On Sun, 4 Jan 2015 18:06:48 -0800 (PST), trader_4
wrote:

On Sunday, January 4, 2015 7:27:28 PM UTC-5, Oren wrote:
On Sun, 4 Jan 2015 18:13:16 -0600, "Terry Coombs"
wrote:

hrhoffman is tight , it's technically a space heater , and a big one .

OK , when you open the main gas valve , you should have gas coming out the
pilot - the small thing you circled . The valve inside the heater is the
main burner valve , and you can regulate the flame size with it .
THIS HEATER HAS NO SAFETY SHUTOFFS !! IF THE FLAME GOES OUT YOU'RE GOING
TO BE POURING GAS INTO THE ROOM , AND YOU WILL EITHER BLOW UP THE BUILDING
OR DIE FROM THE GAS . DO NOT BURN THIS HEATER WHILE SLEEPING OR WHILE NOT AT
HOME !!

+100

His heater is at least vented outside. My grandfather had a ceramic
faced small space heater. Turn the valve open and light it. Never
left it on when not present in the home. His wasn't even vented
outside.

OP show us a picture of the front...

From what I see so far, it looks like a very old space heater, with
as someone pointed out, no safety devices at all. I don't even see
any thermostatically controlled gas valve. Looks like it's all on or
all off. And if it goes out for some reason, gas will continue to flow.
Personally, if I was stuck in some remote cabin and had to use it one time,
I would, while awake and watching it. I would not use it for regular use
or leave it on when going to sleep, etc. Not only is it lacking safety
devices, but being old, more prone to problems too. And check the vent.

My guess this heater is circa mid 1950s. Ceramic faced. Never to be
allowed without _constant_ supervision and observation.

Back then they took some "chill" out of the room. Never trusted. We
dried wet blue jeans, clothes near them in winter. I'm almost sure
this is a ceramic faced heater with many limitations; compared to
today.

Do you think the OP will come back and tell us ?