Can a gas heater make you sick?
Can a gas heater make you sick? When I used to visit family at their previous residence, they had an unflued gas heater to heat the room we used. It would make me sleepy and the room was very stuffy. Gas heaters produce heat through burning gas fuel. When gas fuel is burnt, it consumes air and air pollutants and water vapour are also produced.
The air pollutants created from the combustion of gas include:
Carbon Monoxide (CO)
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2)
Particles
Sulfur dioxide (SO2)
Formaldehyde
Generally, there are two types of gas heaters. Flued and unflued. A flued gas heater vents these air pollutants and water vapour outside the home through a chimney or flue, while an unflued gas heater releases them directly into the home.
As noted by NSW Health:
Carbon Monoxide (CO) is difficult to detect in your home. It is invisible and has no smell or taste. It can cause toxic effects in humans by depriving the body of oxygen, and impairing thinking and reflexes. CO levels will rise in a home where an unflued gas heater is in use.
A poorly installed heater, or a heater in a room with a lack of fresh air, can cause excessive levels of CO, and can lead to CO poisoning. Symptoms of CO poisoning include flu-like symptoms, headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, shortness of breath, confusion, blurred vision and loss of consciousness. CO poisoning can lead to death.
Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) can be difficult to detect in your home. NO2 is an invisible and tasteless gas, however, it does have a strong odour. NO2 levels will rise in a room where an unflued gas heater is in use. Breathing in high levels of NO2 can cause irritation of the respiratory tract and shortness of breath.
People with asthma and other respiratory diseases are particularly susceptible to the effects of exposure to NO2. Children may suffer more often from cold symptoms or asthma attacks if exposed over a prolonged period of time.
If you have a flued gas heater, and it is maintained and working effectively, it is not likely to make you sick. All the polluted air should be going directly up the flue.
If you have an unflued gas heater, then all those pollutants are being emitted into your room. If you have a gas heater connected to a bayonet socket and no vent pipe - you have an unflued gas heater. See example pictures below.
I did a quick search on a popular retailers site here in Australia, and unflued options are still regularly available.
It is my recommendation that if you have an option to not use one - DON’T. I would suggest getting an energy efficient split system air conditioner. If you don’t have an option, ensure you keep the room well ventilated with fresh air to prevent the accumulation of combustion gases.
