How Does a Gas Wall Furnace Work?

Types of Gas Wall Furnaces

There are several styles of wall furnaces that run on natural or liquid propane gas. Some are permanent room heaters and some are portable. They come in various sizes and BTU output depending on the area you are heating. The most popular types of gas heaters are convection and infrared. You can get gas wall heaters in vented or un-vented models and in most cases the portable models can be installed by the do-it-yourself homeowner.

How the Furnaces Work

The infrared radiant heater has a ceramic panel right above the burner. The area is normally open and covered with a grate to keep someone from sticking their hands in it. The gas comes in through a copper line from the LP tank or underground natural gas line to the heater. It is ignited by an electronic ignition and thermostatically controlled from there. The flame goes through the burner and heats up the ceramic panel. Radiant heat is directed to objects or people in the room. Infrared burners are different from regular gas burners in that they have thousands or tiny holes in them to let out the heat. This causes a much hotter heat than a common gas burner.

The convection heaters use a fan. As the flame comes through the burner a fan comes on and blows the heat out into the room. Convection heaters heat the air which in turn heats the people, opposite of the infrared type.

Vented and Un-Vented Wall Heaters

Most thermostatically controlled heaters that use an electric thermostat are vented. Also the permanent wall heaters are commonly vented. There is an air intake at the bottom of the unit and the vent that takes the harmful carbon monoxide out is at the top. Although the vented heaters will always be safer to use the un-vented heaters have come a long way in safety. They now come with an oxygen depletion sensor that shuts the gas line off automatically if the oxygen in the room is inadequate. Even with this feature this type of heater should only be used in a well ventilated area and should only be installed by professionals.

Resources

• All About Space Heaters