Does Your Gas Heater Smell?

[ex2013]

Hello! We recently arrived and are renting a great house that we hope to stay in long term. BUT, the gas heaters smell like, well, gas. Never having had a gas heater like that before, I'm a little concerned about the fumes and potential for leaks. So I wonder, does your gas heater smell? Is this normal? I am trying to track down a carbon monoxide detector for peace of mind but apparently they are hard to find!

 

[EricLovesBA]

No, in my experience there should not be a natural gas smell from a free standing heater. Natural gas is actually odorless and a scent is added to it just for for this purpose - so that you'll know there is a leak. Free standing heaters are kind of a pain really, and hopefully yours is "tiro balanceado" - the type that is on an outside wall and vented to the outside. People here are somewhat terrified of gas, so erring on the side of caution, it could be because some crappy unsafe appliances are out there in the market. Many people I know here refuse to sleep without first turning off all the gas shutoffs by each appliance.

Some things to try or watch for

Smell of natural gas (very distinctive smell like turning on a gas burner without lighting it). Leak somewhere before the stove or inside the stove or incomplete ignition along the burner. If your feeling bold you can check around the connections with a match, though many will tell you it's unsafe to do so. Spraying connections with soapy water will also help you find a leak.

Flame color: Flame should be a steady blue color. Yellow flame indicates poor combustion and likely means more carbon monoxide is being released. Sometimes you can adjust the flame and get a better color. Properly installed venting also helps.

Apartment humidity is way too high- mold problems etc. Stove could be a contributing factor if not properly vented. Counter-intuitively, water vapor is one of the byproducts of natural gas combustion.

Groggy feeling, headaches, etc - who knows. The damn thing is sucking up all the oxygen or maybe you're getting some mild carbon monoxide poisoning. Either way it's time to crack open a window or two, even if it's freezing outside.

 

[Farenheit]

We've found that the gas here smells very strongly on some days but not on all. It's very strange. We have noticed this from both the cooker and the gas heater (both recently installed by a good plumber/gasista so it's defo not a leak).

 

[germano]

The one here smells as well (natural gas, no leaks).

 

[rrptownley]

Regulation in Argentina that all gas heaters in bedrooms must be connected and vented out through an outside wall.

If the flame is burning anything but blue then there may be a problem. I had my gas heaters serviced and the filters cleaned this year by Ezequiel from this thread. I really recommend his services. If you have any doubts about your gas heaters call him.

 

[PhilipDT]

You can't smell carbon monoxide so don't worry about that. If you're just recently using them it could be dust and the like burning off as it heats up. Are you sure it's a gas smell not just a chemical fume smell?

 

[buenosairesdrive]

There might be something wrong with your heater, have a licensed 'gasista' take a look at them, since it shouldn't smell at all

 

[ex2013]

It smells like gas to me, although I am not familiar with a chemical fume smell. The natural gas heaters are in the bedrooms and are vented. And the landlord said they were serviced just recently. But, we have a toddler, so I am nervous about carbon monoxide and other fumes. I think the heaters were off for about 2 weeks before we arrived (on Friday).

Richard - thanks for pointing me to the recommendation list. It will be very helpful.