How Safe is Propane as a Fuel for Heating a Home?

It's quite common to be concerned over the safety of a household heating appliance especially one that uses a highly combustible fuel such as propane. While it's quite true that a canister of this compressed gas can explode under extreme circumstances, the chances of that happening in a domestic situation are highly remote at best.

If you want to put things into a real life perspective, here's a comparison that will make you think about it in the cold light of day:

How Combustible Do You Want to Get?

I can probably safely assume that you are quite happy to get into your car or truck and drive to wherever you want to drive to and back again, right? Do you ever stop to think about what you're carrying around with you inside your automobile?

That tank of gas is safely tucked away out of sight so you don't have to even think about it. Because if you did think about it, my guess is that you would probably never set foot within a hundred feet of any car. Why?

Gasoline (petroleum spirit) is not only highly combustible, but it's one of the most volatile fuels in common everyday use. That tank of gas will explode if the vapors come into contact with the merest spark, let alone a naked flame.

That's why there are signs up all around gas stations telling you not to smoke. The spark from a cigarette lighter could potentially ignite the whole place!

So Now How Worried Are You Over Propane?

With that example as our perspective, consider that canister of compressed propane (in liquid form under pressure) that's providing you with cheap and efficient indoor heat. Here is a gaseous substance that comes from the same place as the gasoline in your car, since it's a by-product of refined crude oil.

Yet propane, whether in liquid or gaseous form, is considerable less volatile than gasoline. It's true!

You would literally have to open the valve on the can and hold a lighted flame to the escaping gas to ignite it and even then, all you'd end up with would be a gushing plume of burning gas. To cause the canister to explode, you'd have to get that burning fuel to invert and enter the canister, which is pretty difficult since the pressure in inside it forcing the gas out.

Either way, it's a whole lot tougher to ignite a canister of household propane than it is to ignite a tank of gasoline. Hopefully, there are your safety concerns taken care of.

So if you're cool about driving your car, then you should be totally unconcerned about firing up your little heater to keep you cozy and warm  in your home because it is much safer and many times less likely to explode than is your car. How's that for a nice slice of food for thought for the day?

Portable Indoor Propane Heaters: Facts You Need to Know!

People who want a portable indoor heating solution can read this and find out about propane heaters that are very safe, cost effective and efficient ways to heat the rooms in your home, basement, attic, garage, workshop or other space. When the weather turns cold and the long warm days of summer are fading from memory, thoughts turn to how best to retain some of that warmth indoors when the mercury is plummeting outdoors.

There are plenty of heating solutions available for the many different areas in your home and outbuilding, but this article focuses on the portable kind that do not rely on expensive electricity, but are instead powered by propane.This is a gas that can be purchased in pressurized canisters making it a perfect fuel for a portable or even fixed heating unit.

What Are the Benefits of Propane Heaters?

Propane heaters have many benefits over electrical heaters that budget-conscious householders are much more acutely aware of these days of rising fuel and energy costs. Let's take a look at some of the major benefits:

• Low cost to buy
• Efficient energy source
• Clean burning with low pollution
• Portable containers can be used anywhere
• Refills available from hardware stores and gas stations almost everywhere

In short, propane provides us with a truly portable fuel source that is relatively safe to use, widely available and has numerous appliances that use it.

Are Propane Heaters Really Safe?

There has been some bad press about certain types of propane heating units malfunctioning and causing problems for their users. This generally happens when appliances are very old or have not been maintained properly, or are being misused.

Old heaters become inefficient at burning the fuel and can produce higher than safe levels of carbon monoxide gas. Ordinarily in a well ventilated home, this doesn't present a great danger, although the cumulative effect of breathing in higher levels of this gas can lead to medical problems over time.

The effects are similar to those experienced by people who spend a lot of time by the roadside with lots of traffic, since carbon monoxide is one of the constituents of gas engine exhausts. The gas molecules get into the bloodstream and displace oxygen molecules as they are smaller and easily absorbed.

Inhalation of carbon monoxide in large quantities leads to oxygen starvation in the brain and major organs and if fresh oxygen is not breathed in, eventually a person can die. This happens when a person commits suicide by passing a hose from the tailpipe into the car, closing all the windows and leaving the engine running.


With a faulty propane heater, this danger can be averted by keeping a room well ventilated, although during cold weather it is customary to close all windows and doors to "keep the heat in". Unfortunately, this also keeps all the carbon monoxide in as well.

Take Care of Your Propane Heater

This situation can easily be avoided by maintaining your heater in good condition and as it ages, getting it checked out by a professional to make sure it is still burning the gas efficiently. Keep the unit clean and don't obstruct any vents on top sides or at the back.

Keep children away from the heater even when its not turned on and if anything gets spilled on it, clean it up right away. Burners can be brushed lightly with a soft brush to remove dust and light debris, but don't use strong bristles or wire brushes as these may damage the burners.

Safety First

You can also improve your family's safety by purchasing an inexpensive but potentially life saving carbon monoxide alarm.If you do not have an alarm and are using a non-vented propane heater, the best advice anyone can give you is to go buy one right away!

It is difficult to tell if carbon monoxide is present in a rooms atmosphere in any great quantity because it is colorless and odorless. The first telltale signs you may notice are feelings of drowsiness and the onset of a bad headache.

If you feel these symptoms, open all the doors and windows, shut off the heater and go outdoors to get some fresh air. if anyone in the room has fainted, seek medical attention right away.

For more information on portable heater safety issues here are some external resources that are worth checking out:

• http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/portable-heaters : Energy.gov - Portable heaters
• http://www.cpsc.gov/PageFiles/103972/CO03.pdf : CO Emissions from a portable Propane Catalytic Heater (PDF)
• http://lpg.nv.gov/Safety_Information/Propane_Safety_Brochure.pdf : Propane Safety Information