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A 'gas heater' is a device used to heat a room or outdoor area by burning natural gas or liquefied petroleum gas.
The first gas heater made use of the same principles of the Bunsen burner invented in the previous year. It was first commercialized by the English company ''Pettit and Smith'' in 1856. The flame heats the air locally. This heated air then spreads by convection, thus heating the whole room. Today the same principal applies with outdoor "patio heaters" or "mushroom heaters" which act as a giant Bunsen burner.
Beginning in 1881 the burner's flame was used to heat a structure made of asbestos, a design patented by Sigismund Leoni, an English engineer. Later, fire clay replaced the asbestos because it is easier to mould. Modern gas heaters still work this way although using other refractory material.
Modern gas heaters have been further developed to include units which utilize radiant heat technology, rather than the principles of the Bunsen burner. This form of technology does not spread via convection, but rather, is absorbed by people and objects in its path. This form of heating is particularly useful for outdoor heating, where it is uneconomical to attempt to heat a large volume of air.