In 2015 I was searching for a natural gas baseboard heater for my kitchen. There had been one there…read morewhen I bought it, but a master plumber friend told me it was unsafe because it had a live flame (it was also visibly old and worn and I wondered what other hazards were lurking); he properly removed it for me - this is a task that requires a person to have a professional gas fitter's license.
The long dimension of my kitchen faces primarily north, with only narrow western and eastern exposures. I bought an electric baseboard to replace the original natural gas heater but when the winter was seriously cold, it wasn't sufficient to keep the room warm. I'd gone to the big box stores, but they only carried electric baseboard heaters. I'd checked plumbing and heating supply stores and websites for natural gas heaters but could only find tallish, rectangular ones; because of the room's configuration, I needed a baseboard heater.
One day I remembered that Dan Walker of Downeast Appliance, who had come to my house to repair some appliances, had looked at my ceiling mounted furnace and told me that Grainger's carried them (I'd been told that they were no longer being manufactured). On a whim, I drove to Grainger's to ask if they carried a natural gas baseboard heater. At the time I thought that they only sold "to the trade" but hoped they would direct me to someone who could sell me this item. I was pleased to be wrong - they do sell to the public.
A very pleasant fellow named Kevin ably assisted me and found two models, both by the same manufacturer - Cozy. I was delighted to find out that they were made in the USA. One was too long - six feet, and the other just right - four feet. Cost $1,030 - Kevin said "ow" for me. It turned out that they were being discontinued with only eight in stock, and one in the building. Kevin reserved the one in the building for me. He told me that they reserve for eight days, cash and carry, and that they accept cash, credit or debit cards, no personal checks. He printed materials for me and indicated that I could access them online too. The whole process was very quick, only about 15 minutes.
At home I reviewed the materials which stated that the combustion chamber was sealed, alleviating my primary safety concern. A few days later I picked up the heater. A different sales associate wheeled it out to my car for me, chatting sociably all the while, and got the boxed heater safely settled there for transport. I took it home and arranged to have it installed. Now my kitchen is warm and usable during the bitter winter periods; before it was not unless I was baking or roasting something in the oven.
The people at Grainger's were friendly, effective, and professional. They carry something like 1.5 million products. If you've hit a dead end in your search for a needed item, give them a try, online at https://www.grainger.com/ or at their Warren Avenue location.
