A propane gas furnace makes a great deal of sense from many points of view. There was a time when the safety factor of gas was slightly less acceptable than correctly installed electricity but that is history.
The advanced designs and triple redundant safety features make gas safe. Gas is also arguably more environmentally responsible than other fuels and even the fuels used to generate power.
Using Propane Gas Furnaces Sensibly
As with many other gas appliances, like stoves, the temptation with a propane gas furnace is to burn too much gas and this really is not necessary. Setting your furnace to a low flame and allowing it to gently heat your home is far more effective than blasting away, which creates a spike in the temperature that cannot be maintained and would be rather uncomfortable if you could keep the temperature that high anyway. Such a peak could occur after lowering the flame as there is a lag between the total increase in temperature that occurs in your home and the direct increase in heat emitted by the furnace. Conservative use of a propane(LP) gas furnace will see you through the winter with a marked decrease in your heating costs and an impressive increase in your comfort level and the consistent heating of your home.
Here are some pointers to help you to make the most economical use of your propane gas furnace:
- While ventilation is important and you should never close heated rooms completely, closing a few upstairs windows will keep the consumption reasonable.
- Insulation. If there is nothing but pressboard above your head you are going to end up using more gas than you really need to.
- Think in terms of long periods of time with low flame rather than short periods of heavy burning. This is more efficient.
Safety Tips When Using A Propane Gas Furnace
It is necessary to understand that the safety of a gas propane furnace is only as good as the standards to which the supply has been installed. The same thing applies to just about every utility. If your water is incorrectly installed you could end up being infected with a nasty germ. Electricity is hazardous too when not used properly. Gas is a fantastically useful fuel and if your installer does things right and you have passed the municipal assessment then you are certain of being in no danger from the gas in your home. Below are some points to consider when managing the safety of gas in the home.
- While burning a LP gas furnace creates no odour, you will be able to smell unburned gas if it is leaking into your space.
- If you smell gas, and you haven’t left anything on, vacate the premises immediately.
- Don’t leave an un-ignited gas appliance on.
- Ensure that your home is adequately ventilated and do not allow combustible material to be stored near to flames. Leaving a can of gasoline next to the furnace is tempting fate.
So now that we are all a little reassured let’s talk about some other aspects of the propane gas furnace. Although it was previously stated that one should avoid setting a propane gas furnace too high it is worth noting that one of the principal advantages of LP gas furnaces is the rapidity with which it heats a space. Even when you don’t set it too high the temperature climbs rapidly and settles at the level you require. This is very different to a boiler for example. A boiler will eventually provide a steady heat but it takes a while to get going. Gas starts heating straight away and stops when you want it to.
Aesthetic Considerations
As heating systems go, a propane furnace is one of the
more attractive options. You get to choose from some seriously innovative design options when you use gas. Wall units heating fresh air from the ventilation behind them, a LP furnace floor unit that doesn’t use up any of the space in your room, only under it. Smart slick and modern looking these new era gas appliance make your old LP gas furnace look a little sick. If it is poorly maintained, do replace it. The modern options are so much safer and more attractive than anything our parents ever used. Gas has lost that ‘old style’ look. These days all the fittings look modern and up to date. The design philosophy is unobtrusive and subtle. A modern propane furnace will not look out of place in a refined home. The units are no longer noisy. That is one of the biggest improvements they seem to have managed to make over the years. Propane gas furnaces will provide your home with reliable solid heating without so much as a whisper of sound.
Propane gas and the environment are a top talking point these days. It seems gas is a far more ecologically considerate fuel than most and in cold countries it has long been acknowledged as the most desirable form of space heating. Using gas conservatively is inexpensive and doesn’t place such a strain on the resources of the earth because it buns to a negligible exhaust and does not require the earth to be severely damaged in the process of its production.
The costs involved in gas production mean that your LP furnace runs at a much lower cost per square metre of space heated than virtually any other method of heating other than good old sunlight. Add that to the fact that the propane furnace produces no noticeable odour (unlike wood and coal) and you have a real winner. When you consider the low noise pollution and the ease of installation as well as the well regulated industry that ensures an exceptionally high standard of quality and safety and you might start to wonder how you ever lived without a LP furnace.
That’s great, how do you know which LP furnace to buy?
The same considerations apply to shopping for a propane furnace as are important when buying any appliance. You want a reputable manufacturer with a solid reputation. If possible it would be nice to avoid the middleman and buy direct but a LP furnace does require some installation and the installation does need to be certified. Free standing heaters come with their own certification but a propane furnace will need to be fitted to your home as a fixture.
One of the rationalisations for avoiding other heating systems is the space they take up. A LP gas furnace doesn’t require much space and ducts and wall ventilation heaters mean that you can use these appliances in a very subtle way, without disturbing the look of the house. The decorative sensibilities are left undisturbed and you can get uncomfortable in the cosy warmth of a LP furnace.
Working out how to efficiently heat your home is perfectly simple. You must consider the total volume to be heated, the ventilation and the insulation in order to arrive at an estimate of the eventual heating bill. Addressing the issues arising from that costing exercise will reduce your heat wastage and leave you operating at a remarkably efficient rate of consumption with your propane gas furnace.
Ignition system Of A Propane Gas Furnace
If you are uncomfortable with the idea of a naked flame don’t be. The propane furnace does not rely on the exposure of flame to open air but rather heats the air in a chamber. Not unlike an oven. The heat can then be ducted and used for practically any heating purpose. You won’t be coming into contact with flame just because your LP furnace works with it. You don’t even have to strike a match in order to ignite the pilot. It’s all automatic and you simply press a button and set a dial to decide how warm you want it to be. More advanced models allow you to select certain areas for heating as a priority above other areas.
For all around economy, efficiency and environmental friendliness you can find nothing to compare with the propane gas furnace. This clean burning fuel would be considered revolutionary if it was not such an old form of fuel. There simply is no comparison.
Facts About The Propane Gas Furnace
- Using a propane gas furnace to heat water is three times as fast.
- You can have a remote control to operate your propane gas furnace from the comfort of your living room.
- Heating with a propane furnace costs half as much as most other methods.
- A propane gas furnace will have fewer maintenance issues over the years.
- The type or model of furnace you require is dictated by the volume of your home.
- Insulation of your home makes your propane gas furnace that much more efficient.
- Gas is ecologically sensitive.
The fact is that a propane gas furnace is the choice any smart person will make when confronted with the choice of heating options on the market and in possession of all the facts.
