Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I posted this below but did not get much of a response.
So here it is again...

A customer recently contacted me asking if it was ok...or safe to use a ventless "blueflame" style heater for his snake room.

I use the oil filled radiator style heaters on a helix thermostat....I also provide belly heat via flex-watt on a helix.

I know very little about the ventless blueflame heaters...as I have not used them.
So I was not able to answer his question with any certainty.

What I do know is they are advertised with claims that:
They are a gas heater with a built in thermostat...but you could also use them with an external thermostat. They are supposed to be very efficient to run...not too expensive to buy... and they are very low profile, (saving floorspace is always a plus).

I have read that they will put more humidity into the room, which sounds good...especially if you live in a dry climate.

However, I have to wonder, what else do they put into the air?
Do anyone here use these ventless blueflame style heaters?
Please post a reply if you use them for supplemental home heat...and/or especially if you have experience using them in your reptile room. I am looking for opinions from people who have had actual experience with using them.

Thank you in advance for your info.
Harlin Wall - WALL TO WALL REPTILES!
970-255-9255
970-245-7611

I have never used one. I think the only answer would come from the UL label or the manufacturer. Are they designed to be used indoors for human living space?

Hey Mike,

I found some answers here. Although it would be nice to find answers from an unbiased source...(one that is not trying to sell anything)...this site was fairly informative. Perhaps they might be fine for the reptile quarters?

Looks like they are designed for indoor use in the living area as a supplemental heat source. (Like for that room that almost every home seems to have...the room that never seems as warm as all the others.)
Anyway here is a link.

http://www.stpaulmercantile.com/ventfreeFAQ.htm

Take care,
Harlin

Harlin,
ok...after reading your post and going to the link. I now know what you are referring to as in "blue flame heater".

I have used one in the past, actually a couple years ago. no vent is needed at all. it's the same concept as a natural gas stove....just a larger scale, since is has a larger surface area that heats up. mine ran on liquid propane, and produced good heat. however the model i was using was quite old in the sense that all it had to regulate the heat was a knob that you turn similar to what you would find on a gas BBQ grill. if you wanted lower heat you turn the knob lower, if you wanted hotter the exact opposite.

the only negatives i saw was that you always needed to check on the gas/propane level...by lifting the tank as there's no visual read to tell you when the tank is out. maybe one could add an inline pressure gauge to check the level of the tank or if you had a natural gas heater you could run it to your existing gas line? it also produces a faint odor similar to that of a kerosene heater....and if you ever used one then you will know exactly what smell i am talking about. also there needed to be at least 3ft or more in front of the heater to prevent something from catching on fire.

the good side is that you don't need electric (not sure on the newer model that use a thermostat) you just hit the igniter and you got heat. it does put out quite a bit of humidity...i actually had to open the windows to air out the room as the windows would get all fogged up.

i wish i had a picture to post to show what mine looked at. it was a big box, and on the front it had the mesh layered with fiberglass.....very simple design, but worked.

it might be a good idea to invest in one as a back up heater just in case the power ever goes out....you could run one on low heat for several days before having to change out the tank, and that was with a turn knob model. so i would imagine one with a good thermostat would last even a week or so on low heat.....just enough heat to keep the animals safe until power gets turned back on.

hope that was helpful....just my experience & 2 cents,

Pitoon

>>Hey Mike,
>>
>>I found some answers here. Although it would be nice to find answers from an unbiased source...(one that is not trying to sell anything)...this site was fairly informative. Perhaps they might be fine for the reptile quarters?
>>
>>Looks like they are designed for indoor use in the living area as a supplemental heat source. (Like for that room that almost every home seems to have...the room that never seems as warm as all the others.)
>>Anyway here is a link.
>>
>>http://www.stpaulmercantile.com/ventfreeFAQ.htm
>>
>>Take care,
>>Harlin
-----
Homepage
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2010 European Shows

Thanks for the info.

Yeah they have both options....looks like most of the newer models allow you to use either Natural Gas or Propane...depending on your needs.

Take care,
Harlin

I have not used one of these personaly, but since they are approved for indoor use for people, and most if not all have O2 sensors that turn them off if O2 gets low, I would think they would be safe.

Claude

I used a wall-mounted natural gas heater like to heat my herp room in my last house. It actually was much more efficient than the gas furnace, and ended up heating most of the house on its own. Never had a problem with it. No toxic fumes, and very easy to use. You can buy them with an electric fan attachment for faster heat dispersal, but then you can't use them if the power fails. I loved mine because it heated the house with no electrical power required. I didn't worry about storms. I bought another one for this house, but I don't have the gas line run to that room yet ($$). When I do, I will use one of those heaters again.

HTH,

Link

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Bonnie Keller
VA Reptile Rescue
www.vareptilerescue.org

Good info.

Thanks to all who posted.

Your friend,
Harlin Wall - WALL TO WALL REPTILES!
970-245-7611
970-255-9255