The Natural Gas Heater

Presently, more Americans use a natural gas heater than any other type of heating system. In other parts of the world, gas heating is also commonly used as it is one of the cheaper systems available. With electricity costs on the rise, more and more home owners are switching their systems over to gas heating, especially if renovating. Additionally, if rooms are added on it's often highly recommended to add on a gas heater or gas fireplace as opposed to installing an electric heater.

You can find all kinds of gas heaters, ranging from complete large central heating units to smaller wall units or gas fireplaces and gas cast iron stoves that double as heating units. You are able to find all styles, shapes and sizes and most gas heaters look good and blend in well with the rest of the room's furnishings. There is also a trend towards installing the natural gas water heater over the electric heater these days.

Gas heaters are reputed to add to a room's cozy atmosphere, making them an ideal choice when wanting an unobtrusive yet well functioning heater. They run very quietly and are virtually unnoticed when running in the background. Another pro with the natural gas heater is that it is not dependent on electricity to keep running. The gas heater is ignited with a starter, and once lit is able to continue heating your home even when the electricity goes off for a time.

Natural gas is also a much cleaner fuel than many other fuel types and is generally considered to be more environment friendly that many others types of heating.

One con to initially installing a natural gas heater, or natural gas heating system is that generally they must be installed by a gas technician and they're not that easy for the average handyman to install. In fact, due to safety reasons, it is often required that they are installed by a proper technician in order to comply with state safety standards.

The most common type of gas heating system installed uses the forced air method of heating. Cool air is drawn into the heater and moved into a box where the gas flame warms the air. This warmed air is then forced through ducts that are installed around the house either by a fan or a blower, thus warming the entire house.

If you are merely adding on a room, or installing a heater to heat one room only a natural gas wall heater or natural gas space heater would most likely be sufficient for your needs. A natural gas garage heater is also perfect for just heating up that one area.

Some things to look out for when buying natural gas heaters include:

Oxygen Depletion Sensor:  It's important that your heater or heating system has a built in oxygen depletion sensor that automatically shuts off the heater whenever the oxygen levels drop below a certain level. 

Pilot Light Shut off:  Make sure that your model will automatically shut down the pilot light if the gas flow is interrupted to the heater.

Pressure Regulator: Gas heaters work much better when the gas flow is steady and well regulated. This not only helps the heater to perform better, but is also useful in conserving gas consumption.