# Gas ventless wall heater or electric heater??????



## ckarotka (Jan 8, 2011)

Ok fella's,

I'm looking for an extra heat source for a very cold bedroom, about 200sf. All I want is 65f as cheap as possible running cost, not up front or install cost. I have NG so I can go that route.

This heater would only run prior to and during sleeping hours, I estimate about 8-10hrs a day, that includes the warm up period. The room would start daily around 45-50f and I want max 65f.

I like the small gas wall mount option (10,000btu), but my wife suffers from bad migraines sometimes triggered by smells. Does anyone use a small blue flame heater in a bedroom or other smaller room and is there any oder???? How about moisture/humidity problems?????

The bedroom is a converted garage and does not get any airflow from the stove. Also a concrete floor below 2x4's laying flat isn't helping things much. Not my design, bought the house this way and needed the extra bedroom. I didn't plan on burning wood for heat when we bought this money pit, just kinda happened and I refuse to stop using wood.

I was told a 1500watt electric heater would cost around $45-60 a month to run, does that sound right??

Thanks,
Charlie


----------



## kayakkeith (Jan 8, 2011)

Might be more then you need but we have a vented Monitor as our house back up. They have a smaller version. These things are very energy efficient and you will see just have a small vent. 

http://www.monitorproducts.com/


No indoor combustion as its all self contained - let me know if you have any questions


Basically since you can program it we set it to fire up in the early morning hours when the woodstove has died down. again its rated at like 80% energy efficient


----------



## ckarotka (Jan 9, 2011)

Those look real nice, but maybe a tad too high priced. I should say that the budget is around 300+-. I'll install myself.
Thanks for the link anyway.


----------



## begreen (Jan 9, 2011)

The electrical estimate sounds pretty steep. How much per kwh are you paying? 

Gas will be more expensive to install. I'm not a big fan of ventless, so I would be including venting, especially if you are concerned about migranes and humidity. Water vapor is created by the gas burning. It has to go somewhere. But might be cheaper to run. 

Moving this to the gas forum for a more targeted response.

Have you tried a fan in the room, blowing the cold air out towards the heated space?


----------



## kayakkeith (Jan 9, 2011)

The smaller one you may be able to get for around $800 - if the tax credit would still be in effect you could get some money back that way. The one thing you have to remember is that even though you might pay $300 for the non-vented type - they use double the amount of gas since they are only about 40% energy efficient.The bigger issue I see for you is the inside combustion of the less expensive ones. We used to have the un vented ones before the wood stove and Monitior and had some headache issues - thats why we only went the one season or so that way. Havnt had any issues since


----------



## ckarotka (Jan 9, 2011)

The whole headache thing kinda changes things. I didn't think about the smell till the wife  reminded me. Thats why I was considering an electric. I believe our kwh price right now is 0.06c, but is going up as of the new year here. I was just doing an estimate of around 0.10c. The price cap on electric expired in 2011.


----------



## jtp10181 (Jan 9, 2011)

Uhhh... is anyone else concerned about putting a vent free gas heater in a bedroom? I would have to guess that is not code for what I would consider obvious reasons.

Kayakkeith, how is a vent free heater only 40% efficient? Where is the heat loss? Shouldn't it be essentially 99% efficient?


----------



## mydogspot (Jan 9, 2011)

I would sure not install a ventless gas in a bedroom. Just google ventless fireplace horror stories - mold, headaches. I wouldn't install one in my house period.


----------



## ckarotka (Jan 9, 2011)

I hear ya guys, not a good idea for ventless. I bought a ceramic heater to get us through this year. At this point it will be every bit of 500-600 to install a direct vent heater. I'm thinking about just adding a small third stove. Why not, I already have wood gathering stuff and experience. Just running three stoves seems a tad much. Thanks for the info.


----------



## jtp10181 (Jan 9, 2011)

I don't think a wood stove is allowed in a sleeping area either. Only way it might be allowed is if there is a certain amount of cubic ft of air available within the room.


----------



## ckarotka (Jan 9, 2011)

Your killin me guys!! LOL

The room is a converted garage and the man door to enter is from an unheated sunroom. I could put the stove in the sunroom, but with a flat roof I fear ice problems. The long wall of the bedroom backs the dining room of the main house. I just told my wife I'm gonna cut a huge hole in the wall for air to pass through, then when company comes over I'll just hang a large portrait of the family over it to hide the hole! LOL I might actually do this that's the scary part. This BR will eventually be converted back to a garage either when we lose a kid or I make a BR in the basement, with outside access per code.............someday that will happen just not in the near future.


----------



## Fsappo (Jan 10, 2011)

You live on a lake.  Just toss an electric heater in the bedroom and go enjoy the water.  Should have enough ice on there by now.  You waterfront folk are killin me


----------



## jtp10181 (Jan 10, 2011)

Since we are talking about code, its probably not even proper to heat the garage as a living space. Here in WI that would violate the energy conservation code. For a heated living space on a slab, the slab must be insulated to X amount, walls and ceiling need X insulation. I doubt the garage slab is insulated enough (if at all) to be considered a living space.

Can you get financing from an outfit to get the gas direct vent heater installed? If you locate it properly, you can use it as a garage heater when its switched back to a actual garage. A lot of places have deferred interest for X months on purchases if you get financing through them, would let you pay it off over a few months.


----------



## ckarotka (Jan 10, 2011)

The electric heater will have to do this year, that gives me the rest of the year to get a vented unit installed. Who knows maybe building a that BR in the basement could become priority. Doing that would solve more than one problem.


----------



## k0wtz (Jan 10, 2011)

im not too sure you would be money ahead to use electricy especially if you went 220v.  gas takes a lot of extra stuff compared to running a electrical line.

just my 2cents

bob


----------



## abaton6 (Jan 13, 2011)

mydogspot said:
			
		

> I would sure not install a ventless gas in a bedroom. Just google ventless fireplace horror stories - mold, headaches. I wouldn't install one in my house period.



+1


----------



## abaton6 (Jan 13, 2011)

I just picked up a used Hearthstone BV for $300.  Something like that would be great for a bedroom.  Look around.


----------



## jtp10181 (Jan 13, 2011)

B-Vents are probably not allowed in sleeping areas either, they use room air for combustion and have the chance to spill CO into the room.


----------



## Mainely Saws (Jan 14, 2011)

Rinai vented propane heaters are pretty efficient & need very little maintenance . I have used them in apartments that I rent out with very little problems . They can be set back to lower temps at night  . There always seems to be some for sale on CL .


----------



## abaton6 (Jan 14, 2011)

Mainely Saws said:
			
		

> Rinai vented propane heaters are pretty efficient & need very little maintenance . I have used them in apartments that I rent out with very little problems . They can be set back to lower temps at night  . There always seems to be some for sale on CL .



I'll second that.  I have a 35,000 btu Rinai wall unit.  It was here when we bought the house 10 years ago.  Not a lick of trouble yet.


----------

