What Do You Need to Hook Up a Wall Propane Heater?

Location

• The location of your propane heater is important. Picking any spot you want may result in unnecessary remodeling costs. Focus on the needs of your new system. If you have a water heater, install it near plumbing already in place for water access. If you are installing a forced air furnace, keep it close to the gas lines already in your house. The closer such lines are, the easier the heater will be to install. Heavier propane heaters may also need to be installed into the wall studs instead of just solid or hollow walls, so consider positioning specifically as it relates to the walls.

Piping

• A vented propane wall heater uses a direct vent, but it still needs a connection to the outside air. Wall heaters come with their own screws for mounting, but you may need to buy your own venting pipe, especially for a thick wall. A direct vent pipe has an inner vent for the exhaust and an outer vent to draw in cool air. Follow your local building codes when installing this pipe: You may need to use fire caulk or paints to protect the wall against fire hazards.

Power Supply

• While a power supply might not be easy for you to access, it is still a necessary component for most wall propane heaters. Some heaters may have an external plug that you need a nearby outlet to plug into. Others may require you to wire the system into wiring that is already in the walls. This makes it difficult to put propane heaters in areas that are not already wired.

Unvented Systems

• Some propane wall heaters are unvented: These are designed to recycle and filter their exhaust so that they do not need a direct vent to the outside air. If this is the case with your propane heater, then you need enough space in your room for the heater to draw in combustion air. Confined or heavily insulated rooms may prove problematic; you may need to remove doorways to widen the amount of cubic feet of air to which the propane heater has access.