Gas Fireplace Insert/ Console Heater

[vsk101]

Hello,

My living room needs a heater, and my landlord is considering installing a vented gas fireplace insert or a gas console heater that would be installed on the floor. I'm concerned about the possibility of PTFE, PFOA, PFAS as well as any other risks I haven't thought of. Do I need to contact each manufacturer and provide them with the model numbers she is considering to determine whether they are safe? If you have other ideas for safely heating a living room in California, I would appreciate it. I have a portable electric Dyson heater, but I am afraid it would cost a fortune to use throughout the day in colder months. Thank you

 

[DonnaBudgie]

At least you live in California not Maine!
I don't trust the manufacturers to reveal the specific Coatings on each model OR you can probably assume that everything new has Coatings that are potentially dangerous to pet birds.
If something vents to the outdoors it's safer than not. I ran a new vented to outdoors propane fireplace this past winter here in Maine and my 19 budgies living in the large room did fine.

 

[vsk101]

At least you live in California not Maine!
I don't trust the manufacturers to reveal the specific Coatings on each model OR you can probably assume that everything new has Coatings that are potentially dangerous to pet birds.
If something vents to the outdoors it's safer than not. I ran a new vented to outdoors propane fireplace this past winter here in Maine and my 19 budgies living in the large room did fine.

Yeah it's a real project trying to figure out what is safe. These fireplace inserts make me nervous, and I think I will go with something else.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

This is such a horrible dilemma! We must keep our birds and ourselves warm in the winter and cool in the summer but modern heating tech makes it so difficult to make choices that are safe for our birds' lungs. Maybe buying a new unit and running it on high outdoors undercover or in a garage or shed would quickly burn off any offending coatings. I suggest going to a well run town dump where people throw out perfectly functional old heating units in favor of newer ones that are questionably safe for our birds' lungs, and pick out an older but still functioning unit of appropriate size. Bring it home, clean it thoroughly, and test run it outdoors or in a shed or tent. Any coatings on older units would have likely burned off long ago. I wish I has some older units to donate to members in need. I'll ask my husband what he may have in storage and would be happy to help my fellow PF members out.
Or ask an older relative or friend if they have any old style units sitting around they no longer need that you can buy from them.