Gas fires and wall heaters are common in colder regions. They usually involve a pilot light to ignite the gas. You should know how to turn gas heaters on correctly so gas doesn’t escape and heater parts don’t get damaged.
How do I know if my heater is gas or electric?
If your home has a central heating system with radiators, it is most likely powered by natural gas. If you’re not sure, look for a gas meter on the side of your house—if you have one, your heater is probably gas-powered.
You can also check your home’s energy bills to see what fuel your heater uses. If your home has an electric heater, it will likely be powered by electricity from your home’s fuse box.
We will give you a step-by-step guide to safely turn on a gas wall heater and also how to use an electric storage heater correctly to save energy costs.
How To Turn On A Gas Heater
Step 1
Fully press down the control knob which is at the OFF position
Step 2
Turn and hold down the control to the ON position or to the position number indicated (e.g. ‘1’) for at least 10 seconds.
Step 3
You will hear a loud clicking sound as you turn the dial and this starts the ignition process. On heaters with a separate ignition button, press this while holding the control dial down.
Step 4
Continue to hold the control knob down for at least 5 seconds more while the heater has ignited.
Step 5
Release the control and adjust to your desired heat settings.
Step 6
If the heater fails to ignite on the first attempt, turn the control back to the OFF position and wait for at least 15 seconds before attempting to reignite the heater.
Safely Turn On And Use An Electric Storage Heater
Electric storage heaters make use of a special rate tariff which charges a low price for electricity used at night. But the electricity price during the day is usually much higher. Storage heaters charge up heat at night at the low rate and release it during the day.
This is how they should be used:
Step 1
Keep the storage heater switched on at the outlet throughout the cold season so you make use of the cheaper electricity night rate.
Step 2
Find the Input and Output controls, usually on the top of the heater next to each other.
Step 3
Put the Input control onto maximum setting at night if it’s going to be cold the next day. This will fully charge the heater up. The next morning turn it back down to low.
Step 4
Put the Output or Boost function on high during the cold days to heat the room up. Turn it down to low before going to bed so the heater gets charged properly on low rate electricity.
What heaters are safe to leave on overnight?
The best electric heaters to leave on overnight are those that have been designed for safe, continuous operation. Some electric heaters can be left on for long periods of time without any issues, while others should only be used for short periods.
If you’re not sure whether your electric heater is safe to leave on, it’s always best to check the manufacturer’s instructions.
Many electric heaters will have a safety cutoff switch that will turn the heater off if it gets too hot. This is a good safety feature to have, as it can prevent fires.
Some of the best electric heaters to leave on overnight are infrared heaters. These heaters work by emitting infrared radiation, which is absorbed by objects in the room. This makes them very efficient at heating up a space quickly.
