Gas log/stove/oven use during power outage

[MickeyMouse]

The oven is easy to test. Unplug the cord and see if it will light.

In any event, an oven is a VERY dangerous form of alternate heat due to the relaitively HIGH carbon monoxide level they give off.

Vented gas logs are safe but produce almost no usable heat beyond the radiant component within a few feet.

Unvented space heaters are legal again in many areas that used to proscribe the things. IMHO they should STILL be illegal !! If they're working perfectly they usually won't kill you. Cracking open a window is not really enough to solve the problem. The catalytic type like Mr. Buddy are probably the safest.

I hate ventless gas heaters so much I will not service or install the darn things.

An "oxygen depletion sensor" is no help !! Lack of O2 isn't what kills you; it is buildup of CO.

In some ways kerosene heaters are the safest of all because that odor some folks complain about warns you to seek some fresh air, thereby reducing the CO exposure somewhat.

Battery operated CO detectors are a must. More than one is almost a necessity; preferably different models, at least ONE of which has a digital readout. They are not the greatest but they are better than nothing. Darn things do not alarm until well into the danger zone due to, you guessed it, government regulation!! Too many "false alarms" in the opinion of the ignorant so they were desensitized.

CO poisoning is a slow killer in most cases. It builds up slowly without warning, sometimes over DAYS. The stuff is absorbed quickly enough but LEAVES the body slowly. That means a low level will accumulate over time until it is at a lethal level. The blood's hemoglobin has a greater affinity for CO than O2 so will take up the wrong one!! Once in the hemoglobin, it doesn't leave very well.
If you are asleep, you just don't wake up. In house fires, folks rarely burn to death - they die from poison gases, including CO - long before they cook.

Some folks feel bad, others become nauseous - they are the lucky ones. Those that do not feel bad or get sick, just DIE. Kids are the most vulnerable, BTW.

You are betting your life that your unvented gas heater or oven won't poison you just to avoid the slight smell of Kerosene. Suit yourself!

[StellaBlue]

The oven is easy to test. Unplug the cord and see if it will light.

In any event, an oven is a VERY dangerous form of alternate heat due to the relaitively HIGH carbon monoxide level they give off.

Vented gas logs are safe but produce almost no usable heat beyond the radiant component within a few feet.

Unvented space heaters are legal again in many areas that used to proscribe the things. IMHO they should STILL be illegal !! If they're working perfectly they usually won't kill you. Cracking open a window is not really enough to solve the problem. The catalytic type like Mr. Buddy are probably the safest.

I hate ventless gas heaters so much I will not service or install the darn things.

An "oxygen depletion sensor" is no help !! Lack of O2 isn't what kills you; it is buildup of CO.

In some ways kerosene heaters are the safest of all because that odor some folks complain about warns you to seek some fresh air, thereby reducing the CO exposure somewhat.

Battery operated CO detectors are a must. More than one is almost a necessity; preferably different models, at least ONE of which has a digital readout. They are not the greatest but they are better than nothing. Darn things do not alarm until well into the danger zone due to, you guessed it, government regulation!! Too many "false alarms" in the opinion of the ignorant so they were desensitized.

CO poisoning is a slow killer in most cases. It builds up slowly without warning, sometimes over DAYS. The stuff is absorbed quickly enough but LEAVES the body slowly. That means a low level will accumulate over time until it is at a lethal level. The blood's hemoglobin has a greater affinity for CO than O2 so will take up the wrong one!! Once in the hemoglobin, it doesn't leave very well.
If you are asleep, you just don't wake up. In house fires, folks rarely burn to death - they die from poison gases, including CO - long before they cook.

Some folks feel bad, others become nauseous - they are the lucky ones. Those that do not feel bad or get sick, just DIE. Kids are the most vulnerable, BTW.

You are betting your life that your unvented gas heater or oven won't poison you just to avoid the slight smell of Kerosene. Suit yourself!

I detest the gas logs and have refused to use them for years. they aren't vented, which doesn't seem right to me, but i do'nt know much about that stuff. You've pretty much convinced me that we're just going to bundle up tight and use sleeping bags or other extra clothes/blankets to keep warm.

[Bethshaya]

If its any consolation for you Stella, this week we had no power and the temperature was in the low single digits overnight.

We all slept on the floor with long johns, sweats, and every comforter we had in the same room. We closed the room off to preserve heat once the power went out (we're all electric with no fireplace/woodstove).

We survived just fine. Plus, my son thought it was fun and that we should do a "test run" every year.

[.30-30]

save up and DIY install a wood stove

for $1500 you can have a decent quality stove, chimney and a couple cords of wood.

[StellaBlue]

save up and DIY install a wood stove

for $1500 you can have a decent quality stove, chimney and a couple cords of wood.

This is what we want to do, but haven't had the $ yet.

[Sadie]

We have used a kerosene heater a few times. Even though the fumes aren't too bad, it still bothered me. Probably because I have allergies. Diesel makes me sick too. I would like to get a Mr.Buddy if I knew they were worth the money. I have so many things that I might never use that I hesitate to buy one more thing. I do have some propane tanks stored for the Coleman stove, so I should just take the plunge and buy one.

[orion commander]

The oven is easy to test. Unplug the cord and see if it will light.

In any event, an oven is a VERY dangerous form of alternate heat due to the relaitively HIGH carbon monoxide level they give off.

Vented gas logs are safe but produce almost no usable heat beyond the radiant component within a few feet.


I hate ventless gas heaters so much I will not service or install the darn things.

An "oxygen depletion sensor" is no help !! Lack of O2 isn't what kills you; it is buildup of CO.


CO poisoning is a slow killer in most cases.

You are betting your life that your unvented gas heater or oven won't poison you just to avoid the slight smell of Kerosene. Suit yourself!

See above. This is the reason I only let mine run a little while and shut it off till temp drops a lot like 15 to 20 degrees. NEVER leave it unattended especially including sleep. Personally I would not have a vent less heater of any kind as a permanent fixture.

MikeyMouse, I am not sure what the difference between CO level danger is kerosene and propane. Is it the BTU factor? My kerosun is 20K BTUand propane is 80K BTU max but will drop to 20K BTU. Both seem to put out a lot of water in the air if left on for a long time.

[drissel]

We have a vented fireplace,gas, and use during the winter, we close off the upstairs and it keeps the
Downstairs a warm 70, plus it works without electricity. And right now gas isn't too expensive
My bill is.$57.00 a month, on the budget plan.

[MickeyMouse]

See above. This is the reason I only let mine run a little while and shut it off till temp drops a lot like 15 to 20 degrees. NEVER leave it unattended especially including sleep. Personally I would not have a vent less heater of any kind as a permanent fixture.

MikeyMouse, I am not sure what the difference between CO level danger is kerosene and propane. Is it the BTU factor? My kerosun is 20K BTUand propane is 80K BTU max but will drop to 20K BTU. Both seem to put out a lot of water in the air if left on for a long time.

CO is a function of the amount of carbon in the fuel and how much fuel is burned. Much more important, how completely that carbon is oxidized / burned. LP tends to be more dangerous because it makes less odor when not burning well. Kero stinks or even smokes when not burning properly so folks pay more attention to it.

Water is the result of combustion of the hydrogen in the fuel. H + O2 = H2O or water. Is much more apparent in a tightly closed structure. Complete combustion of carbon results in carbon DIoxide; partial combustion produces carbon MONoxide.

[Alder]

Yup, my direct-vent gas free-standing fireplace (looks like a woodstove) is awesome. Heats the core of the house too warm on low and is very easy on the propane. Doesn't need any "steen-king" electricity, either. And VERY safe. All of the exhaust goes outside and all of the combustion air comes from outside.

As far as kitchen ranges go...you have to make a special effort to find one with pilots for the burners and a pilot for the oven. No fancy sparker-starters or lights or timers. Mine was the cheapest LP range on the showroom floor, but there is a market for them up here with all of the cabins and deer shacks, so most of the appliance stores carry a few.