CPSC To Propose Standard For Unvented Gas-Fired Space Heaters

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has announced it intends to propose a standard to improve unvented gas-fired space heaters by the use of an oxygen depletion sensor that would shut off the heaters before a hazardous atmosphere develops.

The Commission also will propose to withdraw its February 1978 proposal to ban the heaters which have been linked to carbon monoxide poisonings or asphyxiation deaths of at least 73 people since 1973. Issuance of a standard would make banning unnecessary.

These inexpensive space heaters are mainly found in the southern and southwestern United States where central heating systems are uneconomical because cold temperatures are not prevalent. Some 7-10 million may presently be in use. These existing heaters would not be affected by any standard the Commission may issue.

Because the unvented heaters do not have a vent to remove combustion wastes, there is a possibility of carbon monoxide poisoning. Inadequate ventilation or maladjusted burners were associated with the deaths of victims who were using these heaters.

CPSC has warned anyone using an unvented gas space heater to read the labeling and keep the room where the heater is used well ventilated. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning resemble those of the flu with headache, dizziness, or nausea. Consumers should turn off the appliance and open a window or door if the symptoms occur.

Interest in the unvented heaters was aroused by a petition which asked for a mandatory safety standard and labeling rules for all space heaters. However, the Commission concluded that only unvented gas-fired space heaters present an unreasonable risk of injury and there- fore proposed that they be banned. At that time the Commission was not aware of a standard that could protect against carbon monoxide.

Sensing and shut-off devices have been incorporated into French, British, and German models of unvented gas space heaters. The staff's draft rule would include portions of a voluntary standard issued by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) which provides for oxygen depletion sensors.

With the aid of the National Bureau of Standards, the Commission staff has also studied certain temperature limiting devices that would turn these heaters off when the temperature of the living space registers 100 degrees. The Commission staff, however, found that these devices did not perform adequately to address the hazard of carbon monoxide buildup. It has been estimated that the oxygen depletion sensors would cost the heater manufacturer around two dollars. While it is predicted that this would add to the cost of these heaters to the consumer, a medium-sized unvented gas space heater generally is cheaper to operate than a vented heater.

A new pamphlet entitled "Caution -- Choosing and Using Your Gas Space Heater" is now available from CPSC. The pamphlet, available in both English and Spanish versions, contains tips on what consumers should look for when buying and using a gas space heater. To get a free copy, write: Gas Space Heater Pamphlet, Consumer Product Safety Commission, Washington, D.C. 20207.