Blue flame heaters use Liquid propane to generate heat, and you might be wondering how much propane your heater will use.
Blue flame heaters are an energy-efficient alternative to standard electric heaters, and they are portable and vent-free.
The clean-burning blue flame emits less harmful emissions and, used correctly, is safe and cost-effective.
So, how much propane does a blue flame heater use? On average a blue flame heater of 30,000 BTU would use about ⅓ of a gallon of propane per hour.
A gallon of liquid propane (LP) has a burn rate of 91,500 British thermal units (BTUs) per gallon. Rounded off to 100,000 BTUs per hour, you can calculate your propane use according to the BTU capacity of your blue flame heater.
You can then calculate the size of the LP tank you need to ensure you never run out of heat. It is also essential to know the correct BTU to the size of your living area, which we discuss below.
If you are thinking of buying a heater, and wish to know how much propane you might need, here are some tips on how much propane your blue flame heater will use.
Table of Contents
What Is a Blue Flame Heater?
A blue flame heater’s combustion process is much cleaner than the standard yellow flame burners.
This cleaner combustion is because the gases within a blue flame burner recirculated in a specially designed blast tube with a row of slots.
This design allows the combustion gases to mix with a mixture of fresh air and atomized fuel drawn in through the burner to create a clean blue flame with low NOx emissions.
“A blue flame heater heats the air in a room by gradually heating the wall where it is placed and then up towards the ceiling, where it then raises the temperature of the whole room.”
Unlike radiant heaters, blue flame heaters heat the air rather than the objects in the room, so they suit insulated spaces.
Although they take longer to heat an area, they are an efficient and economical way to warm your living space.
Read also: RV Propane Refill Near Me – Stations & Locations [UPDATED]
Propane Consumption for My Blue Flame Heater Calculation
Elgas provides a handy chart to calculate the propane consumption of your blue flame heater which you may calculate from the formula below.
| Propane Quantity | Megajoules (MJ) | British Thermal Unit (BTU) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 liter | 25 | 27,300 |
| 1kg | 49 | 46,452 |
| 45kg | 2205 | 2,090,340 |
| 1 gallon | 96.5 | 91,502 |
| 1 lb | 22.8 | 21,594 |
| 100lbs | 2280 | 2,159,400 |
To calculate how much propane your blue flame heater will consume, you need to find the BTU/hr or the MJ/hr specifications for your particular heater on the manufacturer’s specifications and divide it by the relevant value in the figures above.
Example Calculation
If your blue flame heater has a 14,000 BTU rating, find out its propane consumption, refer to the conversion chart, and divide the BTU rating by the MJ column in the chart.
So, the arithmetic would go as follows:
Calculating Propane Consumption by BTU
14,000 ÷ 27,300 = 0.59 liters consumption per hour
14,000 ÷ 46,452 = 0.3 kilograms consumption per hour
14,000 ÷ 91,502 =0.153 gallons consumption per hour
14,000÷21,594 = 0.648 pounds consumption per hour.
Calculating Propane Consumption by MJ
If your blue flame heater has a 25MJ/hr rating, divide 25 by the correct conversion column to determine how much propane your heater will consume.
25÷25 = 1 liter LPG consumption per hour
25÷49 = 0.51kg LPG consumption per hour
25÷96.5 = 0.259 gallons LPG consumption per hour
25÷22.8 = 1.1 pounds LPG consumption per hour.
How Much Does LPG Cost in 2021?
According to Global Petrol Prices on May 31st, 2021, the average price of LPG globally is 0.67 USD per liter.
What Are BTUs?
BTU refers to the British thermal unit, a unit of heat needed to raise one pound of water one degree Fahrenheit at sea level.
Despite being a British unit of heat measurement, it is also part of the American customary units.
BTUs can be used synonymously with heating and cooling appliances, which adds to the confusion of what your blue flame BTU designation means.
Simply put, BTUs are a measurement of your heater’s capacity. For example, the BTU of heat generated by a match tip is roughly 1BTU, while you would heat a room by your mere presence at rest by about 230 BTUs an hour.
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What Does BTU Efficiency Mean?
What does BTU efficiency mean? Your BTU input refers to the amount of fuel your heater will consume every hour. However, because no blue flame heater is 100 percent efficient, you will never get 100% BTU output. Therefore, in burning the LPG fuel, some energy will be lost and affect its overall efficiency.
Often manufacturers will provide an efficiency rating in their heater specifications, which you may use to calculate the BTU output of your chosen heater.
The output is important because if you know the BTU output, you can pick the right heater according to the size of the room you wish to heat.
If you wish to determine your BTU output, the calculations are straightforward:
(Input BTU x efficiency %)/100
For example, if your blue flame heater has a BTU input rating of 20,000 and an efficiency of 95%, your BTU output would be:
20,000 x 95 divided by 100 = 19,000
What is Megajoule or MJ?
A megajoule refers to a unit of energy and is a unit of 1,000,000 joules. Both LPG and natural gas use the MJ unit to specify the amount of gas the unit will consume and is measured on an hourly rate and expressed as MJ/hr.
MJs should not be confused with the heat output of a gas appliance as one measures the heat output in Kilowatts (Kws.)
Although in the US we use BTUs, many countries use the MJ ratings. Therefore, 1 MJ is equivalent to 948BTU, so if you wish to find a BTU equivalent to your MJ rating, divide the BTU rating by 948.
How Much BTU Do You Need in a Blue Flame Heater?
It is essential to find the correct BTU To choose the correct blue flame heater for the area you want to warm; as a standard, 1 BTU is enough to heat around 55 cubic feet by one ℉ A simple way to calculate the correct BTU for your room is:
To find out what the BTU limits are allowed for an area of heating, you should calculate the following:
Take your Room measurement and multiply the ( room width x room length x room height) x 20
Example: 10 ft. x 20 ft. x 10 ft. = 2000 sq. ft.
2000 sq. ft. x 20 = 40,000 BTU maximum.
It is essential to match the capacity of your blue flame heater to the size of the area you intend to heat as an excessive BTU may cause harmful emissions.
You should also ensure the room is adequately ventilated as blue flame heaters need fresh air circulation to operate correctly and safely.
Why Choose a Blue Flame Heater?
Blue flame heaters offer buyers several advantages over electric and convection heating alternatives.
They are relatively cheap to operate, especially in areas where the electric costs are high and can last up to 2-3 weeks with an average daily use of 1-2 hours.
They are highly portable and can be moved or wall-mounted in areas of cold.
Other advantages include:
- Blue flame heaters come standard with Oxygen depletion sensors which safely turn the unit off when oxygen levels drop.
- Most blue flame heaters allow you to control the temperature with a thermostat
- Blue flame heaters are highly energy-efficient, with an average gas efficiency of 99% and above.
- Blue flame burners are clean burning meaning that it which means that they generate minimal C02 residuals.
- Blue flame heaters are highly portable and can be wall-mounted or stood on the floor without the need for a flue or chimney.
Are Blue Flame Heaters Safe?
Yes, if you use your blue flame heater properly, they are safe to use at home. However, one should never place anything on top of your ventless heater and ensure you have carbon monoxide detectors in your home, should there be a problem.
You should also never move your heater while it is on.
Vent-free blue flame heaters also have altitude restrictions due to the oxygen levels and may not function over 4,500 feet altitude. Feet.
Most blue flame heaters without vents are designed to operate at sea level, and the air/fuel mix in higher altitudes causes problems.
Air provides the oxygen necessary for the pilot light and main burner flames to achieve combustion.
How Much Propane Does a 10000 BTU Heater Use
On average a blue flame heater of 10,000 BTU would use about 10% of a gallon of propane per hour.
At the propane burn rate of 90,000-100,000 BTU’s an hour, it will take ten hours to use a gallon of propane.
How Much Propane Does a 18000 BTU Heater Use
On average a blue flame heater of 18,000 BTU would use about 18% of a gallon of propane per hour.
At the propane burn rate of 90,000-100,000 BTU’s an hour, it will take five and a half hours to use a gallon of propane.
How Much Propane Does a 30000 BTU Heater Use
On average a blue flame heater of 30,000 BTU would use about 30% of a gallon of propane per hour.
At the propane burn rate of 90,000-100,000 BTU’s an hour, it will take three and a half hours to use a gallon of propane.
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VIDEO
How Much Propane Does a 35000 BTU Heater Use
On average a blue flame heater of 35,000 BTU would use about 35% of a gallon of propane per hour.
At the propane burn rate of 90,000-100,000 BTU’s an hour, it will take two and a half hours to use a gallon of propane.
How Much Propane Does a 50000 BTU Heater Use
On average a blue flame heater of 50,000 BTU would use about 50% of a gallon of propane per hour.
At the propane burn rate of 90,000-100,000 BTU’s an hour, it will take two hours to use a gallon of propane.
Conclusion
Knowing the correct BTU for the area you wish to heat is important because a BTU too large for your space may cause the occupants harm.
In addition, you should follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and always follow safety protocol when dealing with gas.
Blue flame heaters used correctly are a great addition to your home and are an energy-efficient way to warm yourself during cold winter months.
References
https://www.usaprocom.com/product/ml200hbg/
https://www.globalpetrolprices.com/gasoline_prices/
https://www.elgas.com.au/blog/631-what-is-mj-mega-joule-megajoule-gas-heater
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