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List Price: $342.62
Sale Price: $244.46
Today's Bonus: 29% Off
I bought this from this vendor in December 2010. The color is a light cream color. It comes with a 3/8" elbow flare fitting. The gas line in the fireplace had a 3/8" flare fitting. The supply line is a 24" from HD, for under $20. Mr Heater recommends not putting the unit in an enclosed space, such as in the fireplace, so I put it on the hearth. The unit has a fan with an on off switch, and the fan comes on when the unit is warmed up. The fan has one speed and is as loud as the microwave. I only used the fan a couple of times, opting instead for the ceiling fan on low in reverse. The unit has a pilot light that is lit with a battery (included) powered igniter. The pilot is easy to light and I turn it off when not using the heater. The thermostat goes from 1 to 5, with 1 being about 55 degrees, and 3 being about 70 degrees. The amount of gas is not adjustable by the heater, but it can be turned down with the gas valve built into the fireplace. I added a photo that shows the heater running with the gas turned down by the fireplace gas valve. This allows the heater to run all day and keep the room at a constant temperature without cycling on and off.
The good: Very low cost for a lot of heat. Fan and floor mounts are included. With ventless, all the heat generated stays in the room. Infra red radiant heat is warm. You might want to search on high intensity gas heaters. The infra red heater allows us to turn the house thermostat way down, and have the same comfort in the family room that we would get by sitting in the sun on a cold day.
The bad: Ventless has a combustion smell. I got a slight head ache for the first two weeks after running the unit at full power. Either I got used to it, or the newness burned off. The unit is not as attractive as a gas log insert.
These heaters are supposed to cause condensation, and we were hoping for an increase in humidity, but the house is still in the dry range at 30%.
I bought this heater as an experiment. I had a $4,000 gas insert installed in my last house with excellent results, and installed the same item in this house, but it was a dud. I wanted to test my expectations whether a 40,000 btu vented gas insert with 75% efficiency generated the same comfort as a 30,000 btu infra red ventless. The big difference is the radiant heat. The infra red ventless generates more comfort. It feels like a roaring fire, but does not look like one. I still wanted the ventless to eliminate the smell, and asked three insert manufacturers to provide any a test results they have for their units for radiant heat, but got no answers. My conclusion is that the inserts look pretty, and they generate the same kind of heat as the house heater, but they don't do radiant. I'll enjoy the warmth, live with the smell, and keep $3,800 in my pocket.
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I bought & posted the LP version of this unit after reviewing the comments/opinions of this NG unit as well...figured I would post a copy as they are basically the same unit, only using a different 'flavor' of fuel! ;) ALL info is completely relevant, just keep in mind the 'LP (propane) specific comments are directed @ this units' LP twin-brother!
Recently experienced some winter power outages & realized a dire need for some 'peace-of-mind' during any future episodes! Consequently, this came in handy yesterday 12-19-2011, when the furnace happened to fail out! I am in the White Mountain range, and it was only 9 degrees when this happened; this little guy kept us from freezing to death, literally! BTW, i am in a 2000+ sq. foot home, 2 level, so even though that's much more space than this one is actually capable of heating, the heat naturally moved upstairs & throughout the house & kept it 'livable', regardless! ;) This unit provides more than enough heat to 'camp-out' & survive a no-heat situation comfortably for probably up to 1000sq. feet in a pinch, if it's not too, TOO cold out! ;) The heater does EXTREMELY well, is VERY efficient (around 99.7%!), and a perfect emergency-type or 'supplemental' heating source. It is NOT recommended as a primary heat source as it is NOT vented and even illegal for use in some states (Massachusetts) because of this, so check w/ your state laws 1st before ordering...Note: this unit should NOT be used in a bathroom or bedroom, only a 'primary' (and open!) living space/quarters!...
When you order this heater, be sure to get an appropriate regulator assembly/hose to go with it, as the pressure needs to be 'stepped-down' to 11-13WC, or around 1/2 to 1 PSI in normal human speaking terms! ;) It is NOT meant to be connected directly to the LP gas supply (like you would a natural gas system) without incoming gas pressures first being regulated down; it will blow the valve system & would NOT be covered under any warranties! :P ...
As this unit is VENT-FREE...just for peace of mind for you 'worry-wart' type people (like me!), I would wholeheartedly recommend the use of a reputable carbon monoxide detector in the home this is to be used to protect you & your loved-ones from any dangers...the unit IS equipped w/ an ODS system, that will automatically shut the unit down if there not enough available oxygen (for you!) in the room it is operating, so that helps ease some worries!...Just so you know, my heater is operating in the downstairs 1000 sq. feet living space, in a 10x15 living-room, CO detector @ farthest wall from heater; it's a KIDDE Nighthawk digital CO detector Kidde KN-COPP-3 Nighthawk Plug-In Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Battery Backup and Digital Display (VERY good!) & has registered ZERO '0' ppm since firing up the heater in the same room! not too shabby! ;)...my detector also has the 'explosive gas' detector built in as well, which comes in REAL handy when dealing w/ LP (propane) gas, as it heavier than air, sinks low, & tends to 'pool' up in lower or enclosed spaces, just waiting for a spark! :O Natural gas is a lil' bit 'friendlier', 'cause when it leaks off, it is lighter than air, & tends to float up, intermingling w/ other air & usually finding places to dissipate & escape with other heated air leaving the home! ;)
Just a bit of info regarding a specific feature on this unit (and actually one of the reasons I chose this model over the other brands!) is a unique digital temperature readout display on the top right corner of the housing, where the thermostat control is located; you can see a pic of it in image two @ the top of the page...Well, this particular feature is NOT included with this unit. I have contacted Mr. Heater regarding this feature and why it is missing...they explained that, although it was a really nice feature to have, customers were 'getting confused' as to what it was & how it related to heater operation???...O-kaay?...so that feature has been omitted from ALL 2011 built units as of January, 2011. This includes ALL units, both LP and natural gas, infrared AND blue-flame units included; SO, if you really appreciated (& wanted!) this feature like I did, the only way to obtain it is to find a 2010 (last years model) unit in somebody's 'old-stock' in their warehouse...I have not had any leads...good luck! >:(
I suppose it's not that important, but I thought it was a handy & useful feature to have w/ a heater...I mean, practically ALL those little ceramic heaters now run on digital temp controls & readouts now too, right!?! :O Consequently, all the pics and descriptions for any of the newer 20-30k BTU units of this nature including the digital temps are incorrectly advertised & need to be updated as such to reflect the omission of this nifty lil' feature... :(
PROS:
VERY efficient
Fan unit INCLUDED with this model (costs $30-50 xtra charges w/ similar units!)
'Free-standing' feet INCLUDED w/ this model (also additional costs w/ others)
ELECTRONIC ignition; VERY nice, compared to the click, click, click push-button BBQ igniters (which rarely work half the time!)
very COZY, & nice radiant heat literally POURS from the face of this heater! :) warms the bones! ;)
very easy to hook up & start using, right outta-the-box!
NO electricity needed whatsoever for operation!...of course the blower wont operate, but it's a nice QUIET & COZY heat! :)
CONS:
Fan unit not very powerful, & slightly on the loud side, a little quieter than a hairdryer on 'low' setting; doesn't move much heat, but the radiant heat helps w/ that issue on it's own! ;) ...it CAN however be set to 'ON' or 'AUTO' or OFF! (which is nice when you don't want to hear it!), AND it is automagically turned on by heat & cuts out when the heater cools down, so no 'human-thought' required when using! :)
Has the ability to burn up fuel pretty quick if you leave it up 'high' for a quite awhile...of course it WAS only 10 degrees! bbbrrrr! :O
Unit REALLY stinks when you use it 1st time, burning off paints/oil/new stuff...recommend burning OUTSIDE for awhile HOT to burn off the bad smelling stuff & 'cure' the unit before indoor use (I didn't have a choice!) :(
Kinda misleading pics/description regarding the digital temp display feature, should be updated to reflect this issue
FYI...vent-free units are VERY efficient heaters, HOWEVER, one important snippet of knowledge that most don't know, or are not usually told about, is the fact that these types of heaters have the capacity to release up to a QUART (32oz) of water vapor into your house while in operation (burning); this is due to the fact that there is no venting for the exhaust gases to escape...hence your awesome efficiency is ALSO the culprit of unneeded water vapor...BUT, this is somewhat negated by the fact that a heater is most likely used in the Winter (cold!) months...humidity levels are usually alot lower in the Winter, and as a result, most people usually choose to add water to their homes (humidifiers, steam pots on the wood-stove, etc.)during these times anyway to help reduce chapped hands & lips, dry skin, & lowering the chance of catching a cold, sore throat or getting sick! So the extra moisture could actually be seen as a 'PRO' depending on how you view it!...too much moisture in the home can obviously be a problem as well! :P
...All in all, I find ALOT of positive benefits regarding this heater & it also works really well for what it was designed to do (possibly heating even better than it was rated by sq footage!)...I would totally recommend this heater for anyone needing a back-up emergency or supplemental heat source for not really alot of money @ all! Geez, very economical in fact compared to 'commercially' available installs/solutions! It's 'The Great Lil' Heater that Could!' & does the job very nicely, thank you!
Happy Holidays 2011 & stay WARM!!! ;)
Buy Mr. Heater 30,000 BTU Natural Gas Radiant Vent Free Heater #VF30KRADNG Now
I was a little doubtful about reviews when I bought this heater, but it is great heater! I use it in my garage and I barely have to turn the heat setting above 1. I can walk into my garage in the middle of winter, in which I live in Northeast ohio so it gets cold, and be in shorts and t-shirt and be comfortable! So far I have had it for 2 and 1/2 months and it has not really caused my gas bill to go up at all. I absolutely recommend this product for anyone out there, especially for the men who like to be in thier garage. You cant find a more affordable and efficient way to heat the garage!
Read Best Reviews of Mr. Heater 30,000 BTU Natural Gas Radiant Vent Free Heater #VF30KRADNG Here
I was looking for a heater that had a built in thermostat and temperature display. I bought this heater to take the place of an old heater in my 1200 sq ft detached garage. The product description claims it has a 'adjustable thermostat' and also that 'Heater also has built in digital room temperature display'. To my dissatisfaction, this heater does not shut off when it reaches a set temperature. And it does NOT have a digital room temp display. There are 5 settings, lowest to highest.
The product seems to work fine and does a good job heating up the garage. I keep it on low and let it go to work. However, I find myself having to shut it off manually. Even at the low setting, my garage can get warmer than I'd like. And it doesn't stop putting out heat, which is a waste of energy.
I would recommend this product based on its ease of use and overall function. However, if you're looking for a heater that you can adjust and leave alone then this isn't the product for you.
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The short of it is this heater works flawlessly and I can depend on it.
More details: The parts don't seem to be formed to fit well and the assembly was not the best so I was worried at first but it works flawlessly. Great design! I had another one that looked like it was made better but the pilot light kept going out if the fan came on and sometimes even if the fan was turned off so I could never depend on it from the day it was new. Very happy with this product and now I don't come home to a freezing house or worry about the pipes freezing and bursting if I travel. I'm not talking about parts hanging or falling off, just the details of the fit if you notice those things. Even the thermostat is more accurate and responds quicker than the other heaters I've had.
PS. I hope the time I spent doing this review has helped you the same way your reviews have helped me make better decisions. Thanks!
