Room heaters and wall furnaces
Natural gas room heaters and wall furnaces may be the perfect supplement to your heating system, or be used as a scaled-down system where a central furnace is not feasible.
How natural gas room heaters and wall furnaces work
Direct-vent room heaters and wall furnaces don’t need a chimney and can be installed on most exterior walls. They are self-contained sealed combustion heating appliances that draw air in and discharge combustion byproducts outside through a vent. They are permanently attached to the structure of a building, recreational vehicle or mobile home and are not connected to ductwork.
Benefits
Compact
Natural gas room heaters and wall furnaces can be added to an existing natural gas heating system, or be used as a scaled-down system where a central furnace is not feasible.
Easy to install
Direct-vent units don’t need a chimney and can be installed on most exterior walls. This means that no household heat is lost up a chimney, and additional vent pipes or chimneys are not needed.
Economical and fuel efficient
Wall furnaces are generally less expensive than central furnaces. Additionally, each heater has its own controls, so individual areas of the home can be kept at different temperatures.
Multiple choices
Wall-mounted or freestanding models are available in a range of styles and colours, including furniture-style cabinets that blend with any décor.
Buying a room heater or wall furnace
Consider the space to be heated, where the unit will be located, and your heating needs.
- These units circulate heated air by gravity or with the help of a circulating fan. Units with a circulating fan yield higher efficiencies.
- These units come in a variety of heating capacities, ranging from a standard-efficiency unit with a pilot light to a mid-efficiency unit with electric ignition and induced draft. The annual fuel use efficiency (AFUE) ratings of wall furnaces can range from 70 to 80 per cent. Room heaters also come as standard or mid-efficiency units, with AFUE ratings ranging from 60 to 82 per cent.
Before you purchase a unit, ask a licensed gas contractor to assess your home’s needs and give you a recommendation, and then have the contractor install the unit.