Be careful when choosing. Some natural gas space heaters have electronic ignitions to light the gas heater. These won’t do you much good in a power outage. Other types have pilot lights which have a continuous flame burning with a thermocouple that requires no power to light the heater. The drawback to these is the constantly burning pilot.

There is another type called a free standing pilot. It needs to be lit manually. When you want to use the heater you simply turn the gas valve to pilot, push the knob down and light the pilot light. Most can also be lit with a match or a simple propane BBQ lighter. Then just turn the gas valve to the “ON” position and the main burner will light.

The pilot assembly must be constructed so that the gas flow automatically shuts off in the event that the pilot is extinguished. It should also have a built-in oxygen depletion sensor to turn off the unit should oxygen levels drop below A.N.S.I. standards.

Unlike electric space heaters, a major concern with using gas as a heating source is being sure you have good ventilation. Gas gives off dangerous carbon monoxide fumes that you don’t’ want to breathe in.

Be sure to choose a safe location for your natural gas space heater. Be sure that nothing flammable is around it. This is critical because a heater can easily become a fire hazard if precautions are not taken to keep the area clear around the heater.

Keep children away from any type of space heater, not just gas. Small children and heaters don’t mix real well. Be sure to thoroughly explain the dangers of space heaters to your kids. It could prevent an accident from happening in the future.

For homes without natural gas, or if you just want a portable heater, propane gas heaters are also available. Some manufacturers make units which will run on either fuel by simply changing the orifice.

Small space heaters are used most often to supplement the main heating system or when central heating is too expensive to install or operate, such as in a vacation home. In most cases, small electric space heaters are cheaper to use if you only want to heat one room. They can also help raise the temperature in rooms used by people who are sensitive to cold, especially the elderly, without making the rest of the house too warm. A rule of thumb for sizing a space heater is 10 watts for each square foot. Using this rule, a 1500 watt space heater would heat 144 sq. ft. or a 12′x 12′ room.

Portable electric space heaters are broken down into several types. Among them are the a plain convection heater which is the simplest kind. Then there is the fan-forced convection type, oil filled electric space heater, infrared space heaters, and radiant heater. While each run on electricity, they each offer a slightly different means of providing heat. Most electric space heaters use convection to heat a room. They have a huge advantage over combustion heaters in that they are safe to use without venting. They dont need a chimney or other venting mechanism. Therefore, they are a good heating solution in many situations and in climates with only a few cold days during the year.

Infrared space heaters can cut your heating bill up to 50%. They use infrared heat to a room of up to 1000 square feet evenly and efficiently. They do not get scorching hot, cannot start a fire, and will not reduce the humidity or oxygen level in the room. They are very energy efficient and cost effective way of heating your home. Infrared technology does not use as much energy as the leading space heater and you will get more heating from an infrared heater than you would from traditional portable electric heating options. An infrared heater transfers most of the heat through direct infrared radiation to heat up objects being in the line of sight of the radiation to heat the occupants o the room. You save money by just heating people and not heating the whole room.

Oil space heaters are actually oil-filled. These units are heavy but portable. They are very safe to use. They are frequently used in children’s rooms. It can take a while before the oil heats up, but once heated the oil stays warm for a long period of time. This type of heater provides a steady heat source for an entire room and is one of the most energy efficient options. They are safe, silent, and energy efficient because they automatically maintain optimal room temperature.