How Safe Are Indoor Propane Heaters?

There are always questions regarding the safety of indoor propane heaters. Much has been publicized as to the dangers of using propane gas heaters in confined spaces, and the likelihood of carbon monoxide poisoning occurring which has naturally made many people hesitant to use this type of heating indoors. However, many changes have been made to propane heaters in order to make them safe to use indoors. Nowadays, if a propane heater is designed for indoor use you do not need to worry about the danger of using it.

All modern indoor propane heaters have built in safety features, which enable them to be used with confidence indoors. In fact, many people are using large propane heaters to provide much of their heating these days, especially as propane gas is quite cheap to use and readily available. Indoor propane heaters have a built in oxygen depletion sensor which will automatically detect if oxygen levels in a room are dropping. If they get below a certain point the heater is immediately shut off.

The main danger that still exists is when people use propane heating designed for outdoor use, indoors instead. They do not have the same safety features, thus they are not suitable for indoor use. If you use propane heating while camping, in a tent or any semi enclosed space you must ensure that there is adequate ventilation.

There are many different types of suitable indoor propane heaters available. Some are larger units, such as propane fireplaces that are installed into walls which will generate plenty of heat for an entire room, usually propelling the heat around via the use of an inbuilt fan. Smaller portable propane indoor heaters are made so that they can easily be moved from room to room. These type of heaters are great to use to add additional heating to a room, or for rooms that are not directly hooked up to central heating units. The smaller portable types of heaters usually have a small propane gas cylinder attached to the heater. The larger stationary propane heating units get their gas supply from an outside gas storage tank. They are vented, and any noxious gases are immediately shunted outside.

Using properly designed indoor propane heaters pose no dangers to health. Should anything go wrong and the unit malfunction, or the gases not shunt outside as they should, the heater is designed to automatically shut off. Propane heating is a great standby in areas where the electricity fluctuates or goes off from time to time as well, and as such having a small portable propane heater is a great choice for backup emergency heating.