Abstract: A forced draft burner unit comprises: a flame chamber, a conduit for conducting fuel to the flame chamber, a blast tube for conducting air from an air opening adjacent a first end of the blast tube to a second end of the blast tube adjacent the flame chamber; and a fan for supplying pressurized air to the air opening so the pressurized air enters the air opening generally tangential to the blast tube and passes along the blast tube to the second end in vortical flow; and vanes for mixing the fuel and air in the flame chamber.