Propane ventless Stove for my kennel office

Michelle K linnane · Aug 20, 2012

Hi Guys
When I had the propane tank put in for my radiant heat I had them run a line to my office. I only keep the heat on about 50 in barn and
very often work out there and would love to have a propane ventless stove out there. I only plan on running the thing for not even an hour
at a time. This is only to warm my office which is tiny for few minutes also the hunters would love to walk back into an office that was
about 70 degree when cold. I have a cement floor in my office I would like something with very small clearences and vent free as it will not used
often. Does anyone have a ventless propane stove? As it is ventless I am not going to go cheap as that as aspect scares me a little. I would think
that as the office is only 10 X20 I want something small and the office is insulated from the rest of the barn.

Please do not suggest wood,, I do not wood and it will not serve my purpose I need instant heat and warmth and want to
turn it off when I go in the house.

dave1949 · Aug 20, 2012

Good ventless gas heaters are not cheap, nor is the gas usage and others on TBN have had problems with the installation, gas pressures, etc. There is an old thread or three if you search.

Have you considered electric space heaters? They have surface and flush wall mount styles with circulation fans. You would need a 220v circuit, 20 or 30 amps.

Michelle K linnane · Aug 20, 2012

Electric does not do it, I want a flame when we come in and the gas line is already run.

k0ua · Aug 20, 2012

The ventless heater can work, I have one downstairs in the basement. It is only 18000 BTU but it will warm your butt up pretty quick. It is the kind with ceramic elements in it (not blue flame) and is thermostatically controlled by on onboard thermostat. They do make some water vapor of course so be prepared for some window fogging. The gas comes thru the ceramic elements and they turn orange in just a minute or two. I have had this unit for many years in different locations. and it has always worked well. While CO2 emissions are present, and it does have a CO shutoff mechanism I would not put on in a very tightly sealed area. CO2 could kill by simply displacing oxygen, even if CO2 is not poisonous by itself. Of course CO is poisonous, but should theoretically not happen if the heater has sufficient oxygen to do complete combustion. While this heater is in a basement, the north side has a 5 foot drop to the ground, and has windows and a sliding glass door, so there is sufficient air leakage for makeup air. Overall I am very pleased with this little heaters operation over many years.

James K0UA

tow653 · Aug 20, 2012

Mr. Heater - America's Most Popular Portable Heaters

look at these,I use the bigger one to heat cabin and works well.

Egon · Aug 20, 2012

What's wrong with a vented stove?

dave1949 · Aug 20, 2012

Ah, you want heat and ambiance.

For a decent flame display, I think you need the type with a log set (gas fireplace or freestanding stove):
Vermont Castings | Stoves | Gas Stoves

There are all styles, direct-vent and ventless. For heat, you will not beat a cast iron unit, but they are pricey.

I would not get hung-up on ventless. The direct-vent types only require a hole through an exterior wall behind the stove, no chimney. The good ones take their combustion air from outside.

There are also gas fireplaces that are surface mounted on the wall and come with a mantle and surround to make it look more like a wood-burning fireplace. Vented or ventless, from big box prices on up.

forgeblast · Aug 20, 2012

I have a vented jotul lp stove that heats the upstairs of our house in the winter. The basement I have what you probably need. Its a three brick ventless heater. I keep it on low when the temps get bad and I am worried about the well freezing. They work great are easy to install, just have a flaring tool and check your fittings with soapy water. You can shut them down when your not using them and they are just great.
Amazon.com: Kozy World KWN191 18,000-BTU Vent-Free Natural-Gas Infrared Wall Heater: Home & Kitchen
is what I am talking about. We have had ours over ten years and they work great.
Gas usage is not bad, I run one brick if I had it on three then it would eat up a lot more.

Dozernut · Aug 20, 2012

My wife heats her shop (quilting shop) with an unvented heater and keeps it turned low when not in it. She burns about one tank (300 gallons) per heating season. She keeps a lot of her plants in the shop so they wont freeze. We put a CO2 monitor in the shop but it has never registered a problem with the CO2 levels. The heater is the ceramic type that is wall mounted and has a thermostat. I was impressed with her results so I put one in my shop.