Heaters in winter: choosing one, and using it safely

Every Pakistani winter brings the same two problems: gas pressure falls exactly when demand peaks, and every year people die from carbon monoxide in sealed rooms. Both are worth understanding before you buy.

Gas, electric or a mix

Gas heaters are cheaper to run when there is pressure, which in much of the country there is not, during the coldest hours. Electric heaters always work but cost considerably more per hour and strain a household already managing load shedding. Many households end up owning both and using whichever is available — worth planning deliberately rather than discovering in January.

Carbon monoxide is the real danger

A gas heater in a sealed room consumes oxygen and produces carbon monoxide, which has no smell and causes deaths in Pakistan every winter — often a whole family asleep in one room. Never run a gas heater in a closed bedroom overnight. Keep a window or vent open, and consider a carbon monoxide alarm, which costs very little against what it protects.

Sizing it to the room

An undersized heater runs constantly and never warms the room; an oversized one wastes fuel. Size follows room volume, ceiling height and how well the room holds heat — a room with single-glazed windows and an uninsulated roof needs substantially more output than its floor area suggests.

Buying used

Heaters are seasonal, so the best prices are at the end of winter rather than the start. On a used gas heater, check the burner for corrosion, that the thermocouple safety cut-off actually works, and that the regulator and hose are sound — a perished hose is a serious hazard and is cheap to replace, so budget for it rather than trusting an old one.

Common questions

Is it safe to sleep with a gas heater on?

No. A gas heater in a closed room depletes oxygen and produces carbon monoxide, which is odourless. Deaths happen this way every winter in Pakistan. Ventilate the room, and do not run one overnight in a sealed bedroom.

Gas or electric heater — which is cheaper?

Gas is cheaper to run where pressure holds, but pressure typically drops during the coldest hours. Electric always works but costs more per hour.

When is the cheapest time to buy a heater?

At the end of winter. Prices are highest at the first cold snap, when everyone buys at once.

What should I check on a used gas heater?

Burner corrosion, a working thermocouple safety cut-off, and the condition of the hose and regulator. Replace an old hose regardless of how it looks.

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