Outdoor Heaters: A Portal Back Through Time

There’s something about fire, something mystical that we’re instinctively drawn to despite the modern conveniences of our time. Today we live in a world where our cell phones take pictures, play music, and write messages. Our television sets get 165 stations. Everything we want to eat is ten minutes away at the grocery store or the drive-through. Our clothes don’t fade or wrinkle, our pets have medical insurance, and we can play movies in our automobiles.

But stoke up a nice fire, and we’re suddenly transported back in time, to the days when early mankind huddled around open fires for warmth, to prepare food, and protection from enemies – both human and animals. Outdoor heaters are a representation of our still-strong instincts to regard fire as life-giving and security in a dangerous world. Fireplaces and woodstoves in our homes are now commonplace, but outdoor heaters remain remnants of eons past.

How To Shop For An Outdoor Heater

To make the magic of an outdoor heater work for you, your first step is to decide what kind of heater you want and can afford. Most merchants who deal in these heaters have displays in their stores of the different types of outdoor heaters available. Do you prefer an in-ground heater similar to a fire pit? Or would you prefer a stand-alone heater that you can place anywhere in your yard or on your patio? Stand-alone heaters are as much decorative as they are practical. Not only will these outdoor heaters provide warmth and soothing serenity, they also serve as delightful decorative accessories to your home and yard. Round, square, pot-bellied, cactus-shaped – all are serviceable and attractive. They have a wide, open “mouth” or fire-area where you put the fuel, plus a venting hole on top to prevent smoke from choking you, your family and your guests.

Next, consider what type of fuel you want to burn in your outdoor heater. Cut cordwood is the perennial favorite, possibly because of its connection to our ancestral past. Firewood burns hot and creates a lot of smoke. Some prefer to burn charcoal, and still others prefer the new smokeless pellets that provide warmth and a “clean” burn. Firewood is the least expensive fuel for your outdoor heater, with pellets being the most expensive. If you’re uncertain, you can try each type of fuel and decide which you prefer and which you can easiest afford.

Regardless of the style of outdoor heater you buy, that ancient instinct will emerge as you slide closer to the flames. Sooner or later, someone’s going to stick a hot dog into the heater, you can count on it!

The Advantages Of Hot Water Gas Heaters

There are many ways to heat water. Among the more popular heaters you will definitely find the hot water gas heaters. These heaters are able to make the water at a high concession from he regular cost. There are far more advanced technology today and many of it logically have replaced he requirements of using the hot water gas heater. However, people all over the world still cling to this method of heating water stoically. Why? What do the people gain so much out of it that they need to stop the advancement of technology?

There Are Many Types Of Other Heaters Besides The Hot Water Gas Heater

There are indeed a good number of other heaters available and there are a lot people who are happy that such appliances have at last come out, so they would be able to enjoy the benefits that the modern technology brings. The electric water heater, for example, is in high demand and people are highly satisfied with their use. However, if you look at it, from a metaphorical point of view, the old is still gold, and the annual sale of hot water gas heaters were more than the other types, thought the other types are considered are considered far superior in performance.

The newest addition of the market is the tank less water heaters which are exceptional when it comes to work. They provide hot water the moment you turn the tap on, no exceptions. This is very much appreciated by young college girls because now they can take bath anytime of the evening or morning without having to worry of switching on the geyser 20-30 minutes ahead of time.

The choice of people in general, nonetheless, stays loyal to the hot water gas heater because it is simple to use and hence, its technology is understood by all without any exceptions. Second, it is much, much cheaper than the other modern heaters, which makes the hot water gas heater an all-rounder.

There are a few disadvantages though – the hot water gas heater is a but slow when compared to the other types of heaters and it also offers you almost always the cheapest possible price for hot water. On the other hand, the moment you need it to cool down, it can do so in the minimum of time, since the gas can immediately manipulated, giving you the exact ecstatic feeling of being able to soak into the tub at the exact temperature you love.

Selecting And Maintaining A Gas Water Heater

We’ve all been there; you’re having overnight guests, including your special gourmet dinner meal. It’s seven o’clock, and the doorbell rings. They’re here! Time for you to shine.

The unforeseen and unthinkable happens; you start washing dishes as your guests settle into their accommodations. You expect plenty of hot water for dishwashing and evening bathing by your guests, but the faucet spews only cool water. Panic sets in; what happened?

To your dismay, you find that your gas water heater has died a sudden, inconvenient death. The repairman, whom you are paying overtime, gives you the bad news; your gas water heater won’t hold a pilot light. He can’t fix it; it must be replaced. No, he can’t do it tonight; your guests are stuck with cold showers.

Choosing And Maintaining The Right Gas Water Heater

The above social nightmare is actually a rare occurrence. Gas water heaters are generally durable and easy to service and maintain. Depending on the brand, they can last for up to fifteen years, trouble-free. Using clean-burning natural gas as fuel, gas water heaters rarely lose their pilot light. Even when they do, re-lighting the pilot is often a simple job completed in five minutes. Just follow the instructions located in the customer’s manual. If the pilot won’t re-light, then it’s time to call a service technician; something’s amiss that you can’t fix on your own.

Before you choose a gas water heater, carefully consider your hot water consumption needs. The amount of hot water needed by a couple is far less than that required by a family of five. However, couples who plan to eventually have children should take this into consideration; what serves them well now – a twenty-gallon capacity gas water heater – will change considerably when the children arrive! Parents with several children will reduce their hot water needs when the children eventually leave home. Marketers of gas water heaters generally recommend a capacity of 50-70 gallons; it’s better to have more than you need than less than you need. Heaters with this capacity usually cost between $300 – $700, depending upon the brand and the service contract.

It’s recommended that you purchase a warranty for the life of the gas water heater. Although these appliances are exceptionally durable, there’s always the possibility that yours will “go down.” Without a warranty, it’s probably most financially feasible to buy a new gas water heater. If yours is covered by a service or replacement warranty, you’ll fare much better financially.

Enjoy An Electric Pool Heater

A swimming pool, whether in ground or above ground, is a big investment. You probably made that investment because you enjoy the pool so much. It’s hard to wait through the nearly warm spring to start using the pool and it’s heartbreak to start packing up the swim gear so early in the fall. One good way to get more from your investment is to install an electric pool heater. Just by increasing the pool’s warmth a few degrees, you can extend swimming season and add hours to every swimming day.

Safe And Efficient

If you don’t have an electric pool heater, you’re probably using solar energy. In other words, you sit around the pool waiting for the sun to warm up the water. With an electric pool heater, you get to decide when the swimming starts. Use the thermostat to keep the water at your preferred temperature. If you like a morning swim, you can get an electric pool heater with a timer to start the warming in time for your early laps. If swimming is an activity you prefer to enjoy after lunch, the time and thermostat save energy in the morning and ensure the best temperature when you are ready to enjoy it. And if you like to watch the sunset in the pool, the thermostat will keep the water as warm as you like well into the night as you wish.

Once the electric pool heater is professionally – and safely – installed, you can decide how to use it. Many heaters use the ambient air to warm the water, using energy to disperse the existing heat rather than creating it. You can save energy by using a solar pool cover to keep the heat in the pool over night. The cover will also keep the cold rain water out. It can take an hour of energy to heat the pool up one degree. Look for corrosive-free metal parts like copper and bronze rather than aluminum. Chlorine can be harmful to some metals. Some types of electric pool heater can double as a spa heater. If you have a spa or hot tub or are thinking of adding one, you might want to look into the versatile type of electric pool heater to avoid having to buy a second heater.

When making your selection, make sure that you choose an electric pool heater that is appropriate for the size of your swimming pool. Have your dealer explain how to install and maintain your heater. Be sure that you understand all of the safety requirements. Water and electricity are not naturally friends. Once you know what to do and how to do it, your biggest job will be to enjoy your pool while your neighbors are still waiting for the morning chill to dissipate.

The Tankless Electric Hot Water Heater – A Great Device

Science does not allow any stagnation of technology. Water heaters, too, have come a long way from the coal and wood consumption types to today’s exceptional types of modern water heaters. One among the most convenient ones is the tankless electric hot water heater. If you are wondering what it is meant by ‘tankless’, let me enlighten you. There are two types of heaters. One is the heater which heats the water after it descends into a tank prescribed for this purpose, and the other one is one which will provide you with hot water without having to store water anywhere prior to the heating.

The Advantages Of The Tankless Electric Hot Water Heater

The main advantage is all the time you’ll save. The tankless electric hot water heater is a exceptional device by which water gets heated through hot waves, which pass through the pipes directly. It does not need to be stored in a place for heating up. This saves a lot of time; hence, it reduces anxiety regarding hot water and other related issues.

You will find the best of technology used in the making of the tankless electric hot water heaters of today. The features of the device are such that the tankless electric hot water heater can be applied to both residence and commercial places without any inconvenience, or major makeovers. This means that the cost would be more or less the same for both places.

The most common uses for this type of technology are swimming pools, one-day laundries, hospitals, nursing homes, and so on. Most of them come with a thermostat which can be used to fix the temperature. If it goes below three degrees, it will send its ‘control’ a message and then you will receive an immediate respite, or tuning up, of the heat. In many cases, the oscillation of the heat is controlled automatically, once you have fed the minimum and maximum ranges into its controlling device/remote.

The Disadvantages Of The Tankless Water Heater

Every good thing has a minus side and a plus side. You have read all the plus sides. Aren’t you interested to learn about the downside of this technological aspect? Well, the first and foremost is the cost. The electric hot water heater is far more expensive than the other types of heaters. This is because it needs a great deal of power to keep the water at a constant level of heat. If the minimum and maximum vary greatly, then it could be possible to cut cost a bit, since it will switch off automatically a little longer.

Gas Heater For Above Ground Pool

Swimming in a pool is a joyful act but only if the temperature of the pool water remains in a narrow range i.e. 25 to 26 Celsius degrees. This temperature is not easily maintained naturally. During the swimming season the temperature of an above ground pool is in the range of 18 to 20 Celsius degrees, lower than that required for leisure swimming. In the morning, the pool water is rather cold due to loss of heat during the night. Hence we need a heater for above ground pool. Such a heater may be run by a variety of energy sources e.g. combustible gas, oil, or electricity (in which case the heater is commonly called heat pump).

Why Choose A Gas Heater For Above Ground Pool

A gas heater is the most popular source of heating the water of an above ground pool. This is because heating the pool by a gas is quicker and more efficient than by other means. Easy availability of natural gas and propane give an added advantage to gas heaters over other kinds. This makes both home and spa owners go for a gas heater for above ground pool.

Working Of A Gas Heater For Above Ground Pool

In a typical gas heater, the pool water flows through a port and gains heat from a heat exchanger. Then it comes out through a second port and falls back into the pool. In most heaters, the just-heated water is mixed with cool water resulting in maintaining a preset temperature.

Size And Sizing Of A Gas Heater For The Pool

The size of a gas heater for above ground pool depends on the size of the pool; larger heaters for bigger pools and vice versa. Also, if the difference between the pool’s temperature and that which you desire is large, you will need a larger heater even for a small pool. Further, if you can wait for your pool to get warm, a small heater may do well for an average size pool. But if you need a quick heating up of the pool, a larger size heater will be required.

Sizing refers to the ratio of input rating (the amount of fuel energy consumed), measured in Mega Joules or MJ, and energy output rating (amount of heat energy evolved), measured in Kilowatts or KW. A gas heater in the range of 60 to 100 MJ is considered a small one while a heater from 250 up to 400 MJ is a large one. The output of most heaters fall in between 25 to 100 KW.

Controls

For best results a gas heater for above ground pool should be fitted with thermostatic controls.

Maintain Your Spa Heater

The purpose of a home spa is to promote relaxation and wash away your cares. One way it does that is to heat up water to help relax you. Don’t become so relaxed that you miss the warning signs of a spa heater problem. Remember that water and electricity don’t mix well. A small problem can become a big problem is not handled properly.

Begin At The Beginning

Start by installing the spa in the right place in the right way. Don’t install an indoor spa outdoors. Buy the proper spa for the intended use. These days, it’s easy to purchase anything at all online. Many times that means dealing with a trained and experienced person. Often, it means getting a bargain from an auction site where the seller may know everything or nothing at all. Never buy a spa online, whether new or used, unless you are guaranteed to receive the original manual with it. In almost every case the manual will include all warnings and the ways to avoid trouble. Make sure the spa heater is also the original and if not, that the replacement spa heater is exactly the right model.

When it arrives, compare the manual to the merchandise and make sure that all of the parts match the illustrations and part numbers. Be especially cautious with the spa heater and all electrical parts. If you have any questions, check online for pictures of the spa. Install the spa according to directions, of course. If you need to install the spa in an unusual way that isn’t covered by the manual, you may want to call in an electrician just to be sure. Make sure all of the exposed wires are in good condition and the plug is sound. See that the spa heater is in the proper place without signs of wear or burning.

When you first start the spa, make sure it performs according to directions. Slow or inadequate heating can be a sign of trouble. If you have an outdoor spa, perform all of the checks at the beginning of the season. Check for frayed wires, animal damage and water damage. Turn it on each spring and make sure it is working up to snuff. Give the spa heater a test run to see that it still heats as well as always. Investigate any unusual odors. If there are any questions, call the electrician. At the end of the season, pack it up carefully to protect it from the winter stress normal for your area. You can get many years of good, safe use from your spa heater when you follow the manual.

Outcome Determined By Sauna Heater

Some may like their sauna hotter than others may, but the type of sauna heater chosen is important to achieve the desired affects. Whether heated by wood, electric, gas or ultraviolet, the outcome is basically the same. A highly heated room, typically accompanied by bursts of steam.

A typical sauna heater can provide temperatures of between 185 and 195 degrees Fahrenheit. This is usually accompanied by a humidity level of between 70 and 100 percent. Others, however, may prefer the temperature to be between 110 and 120 degrees with a 10 to 30 percent humidity level.

When choosing a sauna heater, it’s important to think about these ranges and what you prefer. Saunas, which rely on heated rocks to create steam are fairly popular and provide a space for certain types of stones to be heated. Many people believe the sauna heater requiring a wood burner provides a better experience. The burning wood heats the sauna and rocks and the person can sprinkle water on the rocks to create steam.

Heat Source Is Variable Factor Among Heaters

Manufacturers of low wattage infrared sauna heaters claim their products evenly distribute heat when the stainless steel elements are placed throughout the sauna. Typical small saunas, for one to four people can be heated by plugging them into a household 110-volt outlet. Larger units may require higher voltage levels.

A wood or gas sauna heater will require proper ventilation with a wood burner usually installed outside the unit, but most have a means of adding wood to the fire from inside. The required ventilation will prevent dangerous gases from being trapped inside the sauna.

The growing trend in a sauna heater is the far ultraviolet type, which is typically made of 100% ceramic materials, allowing the infrared to pass through easily and provide evenly distributed heat. Claims are this type of heat is absorbed into the body more readily, offering the benefits sought more easily.

The lifespan of a typical far ultraviolet sauna heater is about 10,000 operating hours, which translates into about 35 years if used five times per week. Operating costs, of course, will be determined by the times it is in use as well as the times it is operating while not being used.

No matter which type of sauna heater that is chosen there are certain health-related concerns to be considered. While it’s been noted that blood pressure may be lowered due to the increase in capillary size, checking with a doctor before using a sauna may be a prudent move.

The Convenience Of A Portable Air Conditioner And Heater

When modern conveniences first became available, they were used to make the average life easier. For those who had a life that was more or less than the average one, modern conveniences were not so available and not so convenient. Today, technology has become so flexible that it can fit into almost any lifestyle. One example is the very flexible, very convenient portable air conditioner and heater.

Running Hot And Cold

As you can see by its description, the portable air conditioner and heater is flexible enough to provide both heating and cooling while being portable. That’s flexible. But how is it convenient for you? If you haven’t already jumped up and yelled “Oh boy! They make those? That’s exactly what I need!” then we can look at ways that you might use a portable air conditioner and heater. If you are a homeowner, you probably have central heating and may have central air conditioning. You can use a portable air conditioner and heater to make a room more usable. The basement, attic, garage or sun porch may not be connected to your existing heating and cooling system. You can get more use of these rooms with a portable air conditioner and heater. Whether you need more heat or less heat, you can wheel the unit into the area you want to use and its part of the house.

What about the part of the house that’s already connected to the central system. There are times when the family is out of the house except for one person. Maybe one Saturday a grownup and all the kids are gone to the park, on a visit, to the mall or whatever. The remaining grownup is stuck in the home office with a stack of work. The weather is very cold or very hot. Why heat or cool the whole house all day when only one room is being used? Turn the temperature of the house up or down to the bare minimum and wheel the portable air conditioner and heater into the home office. You save energy on the home while the working grownup is comfortable for pennies. The same goes for the deck or backyard eating area.

What if you live in an apartment? That’s obvious. You don’t have to depend on your landlord for sufficient heat anymore. The portable air conditioner and heater can go into your bedroom all winter. The thermostat and timer will make sure you can watch TV in bed without freezing, sleep in a cool room and wake to a toasty room to prepare for the day. You won’t have to beg for permission to add a window air conditioner either. Whatever your life, you can find flexibility and convenience with a portable air conditioner and heater.

Kerosene Heater – Amongst The Most Primitive Heaters Of Today

Are you still in the eighteenth century or have you advanced to the 20th Century? People in the 18th Century used kerosene heaters – though wood was always available for burning. Kerosene was a great advantage when wood was in short supply and people needed to stay alive by huddling together around huge fires.

Today, this is no longer necessary. Central heating systems have replaced the old kerosene heating stoves. Today, the reverse is the problem – you need centralized air conditioning more than heating, though the latter is as important.

Heating Of The Greenhouse – The Most Common Use For The Kerosene Heater

People who have greenhouses will need to have it heated in winter to keep the temperature and moisture inside at optimum levels. The kerosene heaters are now used mostly for this purpose. However, the greenhouse should have a good ventilation system, otherwise, the kerosene heater would actually raise the moisture content to such an extent that it would kill plants inside the greenhouse, instead of protecting them. This stands for heaters, which use propane as well.

Concurrent to the heating material, time and ventilation, you will need to be careful to provide sufficient insulation to the greenhouse to prevent gas formation inside when heat is raised. The best material used here is polyethylene because it (i) is transparent to let light pass through it without any inconvenience, and (ii) is capable of trapping a barrier of air making is almost impregnable.

Survival Mode For Developing Countries

In developing countries, kerosene heaters are still used a main source because of lack of alternatives. Firewood is very scarce and requires long travel to get a sufficient amount for heating, and any other fuel is highly inadequate due to the cost involved. Hence, between coal and kerosene, the kerosene heater wins hands downs because it is easily available and it is cheaper than any other type of fuel.

People in third world countries use kerosene as a very precious commodity since it is the only alternative they have to cooking, heating, and burning. Thankfully, the Government provides subsidies in most places, but even where they do not, people still prefer kerosene to wood or coal because it is much cheaper and easier to obtain than the rest of the fuel materials.

In this context, it looks like the kerosene heaters, will be around for at least two or three decades longer, both for human consumption and other types.