hose, I ran through one of my outsude storage lids drill hole into my 35' camper. I actually started this heater in another camper that was 27'. Sane way, brought the hose in and directly connected the hose to my Heater. There's a kink due to how it sat in previously camper, didn't seem to stop flow of fuel. This time, I have it sitting on top 2 cinder blocks. It gives the heater a good clearance with the kink right where the metal fitting goes into the heater. The consistent issue #1, has been the whistle sound, got it a couple times when I 1st used it. My friend she's used ventless heaters of different brands so she rechecked my connection. Retightened the hose. Thought alittle air may gotten in the hose. She thinks I over thinks everything. But, I didn't have any farther problems, last year. I use it sometimes 24/7 if on the 1st selection: 5-6 dayS. On 2 selection: 4-5, but if I rundown say during the day then cut it off fir bed time that averages 5-6 hrs until next morning and night temperatures are mid 30°-40°s. Colder, it stays on. These heaters give off like a vapor on top at least mine does. Last winter it wasn't always noticeable. The old camper 03' didn't have as many large windows as this 93' camper does. In the living room/ kitchen area, I now have 3-4' horizontal louver type windows, on either side. My propane stive sits across from heater. But, I choose to not use it, only top works. I use my microwave and a big oven size multiple functional cooking device with oven/toaster/ air fryer/ oven & it's electric. #2. Currently issue. I've noticed this yr, started using it again in November last yr. It was beginning to whistle alittle more . I cleaned it again with the blowing a straw method, my friend insists works. These heaters are dust sensitive, be careful when sweep around it. By this past Dec. The air in the hose, was getting worse, so I called the help line, Mr Heater directly. I was advised to take rubbing alcohol I used a q-tip, to clean the pilot oracle because it will whistle when it's gotten dirty. I cleaned in that area, where the propane opening is, the whole area and also already asked it ok to use a can of compressed air to clean the back area, where you can't reach. I hate that the grill isn't removable but I have petite hands. So I even used the rubbing alcohol with clean q tip and cleaned the bar where the individual flames sprout from as well. The other question wadms about light smell of propane when only I ad it set on selection 1. Never when on pilot or on selection 2. My boyfriend jad 2wks ago woke up lite headed. I had used the reflex to insulate as well plastic so it was more tight than previous. I've since removed some for more drafts as well cracked 1 large window closest to the heater and I cracked my bedroom window. The advise was I could have a broken vial. This heater on selection 2 will cut off occasionally like it's Thermador on the wall does. Selection 1 doesn't if rarely, cut off and it never has cut off -I don't think the safety vial works. I manually cut it off. We have this artic freeze air. Last wk, it ran some what without smell but yesterday I felt light headed. I turned it off went back to electric heaters and closed me and my cats in my bedroom. We're 1500 ft above the valley below us. The propane smell is strong, but it's burning w/o problems. Yesterday it didn't disappear when after the pilot on for 5 minutes. Also on the last month I can see alot of humidity vapor rising from it. Maybe a 30,000 unit too big. I'm right now considering to try to find a Mr Heater that's a 20,000 but. To replace a vial I was told it would cost me $100. Plus I'd have to go to Ala. No one near my location or in middle Tn fixes their heaters. After watching the Lovely video and yours last yr, I'm going to make some changes. I think before giving up on this heater, I'm going to change from the single regulator to the 2 setup and purchase the meta elbowl fitting, so that a kink shouldn't again occur form in my hose. The cleaning caused the whistle to stop. We don't here ever put our propane tanks inside of our campers. I have a hunter neighbor who has a 200 lb horizontal tank.He advised blue flame better fot ventless heaters. I started with the buddy heater , it heated well but too much condensation and red flame too hot fir surrounding furnature. Iused it with hear blocks underneath and on my table.mmmmmmpropane companies won't hook any large tanks to campers regardless your furnace works or not due to their own Business Insurance restrictions. And they no longer fix broken propane tank vials.
I believe that was the intent as well. My biggest issue is that the hose isn't long enough to really get the tank very far from the house. And since you would likely have it going through a cracked door or window, there would still be a chance of gas leaking into the residence if a tank malfunction occurs. But yes, I think that scenario is what they intended.
@@TheProjectHelpDeskmine is going in my garage. So I should invest in a longer hose and I'll run the hose under the garage door and the tank would be outside as it is intended to be used. Thank you for your awesome videos!
I have a 100 pound tank outside my shop. 2 stage Mr heater regulator is connected directly to the tank. Pro flex gas line ran into the shop connected to the Mr. Heater supply line and cutoff. It won’t light. Do you know if it’s because the regulator is attached directly to the tank?
I don't think it is. Our first gas log set connected exactly like that and had no issues. We later converted that 100lb tank to a larger tank and it also functioned fine for years.
There is a safety on the tank that will pop out if you screw up the starting procedure. It will reset when the pressure is restored on both sides of the valve. If the tank senses that there is free flowing gas, it will shut down to a very slow flow rate. Follow the instructions and you should be fine.
great video.. how did it perform during the polar vortex? temperature here got to 2 degrees and I had my kerosene heaters to the rescue... I saw in your first video with this heater you were using a 20lb tank and was portable .. you still have it on a 20lb tank and still portable? great video and information
We actually only use that when I am in the basement working and there hasn't been a lot of basement time lately. So during the cold spell we didn't actually go down there. Technically you are not suppose to use a propane tank in the house. And we are doing it purely on a temporary basis until we have the time and money to connect it to the outside tank we have. We have a black iron pipe connection in the basement and I just need to tie into it.
You sound like you might know the answer to this (i have tried Mr. heater phone and online and two hardware stores where the know way less than me!)… My 1-year-old mr. Heater had been working fine but now the five bricks light up no matter what i set temperature to (it used to heat up one, three, then five bricks). I live out where there are very few people and even less help so if anybody, anywhere has an idea of a fix, please let me know! Thanks!
That sounds like the infrared model. I don't have any real experience that one. I do have a smaller 3 brick model from Remington. The knob on top sends gas down different lines to each brick. I would assume this one is similar, but honestly I am not qualified to give advice in this case. But I wouild assume the issue is with the main control knob.
Hard to say with accuracy. But if both go out as soon as it turns on the real flames, it kind of sounds like gas starvation to me. IE it has enough flow to support the pilot but as soon as the big demand hits, then it can't keep up. If that is the case then it could be any number of things. Could even relate to the o2 depletion sensor. In this case it might be good to ask a pro opinion.
I was. raised with this type of space heater. Never a problem, out in the cotton country of NW Texas. The only fire problem we've had in our 53 year marriage was an electrical fire, in the middle of the night. So I don't trust electric heat, open flame I can see & control.
Houses burn down all the time due to electrical fires... but when a house goes BOOM! due to natural gas or propane explosion, THAT makes the national news almost every time (if caught on video at least)! Thus the misconception about how incredibly dangerous gas/propane is compared to electricity.
Does it have a UL and/or a AGA sticker on the appliance? If it does, it should be safe to use in your home as long as it's installed as per manufacturer's instructions. Obviously, yours is not installed as per mfr instructions. Great video... both #1 and this one. You and the Mrs. do a great job. I have worked on vent free heaters from time to time but will not touch them if they are not installed in a 'unconfined space', meaning the cubic foot of the room must be at least 50 cubic foot for each 1000 BTUH input of ALL appliances in the space. So, if it's installed in a basement and the water heater and furnace also take combustion air from that space, those appliances need to be added in as well. I will not touch them if there other things not done as per mfr instructions. Too long of a list to comment on. Anyway, I think they're designed pretty safe out of the box. The ODS pilot is specially designed to shut the unit down if oxygen level in the space drops below a certain level. These appliances become unsafe when someone alters the design during repair or someone ignores the safety's set forth in the user/installation manual. I believe the intention of this appliance is to be installed in a small unheated area such as a closed in patio or repurposed garage area where cars (or other things that have fuel in them) do not reside.
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and think you for the professional and accurate nature of your response. This brings up some good data points that others should know. Yes, this specific heater is CSA (ANS Z21.11.2-2019) certified. This certification applies to Gas-Fired Room Heaters. As I understand it, CSA became the testing arm of AGA many years ago. If I am wrong on that then let me know. Oddly enough, I have seen places claim that these are also UL rated. But to be honest, I have never seen a UL Label on one that wasn't the smaller personal units that use the 1lb bottles. And because these do not include tip over shutoff sensors I wonder if they may have tried to get a cert and were denied? I personally do not know this answer one way or the other. I usually go with, If they aint' bragging about it then it likely doesn't have it. When we bought this place it was all gas. Dryer, Furnace, HW heater and stove. We have been slowly converting to electric on things that are not needed in an emergency. So the dryer, furnace and HW heater are now all electric. The only gas devices we now have are the oven/stove and a vent free gas log set in the main house and eventually this unit in the basement area. Our main living space is about 1750 SF. The basement isn't a full basement like you would normally see on a house. It is a 3/4 basement totaling about 1300 SF with about 8 feet of height. This puts the area at around 10,400 cubic feet. And the wall on the 3/4 end doesn't completely seal against the house. It stops about 6-12 inches underneath the floor joists and on the other side is a 1/4 typical crawl space with open foundation vents (About 437 SF). (previous owner shoved insulation in the gap) So in our case, there is a lot of open air movement in our basement space. The kind you do not get on a full basement that seals completely around an entire structure. A side note for everyone, I mentioned that I would not use one of these in a modern energy efficient house. This is actually mentioned in the manual as well. For tightly sealed houses it actually requires additional air inlets. Our house if a 30YO mobile home. When the wind blows outside, the living room curtains literally move about an inch in the breeze and you can see light shining around the door seals. Our place is the very definition of poorly insulated. Currently the one violation I have is having the tank sitting inside the basement. Our plan is to officially connect in to our black iron pipes, hopefully this spring, when we know that I will not need the gas logs for an emergency. Technically, I could also simply open the basement door and set the tank outside and be in compliance with their installation instructions. But having a tank sitting a few feet outside a cracked door feels like trying to secure a home with a Master lock. (Lock Picking Lawyer joke)
@@TheProjectHelpDesk You definitely have plenty of combustion air to support safe operation. Getting that tank out of your basement would be great and why I stated yours was not installed per mfr instructions but you already knew that and covered it in the video. Also, I'm never on board with keeping that portable rubberized supply hose from the tank pressurized. But, you and your common sense does not keep it pressurized. You shut off the tank. Like I said... you did an excellent job on the video. The only other thing you could do to make it safer after hard piping the unit is wall mount instead of free standing. Too many potential variables and boo boos can happen with a small free standing appliance. I know you'll enjoy that heater. You appear to be a person who thinks things through with intelligence and common sense. The common sense aspect is the most important. I'm not concerned that you would put you or your lovely wife in any harm or danger with this appliance. 😃
@@TheProjectHelpDesk Thanks for your videos. We are currently thinking about purchasing a propane heater just in case the power goes out longer than a few hours. We have kerosene heaters, one for the main floor, the other is for the basement. We have only used these a few times the past 35 years. They are smelly and you have to open up a window or door just to use them. We heat our home with a propane furnace but of course the fan doesn't kick on if the power goes out. I know here in the states we warn each other about having a propane tank in our homes, I get that, things do happen. However, my daughter lived in Grenada for 2 1/2 years, and all homes with kitchens have propane tanks for their gas stoves. I'd have to check to see how much the propane company would charge to extend our gas line. I'm not too sure I want to do that since it would only be used in emergency. Things to think on! Again, thanks for you video, very helpful!
Honestly I think smell is very subjective with these. To my knowledge the buddy heaters are all infrared which kind of burns in a different way. I cranked my old buddy up (old model from before the buddy name was used) and the wife complained. She does not complain about the blue flame one. But others do have issues. So very hard to say really. In my case just now it was covered on about 4 years of basement dust so that could have been what she smelled.
Suppose it is 5F outside. If your propane isn't heated it won't vaporize because the boiling point of LP is around 20F. There's more to safety that just putting the tank outdoors.
I’ve had that problem with my camper. I’d fill my tanks in Florida. The formulae is different. It has a different evaporation point. It would loose pressure back in old cold Ohio. Luckily my home’s propane furnace works in sub-zero temperatures. And when it’s cold I have a 80k btu furnace, two 30k btu heaters and a water heater. All off of the same 500 gallon tank. The bigger tank does have a larger evaporation area. But I think the difference is I fed the house with 5/8” line instead of just 1/2”. I even have my Blackstone grille on the deck plumbed into the big tank. It’s lots cheaper and I never have to mess with 20 or 30 lb. Cylinders.
I'd like to use one that runs on natural gas in an insulated room in my garage. It's fairly drafty so I think the oxygen level is high. Would this be safe to use unattended ? I'm in that space only a few hours a day but need to keep it warm for my cat.. I had another wall furnace that died and the replacement cost is unaffordable and my electric heaters are just as unaffordable. Thank you.
As you can see, there is a lot of controversy on this. For those reasons I shy away from saying what is and is not safe. I put these in the same category as a car. 100 people die in the US every day in an automobile accident. But we still drive. Everything in life contains a degree of risk. And we each have to decide if we deem the risk acceptable. Me personally, I would have an issue with keeping cats and open flames near each other. But only because of the mischief cats get into :)
If your question is will the heater be safe as in depleting the O2 level to such an extent that it causes asphyxiation, then you shouldn't have to worry as the machine is designed to shut itself down long before the 02 level would get that low! A person (or cat) can still breathe ok even in an 02 environment that's so low you cannot keep a candle lit. Is it safe to run to Walmart and go shopping while leaving a propane (or gas) heater on burning, well ... probably safer to just turn it off and then back on when you get back home again. If you wouldn't leave a gas stove burner on cooking while you stepped out for a short while, then you shouldn't leave this on either. ps. A cat inside any enclosed space with some kind of warm bedding to curl up in/on will be fine without any other heat source needed. Their fur holds in body heat really well. And 2 is better than one. A heat lamp can of course be added if it gets extremely cold where you are, they'll curl up near it and be nice and warm!
I'm old enough to remember when almost everyone used coal to heat their homes with a warm morning or buckeye stove, these I know gave out carbon monoxide gases but we used these because we had no choice, yes the smoke went out the chimney, but a wind or a stuck damper put in back in the house( do you remember Darrin Mcgavon in The Christmas Story) I don't believe this heater is any more dangerous, heating in any manner is risky.
get an oxygen sensor depletion meter safety is first not hitting here we have been in the 50's and 60's in SOUTHSIDE VA and hoping it stays like this . KEEP WARM IN THESE TIMES BECAUSE THE ONES IN OFFICE NOW COULD GIVE A CRAP LESS ABOUT US YOU NEED HUMDITY it should always be about 35 % optimum is 40 % ECO FAN HELPS SPREAD THE HEAT NO ELECTRIC NEEDED . I had a 20lb tank it lasted 2 weeks on low 2440 sq ft basement with 2 eco fans also blue flame verses infared radiant you can buy a 48 lb tank also and they make wheeled dollys for them GAS CAN MESS YOU UP LMAO GREAT VIDEO the info I gave is from the fire station information sheet you can get and the board of heating safety you can get that online
@@xander9460 both have advantages. I still have my kerosene heater for emergencies. But gas never goes stale and for us has no smell like kerosene does.
I have owned the ventless gas heaters (both LP and NAT) for 35 years and I know MORE THAN YOU ! tell us where the thermostat is ? You won't cause you don't know ! The best brand is the Empire that will last 30+ years with no problems, the Mr Heater and Dyna-Glo work good but after 2 or 3 years internal parts will fail and need replaced. Never-never-never get the dual fuel models - they don't work and fail quickly, buy the model that is only for LP or NAT. The best use for these heaters is for the spring and fall with warm days and cold nights, the biggest mistake is going too big, a 10,000 BTU will heat the same area as a 30,000 BTU , My 2 story house is 1600 square feet and I can heat my whole house with a 10,000 BTU, I also open a window a crack for fresh air and I use gas leak detectors that an alarm will sound for a gas leak. I have C0 detector on the wall within 4 feet of my heater and it never went off. It's very -very -very important to get a gas leak detector, they work cause It alarmed me when I did have a gas leak, ( the C0 detector doesn't detect gas leaks only C0 after the gas is burned ) BUY a gas leak detector, buy 2 or 3, they are only $15 on Amazon !
Just looking at these they look unsafe to me. The byproduct of gas being burned is carbon dioxide but when c02 is allowed to get burned again it creates carbon monoxide c0. Being these units have open not sealed combustion chambers it looks like a potential c0 factory. Be sure to have a fresh air supply and carbon monoxide detector.
Over 100 years and 3 generations and NEVER had a problem with natural gas. Texas homes are built with NG lines in them We even used to use the old school heaters with no sensors built in also with no ill effects. As long as you clean the unit every year by blowing out the pilot light intakes with some compressed air or by using a simple vacuum the collected dust build up, then you are good to go. The fires are caused by people using electrical space heaters and overloading the plug and not using the proper gauge wire in their homes. A lot of lives could of been saved by using heavy duty electrical plugs to match the heavy gauge wire in their homes. The electrical plugs that you buy at HD for $2 will not cut it. (search TH-cam for heavy duty or hospital grade electrical plugs for space heaters....guess what? These plugs DON'T melt!)) Btw, there are videos here on YT that show how to clean the units every year...even then the result would be that the unit would not fire up because of lack of oxygen by way of the intakes being clogged with dust collected during the summer when NOT in use. This is the main reason these units get thrown away! With simple cleaning these units should last a very long time. One of these units heats up our home...we use Vornado circulators to transfer the heat to far away rooms. MUCH cheaper than using central units that we also have but never use. As for the tank that is a BIG NO NO! Tanks are for outdoor use only! If the tank is breeched or leaks at the connections to the tank, then you basically have a bomb that will go off! Common sense here ;-)
But what happens if the line INSIDE the house or the on/off valve inside the house or the heater itself develops a leak that's not quickly discovered? And BOOM! I doubt the odds of the tank developing a spontaneous leak are much different than the metal gas lines connecting the heater to the tank supply line or the heater line on/off valve failing or the heater itself even failing and developing an undetected leak while nobody is home or everyone is deep asleep or something. Just saying. Nobody can argue it's not better to have the supply tank OUTSIDE of the dwelling, but like for emergency purposes at least you gotta do what you gotta do and you just have to understand the risks and be careful. A propane detector is A++ to have under any circumstances, as well as a carbon monoxide detector and the ever popular smoke detector.
@@michaelshrader5139 What if space aliens come down and sabotage the system... BOOM ! The data on fires and accidental deaths related to these heaters is pretty solid. They are safe when used properly and maintained. You are thousands of times more likely to break your neck climbing in and out of the shower.
My heater is recently giving a high whistle sound when I turn it on after several hers being off. The whistle sound is occurring more often. My boyfriend thinks theire is air in the line. I live in Tn, upon a mtn and we have alot of humidity to mid 20° night temperatures since Dec. And I've noticed that the pilot and #2 selection on the heater runs just fine, but when I put down to #1, I can smell the propane gas. My 30lb tank sits outside away from my camper. I put a regulator on when I purchased this Blue Flame heater. Previously used the single can Mr heater, didn't like it because it caused surrounded items to get hot and the condenation was 3x than my now heater. Another question is it normal to see alot of moisture rising above the heater.
I just mounted one on the wall. Does it a till behind it ? They get really hot . I used it in my offgrid rv for years on the stand . Now I have it in the cabin . Just for the bathroom . I have wood heat .
Looks like it is designed to just mount directly on the wall. It likely gets hot but shouldn't get hot enough to catch fire. But I would always recommend monitoring it anyway.
So far it hasn't set mine off. But I am using it in a very open and drafty basement. We actually enjoy the water vapor as we both have sinus issues and run humidifiers all winter anyway. But yes, all gas based items put out a lot of moisture.
@TheProjectHelpDesk Do they make battery powered monitors? I am only using the heater because I am on day 3 of a power outage. I also live in a mobile home, which is quite drafty. Hopefully, that will help, as well. Thank you for your suggestions and quick replies to your viewers' questions. 😄
@@melindagreen687 they do make small battery powered ones also. The one in my basement is a fire co2 combo. Battery only. So it monitors for both. Our upstairs one is a plug in battery combo. The battery being a backup.
where is mr heater made,fan of vent free but empire infrared its not that hard to plumb these the better way with black iron with a 100#(or better) outside,also i do not see where my empire is UL listed
Enerco has been around since about 1957 and is located in Cleveland Ohio. The Mr Heater name has been around since 1984. Not 100% sure if they also build them in Ohio or not.
Mr. Heater want stand behind there products I got a propane ventless gas heater it was creating fireballs outside the firebox in my daughters room. The said that was normal.
@@TheProjectHelpDesk I have a video of it. I sure it is just a bad part. But, when I called support they wouldn’t back there product even after showing them the video. I personally understand that there is no perfect product and parts will fail. But, not to offer a replacement blows my mind.
The flame will roll up the face of an unvented infrared before the ceramic heats enough to turn the gas red on contact with the porous face,blue flames should not do this.
Ventless heaters also put out allot of water vapor. Excess water vapor in a home causes mildew, mold, and rot. On top of that all ventless propane heaters put out small traces of nitrogen oxide which can cause headaches, nausea, and vertigo. These heaters are terrible if you use one as your primary source of heat. So many people don't know about these dangers and suffer for it. I don't always agree with how California and Canada operate, but I totally agree with them on outlawing these ventless propane heaters.
On a side note, it sounds like the data on Cali and Canada is incorrect. We added a note. People from both places confirmed that they can still buy them. Sounds like the install guide was incorrect when we quoted it.
You don't have to have a degree in engineering to modify one, all you need is experience I mechanucs, trust me I modified one for outside testing and it worked, but if you leave tgem alone, install the unit as per the manufacturers instructions yes it's safe
You should always be vigilant about that. In our case, we have a very leaky home with a basement that is even worse. We have multiple carbon monoxide detectors in addition as well. Every situation is different, and every space will build it up differently.
I'm a retired heating and air guy so I'll answer this. A good burning blue flame buts off very little carbon monoxide a lazy yellow flame does puts off carbon monoxide, the flame is yellow because of a lack oxygen. My vent free heater has a low oxygen sensor that turns the heater off when oxygen gets low(it's just a quick acting thermocouple that turns the unit off if the pilot flame turns yellow from a lack of oxygen.And my heater clearly states the square inch opening for fresh air inlet from the outside of my house I must have to provide air for the heater
@@snickelp thanks for your explanation.. not sure where the square inch opening would need to be? I thought this was vent free and no holes needed. Thank you.
I have a 30K and a 20K and the Mr. Heater duel regulators. I have used these to heat my house for the last 2 years and, knock on wood, I have not had a problem. I love them.
I use a 20lb tank and a Hose with regulator.
I put my tank outside, cut a hole in the wall, ran the hose through the wall and to the unit.
Works great!
Any freezing issues in the winter? My tank during use ices over in my garage then looses pressure.
@@onsturnonly in cold weather 😉
Have a similar 30k BTU propane heater...Dyna Glo. Had a 200lb tank installed outside, signed up for auto delivery. Originally, we used this to heat kitchen (large, high ceilings and laundry room) it did an amazing job, never turned it up past 1. We now have another one in living room, with blower fan installed, and it keeps our house at 72° on the coldest days and nights. Atrached to another 200lb tank. Highest propane bill last winter was $173 (both units combined). We had a power outage fir 3 days, stayed toasty warm. Had some neighbors over to get warm too. Dont balk at these things, they're well worth the $250
@@sirjohndoeofpa3292 Totally agree.
I use the wall heater for spring and fall and my pellet stove for harsh winter. I also have a co detection near by .
This type of heater is very common as a primary heat source for duck club houses in the south. If they're unsafe we'd know
EXACTLY! These guys in the north haven't a clue...just like we southerners haven't a clue about heating oil! ha ha ha...that sounds archaic! ha ha
@Docwho10th actually I'm just a well-traveled Yankee duck hunter.
You're right. North of a certain point you just won't see them in use.
You can heat a ranch sized home in Arkansas easily with a 5 burner ventless heater.
@@mikeries8549 These new units put out about 3 times more heat than those old heavy GIANT sized ceramic tile heaters they used to sell at the mom and pop furniture stores from about the 40's till the 2000's when were finally outlawed.
True. I'm from Canada and our government needs to protect us from everything... except pot.
@@colingryms3373protection from pot?😂
Thanks for the Great Information !!!!! the temp setting Helps me know about were the temp will be. Thanks Again !!!
Another Great Informational Video !!!! Great way of Explaining " Use Your Common Sense"
Have had a nat gas non vented heater in my 400 sq ft greenhouse for 20 years. A 30K Btu nat gas will keep a -10F outside above freezing inside. I have double inflated poly IR 6 mil film which also helps. I pull in outdoor air from the back and tape off the front grill and the O2 sensor isn't constantly shutting it off. The GH is not airtight. I blow out the burner to clean out the burner system each year. Works great.
Been running one of these in the house for years and years. They are perfectly safe.
It's not the healthiest thing to burn propane or natural gas unvented in a home.
@@Egleu1
I’m 65. Have grown up with propane heat my whole life. Have used it for 40 years as an adult. Cook with it and heat with it. Never an issue. No health or safety problems at all. Almost every house in the rural county I live in, and I mean thousands of houses, has a big 250 or 500 gallon propane tank that supplies all our cooking and heating needs. Been this way since the late 1940’s.
@@robertwylie5567 there's a difference between a forced air lp furnace with a chimney and these open air heaters. I have a propane furnace in my house.
@@Egleu1
Older homes can be so drafty, the CO2 level never gets above 1200 ppm running at #2.
If your place is built modern and tight, you could have problems.
If you have a heat recovery fresh air ventilation system, you will probably be OK.
Check with a pro.
@@Egleu1
It would be interesting to see how much co2 a person puts out in a day.
I'll look it up and get back to you. OK... I'm back. (The internet is amazing.)
The 30,000 BTU heater will burn about a pound of fuel an hour generating 5 pounds of CO2 an hour.
A human being will generate 2.3 pounds of CO2 per day...or close to 0.01 pounds of CO2 an hour.
So a human is a pretty efficient emitter of CO2 and the propane heater puts out as much CO2 as 500 people.
Get a CO2 meter with a big display and alarms. Then, you won't have to worry.
Get a separate CO alarm with a battery backup. Follow the instructions that come with your heater.
I got mine in the house with a three foot line plumed to the outside to a 20lb tank
I have had two of them I love them. I use them in my shed which is30'x45' love them and I live in iowa
I actually had my 20 lb tank outside . It ran my cook stove and wall heater until I had my 280 lb installed .
10 yr old natural blue flame just tested at 4 parts per million CO. works great. Carries my 1600 ft house during the shoulder months.
my Mr Buddy sits under our ceiling fan which is in reverse and on low speed. Heats our den very fast and maintains the warmth… y’all stay warm up there👋🏼😀👋🏼
2 stage regulators work better when the setup is changing altitude. Like in an RV or Camper.. if you are over 5000 ft above sea level.. try and find an adjustable regulator so you can tune the flame to optimum efficiency.
I have one of these in my garage. Mine uses natural gas. I turn it on when it gets near 0F or below in the winter. #1 gets the garage to about 45F.
45 degrees? that's it?
All good information. I want to thank you for the video to hook up Mr. Heater, It helped a lot
I'm so glad that it could be of some help. Just remember to be safe. Use all safety precautions for you & your family. :)
@@TheProjectHelpDesk Thank you, and Happy New Year to you, and your family.
per call to mr heater tech service use yellow teflon tape 2 to 3 wraps ( not ten like in your vedeo)
tank pressure 0 f 30# -50 f 11 # thanks for your work
100% correct. I forget what it was that caught my attention during that part, but when we were editing I was like why did I put so much tape on LOL. Since this was temporary until I can do a permanent install, I didn't worry about undoing it. Based on past experiences I personally don't think it will cause an issue.
Excellent video, useful information.
We have a second home in Puerto Rico where it’s commonplace to not only have a propane tank inside for your oven/stove, but they also bury the tank INSIDE A CABINET 😳
I’ve always had a very unsettling feeling about that practice even thou all the neighbors assured us it’s perfectly okay
I cut my hose connector gas line and spliced in a 10ft section just to get the tank further away from the heater it’s self.
I bought 1 of these to heat my 1 car garage. I also bought a window fan to bring in fresh air to combat potential high co2 levels. My co2 detector goes from 400ppm to 2000+ppm with in 5 min of both running at the same time. I thought my detector was possibly bad but feel dizzy when in the garage at the time of the heater running. Everything is installed correctly with no leaks. I believe these are unsafe and am returning mine.
You need to have the fan pulling air out of the garage. If you have the fan pulling air into the garage from the outside the air might be pushing the CO2 back into the garage instead of letting it escape
@@OlDirtyBandit I’ve tried everything with the fan. It has dual blades so I can set it on both bringing in air, both exhausting, or 1 pulling and 1 pushing out air. I also tried two different regulators on unit and still the same results. I’m fxcking riddled. In the process of returning for the radiant version to see if there’s a difference. Heats my garage comfortably tho but again I can’t enjoy it.
I have 2 car garage in upstate ny, been great for 4 plus years now we are smelling some fumes. We are hooked up to our gas line and everytgijg seems fine. No clue
@@ceezy585 yea to be honest I’ve never ran one and not smelt a hint of fumes. But if this guy says he’s feeling dizzy I would probably ask some friends if they know anyone that works with propane or natural gas and let them have a look or just call a professional
I set one up in my 200 sq ft cabin. I put a CO2 sensor alongside my CO sensor. I will never use one of these again! CO2 level hit 5500 ppm in under one hour, and it's a drafty cabin! I now have a vented gas heater and a big door stop.
You can buy Mr Heater in California our Home Depot sells all kinds of Mr Heaters even the ones you mount on top of the propane tank and another is a contractor heater that's a propane 60k BTU so not sure where you heard they don't sell them. Our new propane stove is not even vented. Last year the power went out in cold weather for 4 days I used the stove to help heat the house yes i did oh you don't like that ok I'll make it safe and add 4 pots of water and a turkey in the oven and cook for 4 hrs ? explain the difference ?
That is so interesting. Makes me wonder if there is some difference in the models maybe. Or maybe the manual is just wrong. That is where it says that. Someone in Canada said the same thing. They can get them, too. I just checked the website, and it still says restricted. Maybe use outdated info. Thanks for letting us know.
Sure great video info. I might get one just for when power is out.@@TheProjectHelpDesk
Mr. Heater 30k Propane Update for California and Canada
@@TheProjectHelpDesk I smell lawyers.
MrHeater as well as most ventless heaters use to be very good but most are now produced in China by one plant that uses reverse engineering.The quality control is marginal at best , Empire vent free products are still produced in the USA but are priced considerably higher but are of very good quality.Any vent free will produce water vapor in your dwelling or structure which usually condenses on windows,providing fresh air as stated in the warning section of paperwork helps.
I use a 18kbtu heater in my 9x7 tent all the time..
My Mr Heater 30k flame propane heater in my garage has a smell only while burning. It even bothers my eyes. I do have a CO2 detector near it but hasn’t gone off.
My wife is more sensitive to things also. That was the reason for replacing our Kerosene heater in the basement with this. Everyone is affected differently and these may not be an option for everyone.
Murphy’s law must always apply.. let’s be real, we’ve been i enough situations to know that lol. We’d be the same. It may be ‘designed’ to be left on.. but what happens if something just goes wrong?!
Great advice actually, you two! Really good to hear a non biased view. ❤
God Bless 😎😍✝️🙌
Absolutely. Our rule of thumb is anything with fire should never be left unattended. :) We won't even run our gas logs at night while we're in bed. The other night it was exceptionally cold (it got down to 8 degrees F) and we still turned the logs off.
over 90 years here in Texas and never had problems with natual gas.
I have a hearthsense 30000 btu heater - when it shuts down it smells like strong gas for the next 2 minutes. Andy ideas?
Most heaters like these shut off the gas and it basically burns itself out for a couple seconds. I have had my gas logs and even my gas grill occasionally have a lingering sulfur smell from the additive they use to give it the smell. In fact, when I replaced the gas line on our Gas Oven it had a strong smell in the old line for many days. My gut tells me it is just that chemical not burning completely as the flame goes out and it takes it a few mins to dissipate. But gas is something not to mess around with. Wouldn't hurt to get it looked at just in case.
@TheProjectHelpDesk starting to get headaches in the morning
@@jjccministries Yeah, I think that is definitely a good one to get looked at. Better safe than sorry.
Can you help me! My husband installed a Mr Heater 30,000 in the basement turned office, he has a small window and door that opens to rest of the basement and goes straight up the steps to open door to the kitchen. When he runs it makes my living room smell like when a pilot first goes on. But it stays that way and becomes so annoying. We did CO2 test and all are zero, no hisses. He says it’s safe and it’s just the gas burning off. I can’t even be in that room. It tends to just stay in that room. I keep telling him something does not seem right. That smell should not be lingering. I don’t feel safe and he says it will be fine.
Let me start by saying that I am not a licensed professional. Anything I say is purely my opinion and by no means should be taken as fact or correct. When in doubt, get it checked it out. Basically meaning that if it makes you feel uncomfortable, then having a professional check things over is well worth the extra peace of mind. Having said that, different people have different sensitivities when it comes to these. My wife is one of them also. I used to use a kerosene heater before getting this and she had the same complaints about it. For her, this was a better compromise option. Anything that vents directly into a space has always been one of those controversial topics. Because what they say is true. All of your exhaust gases are going directly into your space and being breathed in. The question has always been, is it enough to detect with your nose, but still safely within guidelines, or is it enough to cause actual health issues. Again, this is a long running debate with very passionate opinions on both sides. For me personally, I acknowledge the risk of using mine and feel that the advantages outweigh them. One scientific study found that cooking beef on an electric stove puts out a higher concentration of carcinogens than a running gas stove does. (Cooking beef on a gas stove was naturally highest) When we walk around in a city with a lot of car traffic, we are breathing in gas and diesel fumes all the time. But we generally don't think about it as being dangerous. But to get back to answering the question, these do have a slight smell. Having a slight smell is normal. Anything that burns will have a slight smell. BUT, it never hurts, and I would always recommend, getting a professional opinion to check it out anyway. Just to give you the peace of mine that it isn't a malfunction and is just the normal smell of one.
Will smell when tank is empty
I have a redstone made by ProCom but all the ventless gas wall heaters I see here in Ohio they all state 100-lb minimum on the tank not 20 lb because it may not function right. Specifically it states that it's a danger, Basically it warns not to use the 20 lb
The Mr Heater owners manual does allow a 20#. But I agree that the bigger the tank the better. Technically the 20# and 100# tanks both have the same vaporization rate. But the 100# tank can absorb the 'coldness' of the vaporization process better. Also, different states have different codes and laws also.
I’m trying to figure out how to convert my natural gas blue flame heater to propane for my shed. I don’t want to blow up. On the blower types you can change the orifice with a conversion kit. Is this possible? Where do I get it? Do I need a different regulator also?
So answering this is a slippery slope of liability. :) I would recommend checking the manual. They do make a Dual Fuel version of these. But I am not 100% sure what that involves. Usually, the orifice and the regulator are the two parts that matter. But these could be different.
Live in upstate New York, this is about the fourth year with this heater hooked up to a gas line. Everything works fine except now we are noticing the smell of fumes. We are in a garage and the flame is blue. We do air compress, blow it out regularly. Any tips? The smell has us worried
We haven't had any issues with ours. But it isn't as old as yours either. I am afraid that I do not have any ideas in this case. Might be a good one to get a pro to look at just in case.
I feel like I need to move the temp sensor away from the unit, the room doesn’t get very warm before the thermostat cuts it off
Could be a bad sensor too maybe. In one of the videos in this series we list the Temps that relate to those numbers. So far ours has stayed accurate (MOSTLY) on 1 and 2. Technically the sensor shouldn't be messed with. Not that haven't been known to violate a warranty or two myself.
I can use it in a small apartment during an outage in winter?
These are, according to the manufacturer, designed for indoor use. Our setup, using a 20# tank, is not however an approved setup.
How does it work in your work shop with all the dust?
So far no real issues. But I haven't had a chance to do a lot of wood working since I set things up. Sadly life got in the way. My dust collection system is pretty good so there isn't a lot of dust floating in the air anyway. If there were, I wouldn't be using gas anyway due to the explosion hazard.
It depends on where you live and the harshness of the conditions in Winter.
In north Georgia, it rarely gets below 20 F degrees at night.
With an insulating box around my tanks, they stay warm enough all Winter to get the gas evaporated and into the line.
If the tanks hit 20 degrees, you could lose vaporization and your heater could go out.
So, it's not a problem where I live, but it's pretty warm here. Your results may vary if it's colder where you live.
20 F degrees is the magic number.
They do not want you to put the tank in a house or enclosed space because ( gas ) is heavier than the air so it goes to the lowest point where it will accumulate till vented or booooom. So are doing the right thing to turn off the tank valve when not in use. But keep in mind any leak of gas will go to the lowest point and accumulate if you walk into a basement full of gas vapor you might not be able to walk out due to a type of suffocation affect from lack of oxygen. Hope this helps 🙏
But are the odds any different of the connection hose or the heater itself leaking propane unexpectedly, vs the tank itself spontaneously developing a leak? True that if tank itself spontaneously develops a leak, IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE OUTSIDE where the leaking propane will disperse without becoming an explosion hazard.... but if the line inside the house, or the heater itself develops a leak that's not discovered promptly then you're back to square 1 making for an explosive situation as the leaking propane cannot disperse rapidly. Clearly nobody can argue it's much better to keep the propane supply (ie. tank) OUTSIDE of the structure!
Have a sensitive CO2 monitor. Mine goes up as soon as the heater is turned on.
Might be worth getting it looked at if it goes up too high. Also a good idea to replace CO Detectors every so many years. Just like Smoke Detectors.
These are really good heaters but there are things about them and propane everyone should know. Never store propane cylinders inside or under a deck. I worked for an LPG company for 17 years and manufactures of non-vented gas heaters and gas logs had to install oxygen depletion sensors on these units, this was done through the pilot light and a very small tipped thermocouple. If oxygen levels fell too low the pilot would become unstable, and the unit would cut off. The pilots are a precision device, the orifice is a thin piece of mica and cannot be cleaned with a broach, only compressed air can be used which usually doesn't work requiring pilot replacement. The thermostats on these units are hydraulic and are usually not adjustable, they can also function in one of two ways, a unit that will throttle back to a minimum flame as the selected temperature is reached but not cut completely off, or a snap operation where it cuts off the main burner leaving only the pilot until the thermostat calls for heat. These unvented heaters cannot be installed in a sleeping area or in a manufactured home, only certified heating units can be installed in a manufactured home that draws combustion air from the outside and vents to the outside. Most manufacturers will provide fresh air requirements for these units such as a slightly opened window or a wall vent of a certain size. As far as run time on propane, a gallon of propane contains approximately 91,500 BTU of heat energy, a 30,000 BTU heater running at full throttle will run about three hours. Proper regulation is important. A two-stage system will provide more stable downstream pressures, and it can help reduce the chance of regulator freeze due to moisture in the gas. The stink you get when there is a leak comes from Ethyl Mercaptan injected in the gas at 1.5 pounds per 10,000 gallons of gas, the gas has no natural smell of its own.
Thanks for adding your expertise.
Have you had any problems with heater kicking off?
I have not had any issues with ours in those regards. I haven't had a lot of chances to use it for long periods though. It 'could' be the low oxygen sensor. I would highly recommend a Co2 alarm just in case. Might be worth getting someone professional to take a look. Just to be sure and safe.
@@TheProjectHelpDesk Thanks!! We have tried running it for long period’s of time and we are having no luck. Working great for hours then goes off!! 11 hours is the longest run time we had with it and now about only 3 hours at a time now. Hopefully I can get it fixed. Thanks for your reply!
@@kennetheasterly9455 yeah, that really could be the O2 depletion sensor kicking in. If that is the case then it could be dangerous. I would highly recommend getting a Profesional opinion in that case. At a minimum, make sure you have an Co2 alarm.
Second year with a portable buddy and over the summer it built up some liquid in the lines I had to open it up and phisically blow out the lines with air compressor so it would work right. Does this heater have the same issue or is there a way to prep the heater if you stop using it?
So far I have only ran one tank through mine. But to my knowledge we had no issues. IE I saw nothing being pushed through the igniter or burner and had no issues with gas stoppage.
When I first started out I got a regulator that has 2 sides where it automatically 1 tank runs out it switches over to the other and on top of that you can split 2 tanks on each side so technically you can run 4 100 lb tanks. Now 1 100 lb tank last me 5 to 7 days depending on whether but being the only heat source in a trailer so I don't know about the 20 lb tanks but if they're only getting around 13 hours that's only half a day I would not even use something like that, and due to the fact that it warns do not use under 100 lb do not use a 20 lb tank 🚫 about that, because the problems that come it's safety-wise and I think it was explained from the factory it's got to do with the pressure in an end up with carbon monoxide in other problems, you're supposed to use a 100 lb minimum. Now campers I think they use the 20, most generally those are 40 to 60 lb minimum, but they're set up is a little different that they can handle the lower tank. But nowadays I just use a permanent set tank 500 gal and if you actually figure how many gallons are in the small tanks and then you go to a bigger tank for some reason the bigger tanks will last longer in the long run. Probably due to more air space in order to allow the gas buildup and you're just burning off fumes anyways so yes the bigger the tank the better it runs and most definitely last longer even gallon per gallon being filled in there like 100 lb I think holds 24 gal if I remember correctly. And if I fill it 10 times I got 240 gal but if I have 240 gallons put in my big tank that big tank will last longer with one fill of 240 gallons then 100 lb being filled 10 times in a row still being the same amount of 240 gallons. I only had the concept of the understanding of things to an extent but actually somebody who is very good at math and understanding chemicals and pressure yeah they can definitely explain this to you but it's been explained to me by the people who have the propane to fill my tank in different other companies they've always said the same thing the bigger the tank the more output you will get per gallon and that's why the bigger tanks are better plus it's got something to do with pressure and carbon monoxide there's a lot of problems so you don't want to use a 20 lb or even if it works because the way everything set up with all the components. Now if you have something like a 10,000 or another type of setup yes you want to use a 20 lb and you probably don't want to exceed too high
Thanks for the data and response. If you don't mind, would you pass along where you found the warning not to use anything smaller than 100#? I know that manufacturers make mistakes, so if something conflicts with the online manual, or has changed, I would love to include it. Currently the manual from the website states "Tank Capacity (Min) 20# Propane Cylinder". I do agree that the bigger the tank, the better you are. That is why my plan is to connect mine to my 500 Gallon outdoor tank for a permanent black iron pipe connection. It is called vaporization rate. Basically the surface area of the liquid gas is the only place where the liquid converts to the vapor that you burn. The larger your surface area, the faster you can convert liquid to gas and the larger the appliances you can run. Interestingly enough, a 20# and a 100# have the same surface area as they are the same diameter and both stand vertical. So the vaporization rate is often argued to be the same. Tanks that are designed to lay horizontal have the largest vaporization surface area. The 100# tank is better able to withstand the cold that is 'generated' when the liquid converts to a gas though. (Before the physics people start yelling, yes I know that cold isn't generated. See laws of Thermodynamics) And that cold, affects your vaporization rate. So from that perspective I feel like the 100# tank is better.
@@TheProjectHelpDesk the Redstone I have which came from TSC so that's probably why it was badged that way, I've had it I believe 8 years, the last six has been the primary heat for the whole trailer(12x50) after I took the wood burner out, all though when I looked at the date on the side it was showing for 2010, wich ain't to say it didn't sit somewhere before it finally got on the shelf and sold. I'm trying to find my manual, but I remember when I bought that it specifically stated to use the 100 lb tank. I can't remember if it was on the original box or in the manual I think it was all on the box show The 100 lb tank back then. Also that would actually be made by ProCom for Redstone, I think the badge they put on there when they're sold through TSC. And I make note that it is a DUAL FUEL also so I'm not sure maybe that's got something to do with it too if I was running natural gas instead of propane and maybe that's what the 100 lb minimum tank warning ment. I will try to see if I can find that manual cuz I need to find it anyways to try to see if I can still get a new burner for it, as it is kind of getting to the point it might be time to change it sometimes they get a little crack and them right where the pilot light sits. Of course I'm running at 24 7/8 months a a year not as a part-timer emergency source because ever since the wood burner got the cracks in the cast iron and I took it out, my main source of heat went from wood burner to the wall heater which is a 30000 BTU and that might also have something to do with the 100 lb tank and that's what I'm thinking it's probably got something to do with when you're using a 30000 versus a little 20 or 10000 BTU, and using on a daily basis, not just an emergency everything went out, and because being dual fuel with might have something to do with natural gas I'm not sure but I do know that I've seen that warning and that's the whole reason I did the 100 lb tank which I'm glad anyways cuz a 20-pounder I do not see that working out because you'd be filling the tank every single day switching tanks twice a day if you had to use it as a only source. Like I said even the 100 lbs only got me 5 cold days or 7 not so bad, but still need it to be running all day long, 24-hours day in day out with no other source of heat, and you got to consider though I'm not doing just a small little area like a shed or a garage or one room I'm doing a trailer that is 12x50 what's 7 ft walls in the insulation coming out the bottom underneath and a bit drafty, as its seen its better days it was built in 1973. I would imagine something like a smaller area would definitely probably last a lot longer on its fuel consumption you could put it down to a lower hard set level on the thermostat dial. What I love about it even if the electric is out you still get the heat regardless of the fan not being able to run. And one of the good things is I have the glass in mind plus I don't have that grid where somebody can reach their hands in their like a child it's actually got the little quarter or half inch diamond style protection. Children don't get their hands in their no type of paper or anything like that can just accidentally float in, it holds back more dust from getting on berner and when you get heavier Winter winds opening the door it does not put it out. Unfortunately a lot of them nowadays are not built as well as this one they're all no glass the grid's got like a couple inches between each bar so all the extra things I just talked about at the end the older ones are more protective the newer ones that's kind of the flaws that come with them. And like I always say you find a product you like you better by 10 of them because in this day's world it ain't like you can buy something back in the 1960s and it still works today, primarily anything built after the 90's, especially last 5 years I mean just automobiles riding mowers heaters everything just seems like it don't last very long anything can go down as quick as the very year you got it to within less than half a decade. So I really value this one I wish I would have went ahead and bought all the replacement parts or two of them when I first bought it just to have it sitting around. But yeah other than cleaning it every year , can't complain. I've only had to clean the burner and pilot light twice, and never replaced a part except for this year like I said might be time for a new burner flame rail whatever you want to call it.
I am having problems with my 30,000 blue flame Mr Heater. Wondering if anyone has had similar issues. I keep my 30lb tanks outside. I have the single regulator on my hose, I ran through one of my outsude storage lids drill hole into my 35' camper. I actually started this heater in another camper that was 27'. Sane way, brought the hose in and directly connected the hose to my Heater. There's a kink due to how it sat in previously camper, didn't seem to stop flow of fuel. This time, I have it sitting on top 2 cinder blocks. It gives the heater a good clearance with the kink right where the metal fitting goes into the heater. The consistent issue #1, has been the whistle sound, got it a couple times when I 1st used it. My friend she's used ventless heaters of different brands so she rechecked my connection. Retightened the hose. Thought alittle air may gotten in the hose. She thinks I over thinks everything. But, I didn't have any farther problems, last year. I use it sometimes 24/7 if on the 1st selection: 5-6 dayS. On 2 selection: 4-5, but if I rundown say during the day then cut it off fir bed time that averages 5-6 hrs until next morning and night temperatures are mid 30°-40°s. Colder, it stays on. These heaters give off like a vapor on top at least mine does. Last winter it wasn't always noticeable. The old camper 03' didn't have as many large windows as this 93' camper does. In the living room/ kitchen area, I now have 3-4' horizontal louver type windows, on either side. My propane stive sits across from heater. But, I choose to not use it, only top works. I use my microwave and a big oven size multiple functional cooking device with oven/toaster/ air fryer/ oven & it's electric. #2. Currently issue. I've noticed this yr, started using it again in November last yr. It was beginning to whistle alittle more . I cleaned it again with the blowing a straw method, my friend insists works. These heaters are dust sensitive, be careful when sweep around it. By this past Dec. The air in the hose, was getting worse, so I called the help line, Mr Heater directly. I was advised to take rubbing alcohol I used a q-tip, to clean the pilot oracle because it will whistle when it's gotten dirty. I cleaned in that area, where the propane opening is, the whole area and also already asked it ok to use a can of compressed air to clean the back area, where you can't reach. I hate that the grill isn't removable but I have petite hands. So I even used the rubbing alcohol with clean q tip and cleaned the bar where the individual flames sprout from as well. The other question wadms about light smell of propane when only I ad it set on selection 1. Never when on pilot or on selection 2. My boyfriend jad 2wks ago woke up lite headed. I had used the reflex to insulate as well plastic so it was more tight than previous. I've since removed some for more drafts as well cracked 1 large window closest to the heater and I cracked my bedroom window. The advise was I could have a broken vial. This heater on selection 2 will cut off occasionally like it's Thermador on the wall does. Selection 1 doesn't if rarely, cut off and it never has cut off -I don't think the safety vial works. I manually cut it off. We have this artic freeze air. Last wk, it ran some what without smell but yesterday I felt light headed. I turned it off went back to electric heaters and closed me and my cats in my bedroom. We're 1500 ft above the valley below us. The propane smell is strong, but it's burning w/o problems. Yesterday it didn't disappear when after the pilot on for 5 minutes. Also on the last month I can see alot of humidity vapor rising from it. Maybe a 30,000 unit too big. I'm right now considering to try to find a Mr Heater that's a 20,000 but. To replace a vial I was told it would cost me $100. Plus I'd have to go to Ala. No one near my location or in middle Tn fixes their heaters. After watching the Lovely video and yours last yr, I'm going to make some changes. I think before giving up on this heater, I'm going to change from the single regulator to the 2 setup and purchase the meta elbowl fitting, so that a kink shouldn't again occur form in my hose. The cleaning caused the whistle to stop. We don't here ever put our propane tanks inside of our campers. I have a hunter neighbor who has a 200 lb horizontal tank.He advised blue flame better fot ventless heaters. I started with the buddy heater , it heated well but too much condensation and red flame too hot fir surrounding furnature. Iused it with hear blocks underneath and on my table.mmmmmmpropane companies won't hook any large tanks to campers regardless your furnace works or not due to their own Business Insurance restrictions. And they no longer fix broken propane tank vials.
That probably depends on who is using it.🙏✌️
5:37 then how the heck do ppl use these inside without underground piping?
Thank the Lord mines has kept my family warm God bless everyone 6:07
I thought the longer propane connector was to run it from outside to inside.
I believe that was the intent as well. My biggest issue is that the hose isn't long enough to really get the tank very far from the house. And since you would likely have it going through a cracked door or window, there would still be a chance of gas leaking into the residence if a tank malfunction occurs. But yes, I think that scenario is what they intended.
@@TheProjectHelpDeskmine is going in my garage. So I should invest in a longer hose and I'll run the hose under the garage door and the tank would be outside as it is intended to be used.
Thank you for your awesome videos!
I have a 100 pound tank outside my shop. 2 stage Mr heater regulator is connected directly to the tank. Pro flex gas line ran into the shop connected to the Mr. Heater supply line and cutoff.
It won’t light. Do you know if it’s because the regulator is attached directly to the tank?
I don't think it is. Our first gas log set connected exactly like that and had no issues. We later converted that 100lb tank to a larger tank and it also functioned fine for years.
There is a safety on the tank that will pop out if you screw up the starting procedure.
It will reset when the pressure is restored on both sides of the valve.
If the tank senses that there is free flowing gas, it will shut down to a very slow flow rate.
Follow the instructions and you should be fine.
It smells a little when you're tank gets low on gas ( propane)
I just bought one in Canada today
Interesting. Maybe there is a slight difference between the two. Or the manual is outdated when it said you couldn't get them. Thanks for sharing.
great video.. how did it perform during the polar vortex? temperature here got to 2 degrees and I had my kerosene heaters to the rescue... I saw in your first video with this heater you were using a 20lb tank and was portable .. you still have it on a 20lb tank and still portable? great video and information
We actually only use that when I am in the basement working and there hasn't been a lot of basement time lately. So during the cold spell we didn't actually go down there. Technically you are not suppose to use a propane tank in the house. And we are doing it purely on a temporary basis until we have the time and money to connect it to the outside tank we have. We have a black iron pipe connection in the basement and I just need to tie into it.
You sound like you might know the answer to this (i have tried Mr. heater phone and online and two hardware stores where the know way less than me!)…
My 1-year-old mr. Heater had been working fine but now the five bricks light up no matter what i set temperature to (it used to heat up one, three, then five bricks). I live out where there are very few people and even less help so if anybody, anywhere has an idea of a fix, please let me know! Thanks!
That sounds like the infrared model. I don't have any real experience that one. I do have a smaller 3 brick model from Remington. The knob on top sends gas down different lines to each brick. I would assume this one is similar, but honestly I am not qualified to give advice in this case. But I wouild assume the issue is with the main control knob.
@@TheProjectHelpDeski so appreciate your responding! I’ll try a few more avenues to find an answer but i suspect that you are correct! Thx!
My plot lights
But it shuts down as turn up 1 or more
Good blue flame
Runs on plot
But that s it
Any thing to try ?
Ran I year
Hard to say with accuracy. But if both go out as soon as it turns on the real flames, it kind of sounds like gas starvation to me. IE it has enough flow to support the pilot but as soon as the big demand hits, then it can't keep up. If that is the case then it could be any number of things. Could even relate to the o2 depletion sensor. In this case it might be good to ask a pro opinion.
I was. raised with this type of space heater. Never a problem, out in the cotton country of NW Texas. The only fire problem we've had in our 53 year marriage was an electrical fire, in the middle of the night. So I don't trust electric heat, open flame I can see & control.
Houses burn down all the time due to electrical fires... but when a house goes BOOM! due to natural gas or propane explosion, THAT makes the national news almost every time (if caught on video at least)! Thus the misconception about how incredibly dangerous gas/propane is compared to electricity.
Does it have a UL and/or a AGA sticker on the appliance? If it does, it should be safe to use in your home as long as it's installed as per manufacturer's instructions. Obviously, yours is not installed as per mfr instructions. Great video... both #1 and this one. You and the Mrs. do a great job.
I have worked on vent free heaters from time to time but will not touch them if they are not installed in a 'unconfined space', meaning the cubic foot of the room must be at least 50 cubic foot for each 1000 BTUH input of ALL appliances in the space. So, if it's installed in a basement and the water heater and furnace also take combustion air from that space, those appliances need to be added in as well. I will not touch them if there other things not done as per mfr instructions. Too long of a list to comment on. Anyway, I think they're designed pretty safe out of the box. The ODS pilot is specially designed to shut the unit down if oxygen level in the space drops below a certain level. These appliances become unsafe when someone alters the design during repair or someone ignores the safety's set forth in the user/installation manual.
I believe the intention of this appliance is to be installed in a small unheated area such as a closed in patio or repurposed garage area where cars (or other things that have fuel in them) do not reside.
Thank you so much for taking the time to respond and think you for the professional and accurate nature of your response. This brings up some good data points that others should know. Yes, this specific heater is CSA (ANS Z21.11.2-2019) certified. This certification applies to Gas-Fired Room Heaters. As I understand it, CSA became the testing arm of AGA many years ago. If I am wrong on that then let me know. Oddly enough, I have seen places claim that these are also UL rated. But to be honest, I have never seen a UL Label on one that wasn't the smaller personal units that use the 1lb bottles. And because these do not include tip over shutoff sensors I wonder if they may have tried to get a cert and were denied? I personally do not know this answer one way or the other. I usually go with, If they aint' bragging about it then it likely doesn't have it. When we bought this place it was all gas. Dryer, Furnace, HW heater and stove. We have been slowly converting to electric on things that are not needed in an emergency. So the dryer, furnace and HW heater are now all electric. The only gas devices we now have are the oven/stove and a vent free gas log set in the main house and eventually this unit in the basement area. Our main living space is about 1750 SF. The basement isn't a full basement like you would normally see on a house. It is a 3/4 basement totaling about 1300 SF with about 8 feet of height. This puts the area at around 10,400 cubic feet. And the wall on the 3/4 end doesn't completely seal against the house. It stops about 6-12 inches underneath the floor joists and on the other side is a 1/4 typical crawl space with open foundation vents (About 437 SF). (previous owner shoved insulation in the gap) So in our case, there is a lot of open air movement in our basement space. The kind you do not get on a full basement that seals completely around an entire structure. A side note for everyone, I mentioned that I would not use one of these in a modern energy efficient house. This is actually mentioned in the manual as well. For tightly sealed houses it actually requires additional air inlets. Our house if a 30YO mobile home. When the wind blows outside, the living room curtains literally move about an inch in the breeze and you can see light shining around the door seals. Our place is the very definition of poorly insulated. Currently the one violation I have is having the tank sitting inside the basement. Our plan is to officially connect in to our black iron pipes, hopefully this spring, when we know that I will not need the gas logs for an emergency. Technically, I could also simply open the basement door and set the tank outside and be in compliance with their installation instructions. But having a tank sitting a few feet outside a cracked door feels like trying to secure a home with a Master lock. (Lock Picking Lawyer joke)
@@TheProjectHelpDesk You definitely have plenty of combustion air to support safe operation. Getting that tank out of your basement would be great and why I stated yours was not installed per mfr instructions but you already knew that and covered it in the video. Also, I'm never on board with keeping that portable rubberized supply hose from the tank pressurized. But, you and your common sense does not keep it pressurized. You shut off the tank. Like I said... you did an excellent job on the video. The only other thing you could do to make it safer after hard piping the unit is wall mount instead of free standing. Too many potential variables and boo boos can happen with a small free standing appliance.
I know you'll enjoy that heater.
You appear to be a person who thinks things through with intelligence and common sense. The common sense aspect is the most important. I'm not concerned that you would put you or your lovely wife in any harm or danger with this appliance. 😃
@Jim Kuhn thank you so much, and some of the things you mentioned are in the next phase of the project.
@@TheProjectHelpDesk Thanks for your videos. We are currently thinking about purchasing a propane heater just in case the power goes out longer than a few hours. We have kerosene heaters, one for the main floor, the other is for the basement. We have only used these a few times the past 35 years. They are smelly and you have to open up a window or door just to use them. We heat our home with a propane furnace but of course the fan doesn't kick on if the power goes out. I know here in the states we warn each other about having a propane tank in our homes, I get that, things do happen. However, my daughter lived in Grenada for 2 1/2 years, and all homes with kitchens have propane tanks for their gas stoves. I'd have to check to see how much the propane company would charge to extend our gas line. I'm not too sure I want to do that since it would only be used in emergency. Things to think on! Again, thanks for you video, very helpful!
Do these have a smell like the buddy heaters? I switched to the WAVE heater that has no smell.
Honestly I think smell is very subjective with these. To my knowledge the buddy heaters are all infrared which kind of burns in a different way. I cranked my old buddy up (old model from before the buddy name was used) and the wife complained. She does not complain about the blue flame one. But others do have issues. So very hard to say really. In my case just now it was covered on about 4 years of basement dust so that could have been what she smelled.
Suppose it is 5F outside.
If your propane isn't heated it won't vaporize because the boiling point of LP is around 20F.
There's more to safety that just putting the tank outdoors.
I’ve had that problem with my camper.
I’d fill my tanks in Florida. The formulae is different. It has a different evaporation point. It would loose pressure back in old cold Ohio.
Luckily my home’s propane furnace works in sub-zero temperatures.
And when it’s cold I have a 80k btu furnace, two 30k btu heaters and a water heater. All off of the same 500 gallon tank.
The bigger tank does have a larger evaporation area. But I think the difference is I fed the house with 5/8” line instead of just 1/2”.
I even have my Blackstone grille on the deck plumbed into the big tank. It’s lots cheaper and I never have to mess with 20 or 30 lb. Cylinders.
I'd like to use one that runs on natural gas in an insulated room in my garage. It's fairly drafty so I think the oxygen level is high. Would this be safe to use unattended ? I'm in that space only a few hours a day but need to keep it warm for my cat.. I had another wall furnace that died and the replacement cost is unaffordable and my electric heaters are just as unaffordable. Thank you.
As you can see, there is a lot of controversy on this. For those reasons I shy away from saying what is and is not safe. I put these in the same category as a car. 100 people die in the US every day in an automobile accident. But we still drive. Everything in life contains a degree of risk. And we each have to decide if we deem the risk acceptable. Me personally, I would have an issue with keeping cats and open flames near each other. But only because of the mischief cats get into :)
If your question is will the heater be safe as in depleting the O2 level to such an extent that it causes asphyxiation, then you shouldn't have to worry as the machine is designed to shut itself down long before the 02 level would get that low! A person (or cat) can still breathe ok even in an 02 environment that's so low you cannot keep a candle lit. Is it safe to run to Walmart and go shopping while leaving a propane (or gas) heater on burning, well ... probably safer to just turn it off and then back on when you get back home again. If you wouldn't leave a gas stove burner on cooking while you stepped out for a short while, then you shouldn't leave this on either.
ps. A cat inside any enclosed space with some kind of warm bedding to curl up in/on will be fine without any other heat source needed. Their fur holds in body heat really well. And 2 is better than one. A heat lamp can of course be added if it gets extremely cold where you are, they'll curl up near it and be nice and warm!
I'm old enough to remember when almost everyone used coal to heat their homes with a warm morning or buckeye stove, these I know gave out carbon monoxide gases but we used these because we had no choice, yes the smoke went out the chimney, but a wind or a stuck damper put in back in the house( do you remember Darrin Mcgavon in The Christmas Story) I don't believe this heater is any more dangerous, heating in any manner is risky.
Amen. Everything in life is about risk assessment. More people die in cars every day. But we still drive.
I use my mr heater with a 20 lb tank every year.
Do you use a fuel filter?
We do not use a filter on ours. As far as I can tell, the original home plumbing line for the propane, also does not have one in the line.
Ive found out that these heatets dont like any wind on it. Like a over head fan.
I find this to be true of all modern gas heating appliances. Our gas logs hate our ceiling fan also. They all seem to be more temperamental now.
get an oxygen sensor depletion meter safety is first not hitting here we have been in the 50's and 60's in SOUTHSIDE VA and hoping it stays like this . KEEP WARM IN THESE TIMES BECAUSE THE ONES IN OFFICE NOW COULD GIVE A CRAP LESS ABOUT US YOU NEED HUMDITY it should always be about 35 % optimum is 40 % ECO FAN HELPS SPREAD THE HEAT NO ELECTRIC NEEDED . I had a 20lb tank it lasted 2 weeks on low 2440 sq ft basement with 2 eco fans also blue flame verses infared radiant you can buy a 48 lb tank also and they make wheeled dollys for them GAS CAN MESS YOU UP LMAO GREAT VIDEO the info I gave is from the fire station information sheet you can get and the board of heating safety you can get that online
by the way notice my last name
Gas vs Kerosine?
@@xander9460 both have advantages. I still have my kerosene heater for emergencies. But gas never goes stale and for us has no smell like kerosene does.
I have owned the ventless gas heaters (both LP and NAT) for 35 years and I know MORE THAN YOU ! tell us where the thermostat is ? You won't cause you don't know ! The best brand is the Empire that will last 30+ years with no problems, the Mr Heater and Dyna-Glo work good but after 2 or 3 years internal parts will fail and need replaced. Never-never-never get the dual fuel models - they don't work and fail quickly, buy the model that is only for LP or NAT. The best use for these heaters is for the spring and fall with warm days and cold nights, the biggest mistake is going too big, a 10,000 BTU will heat the same area as a 30,000 BTU , My 2 story house is 1600 square feet and I can heat my whole house with a 10,000 BTU, I also open a window a crack for fresh air and I use gas leak detectors that an alarm will sound for a gas leak. I have C0 detector on the wall within 4 feet of my heater and it never went off. It's very -very -very important to get a gas leak detector, they work cause It alarmed me when I did have a gas leak, ( the C0 detector doesn't detect gas leaks only C0 after the gas is burned ) BUY a gas leak detector, buy 2 or 3, they are only $15 on Amazon !
Just looking at these they look unsafe to me. The byproduct of gas being burned is carbon dioxide but when c02 is allowed to get burned again it creates carbon monoxide c0. Being these units have open not sealed combustion chambers it looks like a potential c0 factory. Be sure to have a fresh air supply and carbon monoxide detector.
* 2 stage regulator required for 100 lb propane tank
Over 100 years and 3 generations and NEVER had a problem with natural gas. Texas homes are built with NG lines in them We even used to use the old school heaters with no sensors built in also with no ill effects. As long as you clean the unit every year by blowing out the pilot light intakes with some compressed air or by using a simple vacuum the collected dust build up, then you are good to go. The fires are caused by people using electrical space heaters and overloading the plug and not using the proper gauge wire in their homes. A lot of lives could of been saved by using heavy duty electrical plugs to match the heavy gauge wire in their homes. The electrical plugs that you buy at HD for $2 will not cut it. (search TH-cam for heavy duty or hospital grade electrical plugs for space heaters....guess what? These plugs DON'T melt!)) Btw, there are videos here on YT that show how to clean the units every year...even then the result would be that the unit would not fire up because of lack of oxygen by way of the intakes being clogged with dust collected during the summer when NOT in use. This is the main reason these units get thrown away! With simple cleaning these units should last a very long time. One of these units heats up our home...we use Vornado circulators to transfer the heat to far away rooms. MUCH cheaper than using central units that we also have but never use. As for the tank that is a BIG NO NO! Tanks are for outdoor use only! If the tank is breeched or leaks at the connections to the tank, then you basically have a bomb that will go off! Common sense here ;-)
But what happens if the line INSIDE the house or the on/off valve inside the house or the heater itself develops a leak that's not quickly discovered? And BOOM! I doubt the odds of the tank developing a spontaneous leak are much different than the metal gas lines connecting the heater to the tank supply line or the heater line on/off valve failing or the heater itself even failing and developing an undetected leak while nobody is home or everyone is deep asleep or something. Just saying. Nobody can argue it's not better to have the supply tank OUTSIDE of the dwelling, but like for emergency purposes at least you gotta do what you gotta do and you just have to understand the risks and be careful.
A propane detector is A++ to have under any circumstances, as well as a carbon monoxide detector and the ever popular smoke detector.
@@michaelshrader5139
What if space aliens come down and sabotage the system... BOOM !
The data on fires and accidental deaths related to these heaters is pretty solid. They are safe when used properly and maintained. You are thousands of times more likely to break your neck climbing in and out of the shower.
Mine seems to get to much gas
Are you using an external regulator? Or is the regulator not functioning properly maybe?
My heater is recently giving a high whistle sound when I turn it on after several hers being off. The whistle sound is occurring more often. My boyfriend thinks theire is air in the line. I live in Tn, upon a mtn and we have alot of humidity to mid 20° night temperatures since Dec. And I've noticed that the pilot and #2 selection on the heater runs just fine, but when I put down to #1, I can smell the propane gas. My 30lb tank sits outside away from my camper. I put a regulator on when I purchased this Blue Flame heater. Previously used the single can Mr heater, didn't like it because it caused surrounded items to get hot and the condenation was 3x than my now heater. Another question is it normal to see alot of moisture rising above the heater.
I just mounted one on the wall.
Does it a till behind it ?
They get really hot .
I used it in my offgrid rv for years on the stand . Now I have it in the cabin . Just for the bathroom .
I have wood heat .
Looks like it is designed to just mount directly on the wall. It likely gets hot but shouldn't get hot enough to catch fire. But I would always recommend monitoring it anyway.
My MrHeater sets off both my carbon monoxide alarms consistently , I don’t think they are safe. Also huge amounts of water vapor.
So far it hasn't set mine off. But I am using it in a very open and drafty basement. We actually enjoy the water vapor as we both have sinus issues and run humidifiers all winter anyway. But yes, all gas based items put out a lot of moisture.
Guess What Life itself is a RISK!!!!
LIVE IT, DON'T PUT YOUR SELF IN A BUBBLE.!!!!
Do I need to Crack a window?
Short answer is yes. Per the owners manual, ventilation is required. When in doubt, air it out.
@TheProjectHelpDesk Thank you sooooooo much 😊
@@melindagreen687 on a side note, I highly recommend a CO2 monitor also. They are fairly cheap and well worth the extra security.
@TheProjectHelpDesk Do they make battery powered monitors? I am only using the heater because I am on day 3 of a power outage. I also live in a mobile home, which is quite drafty. Hopefully, that will help, as well. Thank you for your suggestions and quick replies to your viewers' questions. 😄
@@melindagreen687 they do make small battery powered ones also. The one in my basement is a fire co2 combo. Battery only. So it monitors for both. Our upstairs one is a plug in battery combo. The battery being a backup.
At 7:35 I realized y’all have been married a LONG time.
where is mr heater made,fan of vent free but empire infrared its not that hard to plumb these the better way with black iron with a 100#(or better) outside,also i do not see where my empire is UL listed
Enerco has been around since about 1957 and is located in Cleveland Ohio. The Mr Heater name has been around since 1984. Not 100% sure if they also build them in Ohio or not.
Mr. Heater want stand behind there products I got a propane ventless gas heater it was creating fireballs outside the firebox in my daughters room. The said that was normal.
So far we have had good luck. Does sound odd for that to be considered nornal.
@@TheProjectHelpDesk I have a video of it. I sure it is just a bad part. But, when I called support they wouldn’t back there product even after showing them the video. I personally understand that there is no perfect product and parts will fail. But, not to offer a replacement blows my mind.
The flame will roll up the face of an unvented infrared before the ceramic heats enough to turn the gas red on contact with the porous face,blue flames should not do this.
Man.....gas can mess you up !
Oh by the way i smell that one young lady .
Good work Sir. Well done Video and so informative. I love your sense of humor. And it's fun to see you flirt with your hot wife! : )
Ventless heaters also put out allot of water vapor. Excess water vapor in a home causes mildew, mold, and rot.
On top of that all ventless propane heaters put out small traces of nitrogen oxide which can cause headaches, nausea, and vertigo. These heaters are terrible if you use one as your primary source of heat.
So many people don't know about these dangers and suffer for it. I don't always agree with how California and Canada operate, but I totally agree with them on outlawing these ventless propane heaters.
On a side note, it sounds like the data on Cali and Canada is incorrect. We added a note. People from both places confirmed that they can still buy them. Sounds like the install guide was incorrect when we quoted it.
You don't have to have a degree in engineering to modify one, all you need is experience I mechanucs, trust me I modified one for outside testing and it worked, but if you leave tgem alone, install the unit as per the manufacturers instructions yes it's safe
I clicked on this hoping to understand why there are no worries about Carbon Monoxide ...
You should always be vigilant about that. In our case, we have a very leaky home with a basement that is even worse. We have multiple carbon monoxide detectors in addition as well. Every situation is different, and every space will build it up differently.
I'm a retired heating and air guy so I'll answer this. A good burning blue flame buts off very little carbon monoxide a lazy yellow flame does puts off carbon monoxide, the flame is yellow because of a lack oxygen. My vent free heater has a low oxygen sensor that turns the heater off when oxygen gets low(it's just a quick acting thermocouple that turns the unit off if the pilot flame turns yellow from a lack of oxygen.And my heater clearly states the square inch opening for fresh air inlet from the outside of my house I must have to provide air for the heater
Thank you.
@@snickelp thanks for your explanation.. not sure where the square inch opening would need to be? I thought this was vent free and no holes needed. Thank you.
My heater will come on, then shut off.
Sounds like something that should be checked professionally. A lot of different things could cause that.
Gas will mess you up lol lol
Saying California is a State is an oxymoron
Nope not safe at all..lol..
Plausible deniability