Author: Dennis Reed

Dennis Reed Owner and Author @ BreatheBetterAir.org

Do Humidifiers Help With Congestion?

Nasal congestion is widespread, and can occur during sinus infections such as the flu and the common cold. Some symptoms include sinus pain, mucus buildup, a stuffy or runny nose, swollen nasal tissue or sinus pressure.

 While medicines are recommended for such infections, taking extra precautionary measures to tone down the discomfort from congestion is also recommended.

This is where the question occurs; do humidifiers help with congestion?

The short answer is yes, they do. 

Humidifiers turn water from its liquid form into vapor. This vapor is then released into the air to increase the humidity, which further helps in loosening dried-up mucus secretion  in your nasal passages.

 You can then easily blow your nose, getting rid of all the mucus and giving you maximum relief.

 Many people undergo home treatments to relieve congestion, and using humidifiers is one of these methods. All types of humidifiers can help with congestion, but first, let’s dive into the various types of humidifiers and how they can help.

humidifier for congestionWarm-mist Humidifier

Whether shopping for a car, a commercial hand dryer or a PC, you always look through the different models and their functions. The same is true for humidifiers.

The warm-mist humidifier comes with a heating system used to boil water internally. Once heated, the nozzle releases water in the form of steam.

Using warm-mist humidifiers should be avoided in the presence of children or particularly energetic pets. If the humidifier is knocked over, it can cause severe burns, so it must be handled carefully, even if by yourself.

 Regardless, they are still highly effective against congestion and fully serve their purpose. Additionally, they can come with compartments to add calming essential oil or vapor rub to be released into the air. This will aid more soothing relief. 

 Since warm-mist humidifiers keep the water at a boiling temperature for as long as they function, they also use a lot of energy. 

Vaporizer Humidifier 

For smaller bedrooms, using a vapor humidifier is recommended. These are very similar in function and effectiveness to warm-mist humidifiers, minus the ability to remove the tank. Despite this, they are just as good as other humidifiers in regards to providing relief.

The process is the same as a warm-mist humidifier. Water is boiled to create and release vapor into the air to be inhaled, helping to clear congestion. 

Similarly, these also must be carefully handled and kept away from pets and children for safety. The boiling process that vaporizers use helps get rid of all the pollutants that may be present in the water. This way, when vapor occurs, it is of good, clean quality that is safe for you to inhale. 

Using only vaporizer humidifiers will not be as effective in larger rooms due to bigger spaces needing more ventilation. The vapor needs to circulate in the room so you can inhale them to clear congestion.

Cool-mist Humidifier 

A cool-mist humidifier is an ideal option, since it offers the same relief as other humidifiers whilst being safe to use around children or pets. You can even find models that are explicitly designed for infants and children. 

As the name suggests, the cool-mist humidifier can turn room temperature or cool water into a mist, providing relaxing, therapeutic relief.
The distinguishing difference between warm-mist and cool-mist humidifiers, despite the temperature, is that no fan is present in warm-mist models, as the boiling effect releases energy, forcing the vapor out of the machine.

Naturally, the cool-mist model does require a fan, which may result in a loud noise when it is on. However, this is a small price to pay regarding the effectiveness, low energy use and safety it offers. 

The cool mist humidifier further comes in two forms. Namely, evaporative humidifiers and impeller humidifiers. These vary in the ways they release mist into the air. 

Evaporative humidifiers can release the relative humidity inside your home with a fan. The water is pushed into the air passing through an absorbent material, creating vapor.

Impeller humidifiers use rotating disks that move at a high speed. The disk is responsible for rotating the water around, turning them into droplets that are released into the air. They are comparatively safer than evaporative humidifiers since they do not use fans.  

Ultrasonic Humidifier 

Ultrasonic humidifiers work by creating small waves using ultrasonic. These waves break down the water, creating small vapor that are released into the air as a cool soothing mist. This model of humidifier is both very quiet and low maintenance.

 Since the sound of a fan from a cool-mist humidifier may be irritating, especially when already congested, an ultrasonic humidifier can provide more quiet relief. It is one of the best and most recommended options due to this reason.

Since ultrasonic humidifiers have the same function as cool-mist and warm-mist humidifiers whilst being quiet and safe, people tend to prefer this option. You can sleep peacefully at night while enjoying the luxury of having a safe vapor released into the air, without the worry of children or pets getting burnt. 

The bottom line

Ultrasonic humidifiers take the prize as being the safest, fully efficient and quietest option on the market. Humidifiers that produce sound may not seem like such an inconvenience in the daytime, but quiet noises often sound louder at night.

 There is also the concern of using vaporizers and warm-mist humidifiers around children or pets. In contrast, ultrasonic humidifiers have all the benefits of the other options, whilst still being safe to use around your family and pets.

Ultrasonic humidifiers also have a far lower noise level than other options. There are other aspects to consider, like having an automatic humidifier so that it can turn off when not in use to save electricity and prevent mold. 

We hope this article helped enlighten you about how humidifiers help relieve congestion and about the different types that will be best suited for you. Thank you for reading!

Windowless Air Conditioner Solutions- Adding New Ductwork

Getting cool air to a room that doesn’t have any windows can be a challenge sometimes.

But depending on what type of room and what size of a room you were trying to cool, the answer may be closer than you think.

There are so many different scenarios of rooms that need cooling but do not have any windows.

One example is a garage that has been converted or closed in to add another bedroom.

Garages are typically not part of the HVAC zoning system of your home.

So you don’t have cool air running to your garage from the main hub of the central heat and air.

Windowless Air Conditioner Solutions- Adding New Ductwork

Running ductwork from your existing HVAC to your new room can be a solution if:

1. You have an adequate size HVAC that can handle it.

2. You have other rooms in the house that are not being used

1.  Adequate or bigger size HVAC than you need.

Many times the HVAC system in your house is bigger than you actually need.

In this ideal situation, running new ductwork to your new room will be relatively simple and do a decent job.

For specifics, you will need to know the size of the room you were trying to cool and the tonnage of your HVAC system.

  An HVAC tech will be able to tell you whether or not this suits you are not.

Diy 

When you have rooms in the house that are not in use.

This is something I’ve seen in a rented house where someone was using the garage for a podcast studio.

He portioned off part of a single car garage to set up his equipment and built a makeshift studio. Since this was a rented house and he didn’t plan on living there forever, he converted the garage in a way that he could take it apart whenever he decided to move.

The problem was that there wasn’t any heating or air in the garage and it was extra hot throughout the summer.

  And by no means is this a recommendation, I’m only telling the story to give you an idea of things that can be done if you think outside of the box.

In this specific rental house that he lived in, there was an area next to the garage that was supposed to be a dining room (maybe). The room didn’t make a lot of sense and he was just piling stuff in there.

So to cool his studio area that he had built into his garage, he got into the attic, removed the duct that was running to the dining /storage room he wasn’t using, and extended it to the garage.

A pretty good solution since he had a room that was only being used for storing stuff.

  This was a good idea for him since he was a single man and wasn’t using one room for anything besides storage and didn’t care whether or not it ever got cooling or heating to it.

  This idea can also work if you have a house with a room or two that you keep closed off but do not want to completely remove the heat or  air from the room

In the above scenario, the man could have tied into the existing ductwork and ran a new duct to the garage.

Then added vents that could be completely closed to both the dining area and the new garage area.

That way both rooms could share the Heat and Air in an either/or situation.

I say either/ or situation because simply tying off a new duct from an existing room will probably not give you enough air into the new room for you to be satisfied.

Summary

Windowless Air Conditioner Solutions- Adding New Ductwork

If you have a room in your house that doesn’t get air from your existing HVAC, sometimes a solution to cooling the room is to add an extra duct from the HVAC hub.

This works if you have a bigger HVAC than you need or if you have rooms in the house that are closed off.

If you do have rooms that are closed off you can run the duct from those rooms to the room you want cooling,

Or you can tie in from the ductwork going to those rooms and add vents that completely close off, to the room you’re not using and the new room that you’re running air to. That way you can still open the vent and get air to the old room in an either/ or situation.

Windowless Air Conditioner Solutions- PTAC

How do you cool a room with no windows?
Is there such a thing as a windowless air conditioner?

There are a few types of air conditioners that you can use to cool a room with no windows.

Some expensive, some not as much. Some that take a whole lot of installation knowledge and work, and some that take less.

One solution that falls under the moderately expensive side and does take a moderate amount of installation is the PTAC.

PTAC or packaged terminal air conditioners are through the wall air conditioners that require the wall that they are installed to to be an outside wall that has the outdoors as one side of the wall.

PTAC air conditioners are known as commercial hotel air conditioners because that is where they are seen the most.

  But they can be used in almost any type of application where you have a room that has an outside wall.

Advantages of Packaged Terminal air conditioners

1. Quality.

PTAC air conditioners are commercial grade ACs that can literally last you 20 or more years.

2. Work as both air conditioners and heaters.

If you have ever stayed in a hotel that has a Packaged Terminal air conditioner installed in the room that you were sleeping in, you know very well how intensely cold that room can get using a PTAC.

You also know how hot one can get in the winter.

3.  Energy efficient.

PTAC disadvantages

1.  Installation

Not nearly the amount of installation that a mini split requires,

but installing a Packaged Terminal air conditioner does require a large rectangular hole to be cut through an entire wall. And for most people that means that they will have to hire an outside Carpenter to do the work.

The size of the hole that you are cutting pretty much dictates that you are invested in using the package terminal air conditioner for a very long time.

And once the hole is cut, you are stuck with that location for the air conditioner.

Of course you can always fix the wall if needed. But that would be an entire job on its own.

2.  Single room only

PTAC air conditioners only work in the room that they are installed in.

And they are a point of origin type of air conditioner. In other words, they are very cold, the closer you are to the air conditioner.

Back to the hotel reference,

If you ever stayed in a room with two beds that used a PTAC air conditioner, you know that the bed closest to the air conditioner is going to be the one you want if you like to sleep with a lot of covers.

Otherwise, it may get a little warm on your side of the room.

3.  Noise

Just like a window air conditioner, all the components of a HVAC system are located in one package with a Packaged Terminal air conditioner.

There is no getting away from the sound of the compressor running and cycling on and off while the air conditioner is on.

  Because of that point, PTAC air conditioners are not very suitable for use in recording studios or podcast studios where you need as much quiet as you can get.

Summary

Packaged Terminal air conditioners are a commercial grade windowless air conditioner solution when you have a room with no windows.

PTAC air conditioners are known as hotel air conditioners because that’s where you see them the most.

But anywhere you have a room with one wall that is an outside wall, you can use a package terminal AC.

  The installation for a Packaged Terminal air conditioner requires that a large rectangular hole be cut into your wall.

So not only are you looking at the installation cost, you are also looking at a fairly permanent solution when you install a PTAC.

And though they are very powerful air conditioners with a long lifespan,

They do have the disadvantage of being a single room air conditioner that has a noisy compressor built right in.

And they are a point of origin air conditioner that can be freezing cold when you are next to it.

Windowless Air Conditioner Solutions -Mini Split

How do you get air conditioning into a room that does not have any windows?

In a series of articles, we are presenting different options for air conditioning when you have a room that doesn’t have any windows.

We explore through the wall air conditioners, portable evaporative coolers, HVAC options, mini split, PTAC, and more.

  In this article we are talking about the mini split as a windowless air conditioning solution.

Mini Split Windowless Air conditioner

Mini split air conditioners are a windowless air conditioner solution that are a very close cousin to a traditional HVAC central heat and air unit.

The difference is that mini split air conditioners are more of an afterthought and usually go into a house after the house has already been built.

Where HVAC systems are built into the house and ductwork is installed as the house is being built.

That’s not always the case, but it is true most of the time.

Just like a HVAC system, the compressor of a mini split is outside of the house.

The compressor runs to an air handler( or multiple air handlers) inside of the house via conduit on the outside of the house. And on the outside of the walls inside of the house.

That is why we say that many split air conditioners are more of an afterthought because they are installed via the outside of the walls.

  Mini splits are a much more sophisticated way of getting air conditioning into a room with no windows then say a portable evaporative cooler.

But the price and the installation of a mini split is considerably more also.

Mini split air conditioner Benefits

There is a number of benefits to using a mini split air conditioner:

1.  Quiet

Since the compressor of a mini split air conditioner is outside of the house, the only noise coming from the air conditioning is the light sound of the air handler.

This is a good solution if noise is a problem. For instance, a recording studio for a podcast room needs silence as a prerequisite.

With the mini split air conditioner, you can achieve less noise.

2.  Individual temperature settings

Another big advantage of mini split air conditioners that even HVAC systems don’t have is the ability to set the desired temperature for every room individually.

Since each room has its own air handler with a mini split, the temperature of each room can be sent differently.

mini split in room Mini split downsides

1.  Installation

The installation of a mini split air conditioner requires quite a bit more than other types of portable air conditioning.

  Installing a mini split is more like installing two air conditioners because you have to install the outdoor compressor and the indoor air handler.

They also have to be connected via conduit.

  Other factors to consider are that electricity has to be run to the compressor which means a new circuit.

And a condensate line has to be installed to drain the moisture outside.

2.  Maintenance

Maintenance is also a huge part of owning a mini split air conditioner.

Two separate parts of the air conditioner required two separate maintenance.

The air handler has to have filter replacements and cleaned at least once a year.

The compressor outside requires disassembling to clean and also needs at least a yearly cleaning.

And the condensate lines need checking and unclogging if a problem appears.

Summary

A mini split air conditioner is a good solution for a room that does not have any windows.

A good solution but one that comes with a big price tag and requires installation and maintenance.

But they do have the benefit of being extremely quiet when noise is as much of a factor as getting cool air into a room without windows.

Windowless Air Conditioner Solutions – Evaporative Cooler

Riddle.
What kind of room has no doors or Windows? A mushroom. Haha.

But what kind of room actually has no windows?

I can think of a few… A recording studio, the basement, storage shed, garage, laundry room, converted closet… It starts to be a pretty big list when you start trying to think of all the kinds of rooms that don’t have Windows.

There’s all kinds of scenarios where rooms are built without windows for one reason or another. And it seems that these rooms pretty much always lack Air conditioning.

So what do you do when you have a room with no windows but you need air conditioning?

One Windowless Air Conditioner Solution is a portable evaporative cooler

If you’re doing a search on Google for a windowless air conditioner, evaporative coolers are pretty much the only suggestion that you will get.

So what exactly is a portable evaporative cooler?

  An evaporative cooler is an air conditioner that uses a fan blowing over water to cool the air with evaporation.

Kind of similar to the feeling you get from the wind blowing over a pool.

A cool breeze.

   What makes a portable evaporative cooler a good option for a room that does not have any windows?

It’s because they do not exhaust heat in any form.

Other portable air conditioners or window air conditioners use a refrigerated air cooling method that creates a large amount of heat that exhausts either through a hose or by sitting in the window.

But when you do not have a window, you do not have anywhere to exhaust the Heat.

  Portable Air coolers come in different size packages. Larger ones have wheels for mobility while smaller ones are more like the size of a small ice chest with a handle that you can carry it around by.

Portable evaporative cooler downsides

1.  Water

The number one maintenance that a portable evaporative cooler requires is filling it with water.

And of course the mess that comes along with filling it with water.

Some air coolers have removable basins that you can fill under a faucet similar to a humidifier, other types you have to externally fill the water by carrying the water to the machine.

And most modern air coolers have a compartment to put ice into them.(optional)

There are larger portable air coolers that have a garden hose hookup so that you do not have to continuously carry water to the machine.

2.  Mold and bacteria

Related to the first required maintenance of filling the air cooler with water,

Is the necessity of dumping the water that is not used out of the air cooler when you are done.

Stagnant water can start growing bacteria and getting moldy in as little as 48 hours.

So it is a requirement to keep an air cooler clean and dry when it is not in use.

Turning on an air cooler that has germy stagnant water in it,

will distribute all the germs and bacteria in the water, into the air where you will breathe it.

Airborne mold can cause symptoms similar to the flu or pneumonia.

And there’s also a disease called legionnaires that originates from bacteria growing in water.

Nothing you want to mess around with.

3.  Don’t cool very well in humid climates

Another issue with evaporative air coolers is that they use humidity as a source of cooling off the air.

But when the air is already humid, adding more humidity to the air makes the air feel hotter .

And that kind of makes using an evaporative cooler pretty much useless in the high humidity months or if you live in an area that has a higher year-round humidity.

Summary

A portable evaporative cooler is a windowless air conditioner solution.

While most air conditioners require that you have a window to exhaust the heat that they create while cooling,

Evaporative coolers do not create any heat at all. So in turn they do not require a window to vent any heat.

But they do require a little more maintenance in that they have to be continually filled with water.

  And they must be cleaned and left dry when not in use.

   And one of the biggest issues with evaporative coolers is that they do not work in high humidity.

Which describes a large portion of the world as well as a couple of the months in summer where temperatures are at their hottest.

Windowless Air Conditioner Solutions – Through the Wall

Finding a solution to cool off a room with no windows is not always the easiest thing to do.

Adding in other things into the equation like needing a room to be quiet besides cool, can add a whole another layer of difficulty.

One solution for a windowless air conditioner is using a window air conditioner through the wall

Using a window air conditioner straight through a wall can be a solution:

A. if you have a room with no windows but at least one of the walls is an outside wall.

  In other words you have a wall that is on the other side of the wall, outside of the house. The same kind of wall that you would normally have a window in.

(This is a good place to point out that if you are willing to cut a hole through your wall to put a window air conditioner in it,

  Installing a window instead, maybe the better play.}

You can always put a window air conditioner into a window and when you don’t need the air conditioner, have a window for light or fresh air, etc.

B. Or you have a wall that leads to an area that is suitable for exhausting Heat into.

In this scenario, one of the walls in the room that you need air conditioning in leads to a storage area, like a garage or a permanent storage area that won’t be affected by the exhaust.

Keep in mind that you will also have to have a bucket underneath the air conditioner to capture any dripping caused by the condensation the air conditioner creates.

Why do you need a wall that leads outside?

Window air conditioners exhaust heat out of the rear and drip condensation water through a drain hole.

They are also excessively noisy on the side of the air conditioner that sits on the outdoor side of the air conditioner.

Every once in awhile I will hear somebody ask why can’t they just bring the window air conditioner inside of the house and set it on a table

And that would be an awesome solution if it weren’t for the amount of heat that a window air conditioner creates through the rear while pumping cold air out of the front.

The result will not only be canceling out the cool air with the heat, it would raise the humidity in the room and cause condensation to form all over everything around it.

Not to mention the noise from the compressor in the air conditioner would drown out all the other sounds in the room.

Obviously cutting a hose to the wall is not the easiest ideal to come to terms with.

Especially if you are talking about a wall inside of the house.

  But there are all kinds of scenarios where people use storage areas and other types of rooms that don’t have windows for offices and crafting rooms for instance.

Summary

A window air conditioner can still be a windowless air conditioner if you have a wall that you can put the air conditioner through.

The stipulation is that the outside of the wall is either outdoors or is in an area where the exhaust coming out of the rear of the air conditioner will not affect anything.

Putting an air conditioner through the wall is a good solution in certain circumstances.

But obviously not for all circumstances.

Getting air conditioning into a room with no windows is a problem that requires thinking outside of the box.

Windowless Air Conditioner -What Are Some Options?

What do you do for AC when you do not have any windows?

What kind of air conditioner would qualify as a windowless air conditioner?

This is a problem that can come up when you are using a renovated basement as a living space.

It can also be an issue when you are in a room that is inside of another room.

For instance, my family recently built a separate closed in shop inside our garage to use as a crafting area and a studio area to record music and videos in.

The walls of the shop consist of a brick wall that leads to the outside, a wall that’s connected to the inside kitchen and two walls that are inside of the garage.

The air conditioning option that we decided on was to put a window air conditioner through one of the walls that leads into the garage.

It’s a good solution because we don’t use the garage much other than to park the cars and store tools and such.

And the heat that is exhausted from the window air conditioner goes into the garage. And it’s really not a problem. The condensation drips into a bucket.

  That’s just one example of something that can be done to get AC into a room with no windows.

There are a few options for getting air conditioning into a room that does not have any windows.

1. Through the wall air conditioner
2. Evaporative cooling
3. Mini split AC
4. Tying in new ductwork and creating a new zone in your central heat and air set up.
5. Portable air conditioning that duct into the ceiling

1.  Through the wall air conditioner.

A through the wall air conditioner can be a simple as putting a window air conditioner through the wall instead of into a window.

Another type of through the wall air conditioner is the air conditioner units that you see in a lot of hotels. These air conditioners are called PTAC air conditioning or packaged terminal air conditioning.

PTAC air conditioning require a much larger hole through the wall than a window air conditioner. But they are also commercial air conditioners that can perform well in a very large room.

The main thing you have to have for this to work is for one of the walls to be a wall that is connected to the outdoors. Or like in the example above, a wall in which you do not care whether the heat from an AC exhaust there.

Through the wall air conditioners can also be purchased as combination heater units which as you know, is perfect for the other half of the year.

2.  Evaporative cooling

Evaporative coolers come in many  portable styles that do not require a window to sit in or to exhaust heat out of.

But they do require frequent refills of water or a continuous water line connected into the air conditioner.

Evaporative coolers work better in dry climates. And are not a good ideal for areas that have a lot of year-round humidity.

And not the best solution if you have to carry the water long distances or up and down stairs.

But for apartments where there is less than adequate AC throughout the building, evaporative cooling is an option that doesn’t take any modifications to the walls or ceiling. 

In a lot of ways, evaporative coolers are the best option for a windowless air conditioner.

3.  Mini split

Mini Split air conditioners are a type of HVAC system ( central heat and air) that can be installed into a room or a whole house that doesn’t require any windows.

With this set up, there is a compressor that is installed outdoors and routed to as many rooms as you desire through external hoses.

This gives you an HVAC type effect without the cost of installing an entire HVAC system and ducting the entire house. Which can be very expensive in an already finished home.

Mini splits also give you the advantage of being able to heat the same rooms.

4.  Splitting an HVAC zone

Running ductwork to a room with no windows can be an option.

  This can work okay if you have a room where there are multiple vents that don’t warrant it.

In other words you have a room that doesn’t need as many vents and you want to route One to a different room.

I’ve seen this work where someone took the ducting off of one vent inside of a kitchen/dining area and extended it to reach into a garage that was modified to live in.

This left him with one vent in the kitchen, and one vent extending into the garage.

Which of course, left less cooling in the kitchen, but added cooling to the garage.

This is a fairly simple modification that will work to a certain extent.

Just don’t expect a huge result because you were basically taking the cooling from one room and cutting it in half to use it in two rooms.

  Don’t expect to call in a professional for this. This is definitely a gamblers project.

But it’s a fairly simple operation that you can do yourself with some duct tape, some extra duct, a sleeve to connect to the existing duct, and a new vent for the room that you’re running the duct to.

And if you don’t get the result you want, it will be pretty easy to remove it and return it back to the way it was.

5. New HVAC zone

Adding a new zone to your existing HVAC is a possibility if you have a system that is big enough to handle the extra room.

Adding a new HVAC zone will require installing a zone control panel, new thermostats, and adding zone dampers into your existing duct.

In other words, having a professional price it and do the work for you.

6.  Exhausting a portable air conditioner into the Attic.

Portable air conditioners typically require a window to exhaust the heat from the air conditioner out of.

But what if you have a windowless room that needs AC?

This idea can work if you have a room that has an attic that is connected to the ceiling.

If so, you do have the possibility of exhausting your portable air conditioner into the Attic instead of out of a window.

  The Attic is an area that is generally very warm already. And usually comes with some type of vent for the hot air to escape.

  So adding a little extra heat from the exhaust of a portable air conditioner is not going to be a problem.

This method will take a little bit of modification to your ceiling. Which if it’s done right, will look intentional and not add a huge eyesore to your room.

The idea is to put a vent into your ceiling and run the hose from the portable AC into the vent, instead of a window.

So finding a vent that matches the connection of the hose on your portable AC is going to be the best. Not only for what it looks like but for sealing it up.

Summing it up

Finding ideals for a windowless air conditioner can be a little bit of a challenge.

  The most obvious windowless air conditioner is going to be in the evaporative cooler.

Evaporative coolers do not need a window to exhaust any heat out of.

But they do require continuous refills of water.

And they do not work too well in  humid conditions.

  Some other ideals to get AC into a windowless room;

1.Put a window air conditioner through the wall,

2.Use PTAC air conditioning ( hotel air conditioners)

3.Have another HVAC zone installed.

And if you like to think outside of the box,

4.You can split an existing HVAC zone,

Or exhaust a portable air conditioner into an attic instead of through a window.

Remember, any modifications you do to  your ceiling are going to be there whether you end up using an ideal or not.

This article is in no way professional advice.

These are just things that I have seen done that will hopefully spark your own imagination, and help you get your windowless room cooled off during the summer.

Is It Safe to Sleep with a Propane Heater?

Indoor heat is a necessity in the winter. There is no getting around it.

And there is no getting around the fact that the temperature gets colder when the Sun goes down and it’s time to sleep.

And for the many people that have inadequate heating in their home, it is a tough call to tell somebody that they shouldn’t sleep with a space heater running.

  The truth is that it is unsafe to sleep with a space heater.

There is no company or business that’s going to tell you that it is okay to leave a space heater unattended even if unattended even if that means you’re in the same room with it, asleep.

  The amount of house fires that are started by space heaters is astronomical. And deaths caused by fires originating from space heaters are also insanely high.

If a company were to tell you it is okay to sleep with a space heater, the resulting lawsuits, even from one fire, would bury them before they got started.

But unsaid, it is known that people are going to sleep with the space heater running at some point.

 And that is why safety is the number one priority when purchasing a space heater.

And even more so if the space heater in question uses a gas like propane.

Is it safe to sleep with the propane heater?

It is not safe to sleep with a propane heater.

But if a person was in a position where the only heat they had available was a propane heater,

Here’s a couple of things to think about.

1.Only use a propane heater rated for indoor use.

Never use an outdoor propane heater inside of a house. They are meant to be outside because ventilation is not an issue when you are burning propane outdoors.

Indoor propane heaters have an oxygen depletion sensor that shuts them down if the oxygen in the room becomes too low.

2.  Ventilation

Indoor propane heaters have an oxygen depletion sensor because there is a chance that the oxygen can become too low in a room while heating with propane.

That means that you should provide extra ventilation to a room when you are using a propane heater. Even cracking the window a little bit.

  3. Carbon monoxide detector

One of the reasons heating with propane can be considered dangerous is because propane creates carbon monoxide as a byproduct.

Carbon monoxide can lead to poisoning or even death at too high of a level.
And even scarier, you cannot smell it or taste it.

A carbon monoxide detector is a must when using a propane heater.

4. Propane detector

Even if you have a carbon monoxide detector, it will not tell you if you have a propane leak coming from your heater.

A propane detector will ensure that you are alerted if there is a propane leak.

They can also be purchased bundled together with a carbon monoxide detector, as well as other natural gas alerts.

5.  Plenty of space

One of the biggest reasons that fires get started from using a space heater is that they are placed too closely to items that can catch fire.

Never place a space heater too close to a combustible item like a bed or curtains.

6.  Keep items off of the heater.

Never use a space heater to dry your clothes or to hang your clothes.

Summary

No one’s ever going to tell you that it’s safe to sleep with a space heater. Including me.

But anytime that you are using a space heater, especially a space heater that uses propane gas, you should take extra precautions.

 1. Only use a propane heater that is rated for indoor use.

2.  Ensure that there is plenty of ventilation. Oxygen can be displaced by carbon monoxide if you do not have proper ventilation.

3. Carbon monoxide detector and propane detector.
A carbon monoxide detector will alarm you when the carbon monoxide in the room becomes too high.
A propane detector will alarm you if you have a propane leak.

4. Make sure the heater has plenty of space around it and that you do not have anything on or hanging off of the heater. Like clothes for instance.

Do You Need Ventilation When Using a Propane Heater?

Propane is a very clean burning gas that is cheaper than heating with electricity and can be used for heating where there is no electricity.

  But it does have a bit of a downside in that it creates Carbon Monoxide as a byproduct when it does not fully combust or is used at a large volume.

   Carbon Monoxide, when it is breathed, can make you sick and even lead to death. That is why it is called carbon monoxide poisoning.

That is also why even though propane is a clean burning gas, it also requires that you take the proper precautions while using a propane heater to warm your area.

Do you need ventilation when using a propane heater?

Outdoor propane heaters do not require extra ventilation because they are as you say “in their natural habitat”.
Any carbon monoxide created while using one dissipates  naturally in the wind.

On the other hand

Propane heaters that are rated for indoor use have a number of safety precautions built in to help protect you.

An oxygen depletion sensor (ODS) shuts the heater down when it senses that there is not enough oxygen in the room.

  The reason there would not be enough oxygen in the room is that it is being displaced by carbon monoxide.

But even though that is an awesome feature, it does not however detect carbon monoxide or detect propane.

That is why that while using a propane heater indoors, even if it is rated for indoor use,

It is suggested that you provide extra ventilation and that you install a carbon monoxide detector as well as a propane and natural gas detector.

Rotten eggs

Propane in its natural form is completely odorless. For that reason, it has a chemical called Mercaptan added to it. The result is a smell that is similar to rotten eggs.

If you have a propane leak, the first indication is the rotten smell coming from the heater or Propane tank.

That’s the signal to turn the heater off and get it fixed.

But  depending on the smell itself is not full proof. There are many things that can blind your sense of smell

What about the garage?

The garage is a grey area when it comes to heating with propane.

If the garage is small enough then an indoor propane heater like a Little Buddy will give you plenty of heat.

But if you have a large garage, then you’ll probably want an industrial size heater.

But either way, you will need ventilation.

Summary

Do you need ventilation when using a propane heater?

Propane heaters are specifically rated for indoor or outdoor use.

When you are using an outdoor propane heater outside where it belongs, the wind provides all the ventilation you need.

  Indoor propane heaters come with extra precautions as a necessity because of the lack of ventilation inside of a house or building.

An oxygen depletion sensor is installed on indoor propane heaters to shut the heater down in case the oxygen in the room becomes too low.

  If the oxygen becomes too low, then the result is carbon monoxide. Which can lead to poisoning or even death.

Providing the extra ventilation will ensure that your oxygen depletion sensor never has to shut down your heater and that your room does not fill up with carbon monoxide.

Are Propane Heaters Safe to Breathe?

Propane gas is a very clean burning gas that at the right levels is very safe. But at high levels it can produce carbon monoxide.

That’s why propane heaters are sold both as indoor heaters and as outdoor heaters separately.

Indoor propane heaters are specifically designed to be used indoors.

And outdoor propane heaters are designed to be used outdoors.

Indoor propane heaters come with extra safety precautions that protect against any threat of carbon monoxide poisoning occurring because of the propane that is being burned.

Outdoor propane heaters are not required to have the same level of safety precautions as indoor heaters because any carbon monoxide that is produced while the heater is being used, dissipates very quickly and easily.

Are propane heaters safe to breathe?

Yes propane heaters are safe to breathe around.

Indoor propane heaters are outfitted with extra precautions to ensure safe breathing indoors,

And any carbon monoxide that is produced by an outdoor propane heater, quickly dissipates because of wind and airflow it comes with being outdoors.

Carbon monoxide detectors

In a perfect world, appliances work forever and never break down.

The same goes for a propane heater or any other type of heater that you have in the house or outside.

Heaters eventually go out.

And it’s for that reason , Carbon monoxide detectors are always a good idea when using a propane heater indoors.

And yes it is true that propane has a chemical additive called Mercaptan that causes propane to have a very sour smell similar to rotten eggs or a rotting corpse,

And it is put there precisely for you to be able to smell it and identify it if a leak were to occur.

But that also puts you in a position of having to rely on your sense of smell even when it’s not functioning at full capacity.

Space heaters are generally used in the winter when the outdoor temperature is cold. That also happens to be the time of the year when colds and viruses are at their peak.

And viruses are one of the big reasons that people lose their sense of smell.

That’s just one example of why relying on your sense of smell alone is not a good idea when it comes to carbon monoxide.

Carbon monoxide detectors will alert you if your propane heater has a leak whether or not you can smell the propane or not.

You can also purchase carbon monoxide detectors that are bundled in with other types of detectors like a propane detector as well as other natural gas and explosive gases. Click here.

Summary

Are propane heaters safe to breathe?

It is safe to breathe around a propane heater provided that you are using a propane heater that is specifically rated to be used indoors, or you are using it outside where any kind of carbon monoxide will easily dissipate.

Propane is a very clean burning gas but at high levels can produce carbon monoxide.

That’s why propane heaters are rated as either an indoor propane heater or an outdoor propane heater.

The difference is that indoor propane heaters have extra precautions to keep you safe against any threat that would cause you not to be able to breathe.

But even though that is the case, it’s always suggested that you use carbon monoxide detectors anytime that you are using a fuel burning stove or heater indoors. That includes the chimney that you are burning wood in.