Black Widow Propane Heater - Spotlight on Product Features

The Black Widow heater was designed specifically for the bed bug industry. Our company has been providing bedbug heat treatment services since 2010 and have used multiple different propane heating systems. While most all systems performed the duties of raising temperatures to ranges lethal for bed bugs, there were several different aspects of each product that had good and bad points. As manufacturers and operators alike our company set out to design a heater that would fix the issues and create a product which would surpass the abilities and functionality of all other propane heating products.

Decreased airflow was one issue with other products that we discovered was primarily caused by the installation of inexpensive aluminum fan blades. In a perfect situation the fans produced high cfm volumes however, when used on jobs in higher elevations, colder temperatures, long runs of duct work etc… the cfm’s significantly dropped off and hindered treatment success. The heaters would continuously cycle (cut on and off) due to too much back pressure and not enough air flow. After much research with fan developers the Black Widow has been equipped with a high static pressure fan blades made of glass reinforced polyamide. These blades provide and (more importantly) maintain proper airflow under various climate and elevation changes. This ultimately greatly improved the overall performance of the heater in real world scenarios beyond the confines of the testing facility.

Maneuverability was another key issue that needed improvement. Some heaters were too long or too heavy, making them difficult to transport in certain vehicles. Some had difficult to use handles or no handles at all. Some bands had hard plastic wheels that were not intended to make treks through landscaping or up stairs. Others had tires that went flat on a daily basis, or wheels that simply broke and fell off during transport (I assure you trying to drag a 160 lb. heater with one wheel around a job site is no fun at all!). The Black Widow fixed those issues by making the overall length 48”, overall weight 150 lbs, and includes ergonomic handles on both the front and back of the heater. This provided increased maneuverability on the job and made transportation to the job in a truck, trailer, or van all viable options. By adding 13” flat free tires and sold steel wheels you no longer have to worry about flat tires or broken wheels that leave you stranded in 2” thick landscape rock.

Another key improvement included in the Black Widow’s design is durability. To provide a product that will last over time we did not skimp on using less expensive fuel delivery and electrical components. The Black Widow includes high quality first and second stage regulators for fuel delivery, weatherized plumbing to reduce rust, name brand electrical components, and solid sturdy construction. When designing the Black Widow an element that caused several problems on other heaters was that they lost their round shape over time. If they needed to be serviced the back grates (for example) once removed where extremely difficult to reassemble due to mounting holes not lining up, bolts breaking off, and overall poor design. The Black Widow’s handles on the front duct ring and back grate were fashioned to bolt directly to the heater body using a flanged design. This flanged design not only make the heater more solid but maintains the heaters round shape for the life of the unit.

Improved fuel delivery was another component included on the Black Widow. Many states gas a fuel delivery code requires that a stage stage regulator be used in conjunction with a first stage regulator on all gas fired products, unlike some products our has this. Safety is a high priority to us and we strive to ensure the end user of our product is in compliance with all local and national safety codes. The use of the second stage regulator on our heater also ensures that fuel pressure delivered through the first stage regulator is effectively reduced down to proper operating levels. This provides the most accurate temperature control and fuel consumption possible. “Tank freeze” is an issue with many comparable products. Although this will always be an issue when using LP Gas systems in cold outdoor environments, proper fuel deliver greatly reduces this occurrence and saves cost by not drawing more fuel than the equipment needs.

In short the Black Widow direct fired heater is a functional, durable product built by bed bug professionals for bed bug professionals. For most information on the Black Widow direct fired propane heater visit our website at www.ecoforceheatsystems.com and check out our product videos by searching EcoForce Heat on Youtube.com.