Emergency Heat Sources

[RichardR]

I was considering using one in our tent. We have a huge 15'x10' tent that we figured had plenty of room to keep a 2' radius around the heater. Of course we wouldn't leave it running unattended or while sleeping, and would keep a fire extinguisher nearby. However if they are really that prone to catch fire, I might rethink that. I know lots of other people who do it.

Yea I had no qualms using it in our tent, the flames are very well contained within the unit & appear to be little more than just a glowing sheen over the ceramic heating element.

But I'd really like to hear more about both of Singlestack's bursting into flames before I use ours again though, there had to have been some sort of catastrophic failure of his heaters pressure regulators or a very big propane leak or something.

 

[singlestacksig]

Last post was from phone @ waiting room.. had to go before I wrote all..

Both cases the heaters had been in use for at least a year.. both had leaks after the regulator , one was before the control knob.. the most recent one was that.. the swivel point for the regulator leaked and caught fire.. I heard the whoosh! of the flame and kicked the heater out of my garage into the snow.. the first one I did not catch it fast enough to have anything left to ID where the leak came from .. one happened while hooked to 20# tank, one while using 1# bottle..
Big tank had Mr. Heater "fuel filter" in use..
the leaks where not the hose or attachment points of the hoses.. I am not new to using flammable gasses and always check the hoses.. the leaks happened inside the plastic housing where one can not check for leaks.. both probably started out small so the smell would not have been noticed over the normal smell of the burning gas..
they were out of warranty so Mr Heater was not any help after the fact..

I think propane has its uses.. but I am not sure I like the idea of a heater where you can not inspect all of the gas line & fittings..

 

[Suprtek]

My parents (mid-70's) have no way to heat their home if power goes out; one of those total electric condos in retiree complex. I was thinking of buying them either a kerosene heater or one of those Mr. Heater-Big Buddy propane heater for emergency heat if I can't bring them home with me. Was leery of the kerosene heater since they would have to refill and might be prone to spill. Drawback with Mr. Heater is that those 1 lb propane tanks don't last long. You can hook them up to a 20lb propane tank with 12 ft ext. hose but not sure how they could keep tank outside and would be very nervous to suggest to leave tank in thier condo.

Ideas or suggestions on emergency heat sources?

First of all, kudos to you for looking out for your parents!

Not trying to threadjack or anything here but IMO you may want to think more about the bigger picture here. If they are in a total electric home, heat is far from the only concern. There will also be no means of light or cooking. If they are on a well, there may also be no water. In short, being well prepared in one area does little good if you are not well prepared overall. I don't know your parents. They may be healthy, robust people who could tolerate "roughing it" for extended periods. If so, then by all means pursue preparations of this nature. If not, perhaps having a plan in place to move them to other accommodations should the need arise could actually be a better option.

 

[Clay]

I have a generator, a gas fired furnace, and a cord wired into the gas fired furnace.

It worked for 3 days while my power was out this week, including running some lights, the water pump, TV/cable, the refrigerator, and chest freezer.

that being said, I also have a kerosene heater for a 'backup' or primary I guess, depending on how long the heat is out. Ive thought about getting one of the buddy heaters as well since I have a propane grill so I always have gas at the house I could hook it up.

 

[Arm America]

Is there source for this wisdom other than Rumor and Hearsay?!

What ever makes you feel safe there...


LOL...
Only in Hollywood...

By the way you guys are aware that NG is far more likely to kill you than Propane. Right?!

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Well here is a short clip on the effects of propane ignition

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAyuq8sDCeg[/ame]

Now, this is a 60 lbs. cylinder, not the 20 pounder being discussed,
the pressures remain the same but the volume is a third.

Jeremy, feel free to keep your LP tanks inside your home.
You must have a fire suppression system.

I am not against propane heaters, I am against the tanks being inside.

 

[ATOMonkey]

If the tank is properly vented, when filled, there is no reason it should explode, as there is no oxygen inside the tank.

Worst thing that happens is it leaks and the leak combusts in the presence of an ignition source.

If you're running it as a heater, any leak will be burnt up as it leaks and will be readily apparent, as described above when the heater failed.

I have used the buddy heater camping and in my garage for over 10 years with no mishaps. As with all devices, you should inspect it and replace it if necessary. If you are not 100% comfortable with your heater, get a new one. They aren't cost prohibititive and do wear out.

Have your 20# cylinders filled at a hardware store by people who know what they're doing.

There is a small vent screw on the side of the valve that NEEDS to be open when filling the tank. This allows vapors, air, etc to escape so that you don't have a large bomb in your possession.

There is nothing inherriently dangerous with having a 20# cylinder indoors. However, anything is dangerous if not used properly.

The 60 lbs of gasoline/air mixture in your car is much much much more dangerous than the 20# cylinder rolling around in your trunk.

 

[Donnelly]

Ya, after that video I think I will stay with my kerosene heater as the primary backup. I feel safe with it. Of course to fill it I do take it outside and sometimes have to lift it, and this might be difficult for the OP's parents to accomplish.

Modern kerosene heaters have a tip-over stut-off switch. If they are tipped to a 45 degeee angle, the wick is instantly dropped and the flame goes out.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

I've used 20 pound cylinders in my garage, house, fish house, tent, cabin, etc... with Mr heaters for nearly 30 years (as long as mr heaters have existed) with no problems. I would never hesitate to do so, but then again I'm not like a lot of the retarded sheep you see buying these things either. I also test for leaks with a bic lighter (even on my 500# tank in the back yard) because I'm not stupid and know that it won't "just blow up". You each have to do whatever makes you feel safe, but for me, just keeping an eye on things and having a little bit of knowledge works just fine when coupled with knowing how to react to a situation and being able to do so should one arise.

 

[Sailor]

I fill my kero heater in the garage with a siphon and it never spills. You never fill them while lit. The kero keeps for years, and the heat output is amazing. Kero heaters are cheap.

 

[indyjoe]

I didn't feel adequately prepared for loss of electric for a week in the winter. We could survive fine, but the comfort level would be low.

First, to start off. Buy one of these: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007ZYU7C]Amazon.com: Kidde KN-COPP-B Front Load Battery-Operated Carbon Monoxide Alarm with Digital Display: Home Improvement[/ame]

I won't risk using a combustion based heat without something to measure if Carbon Monoxide is building up. For under $30, you get a BATTERY powered unit that will function when you really need it, when the power is off and you are doing this for real.

I also picked up one of these: [ame=http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KKO33A]Amazon.com: Sengoku CV-2230 KeroHeat Convection 23,000-BTU Portable Kerosene Heater: Kitchen & Dining[/ame]

It is decent quality and puts out good heat. The only negative is the crappy handle. It is about breaking when empty and definitely bending when full of 1.9 Gals of kerosene. I will probably be putting this on a small homemade cart, to wheel around to fill. I'll be running this for supplemental heat when temperatures dip like current lows and out in the garage when needed. Just like firearms, I think you should use what you store for emergencies, to get a feel for how they behave.

Now I need to find a good source for 1k kerosene. I'm sure it will be much cheaper to buy in bulk in the Summer.

 

[ATOMonkey]

CO2 can build up rapidly as well. Just be sure to keep the air moving and you should be ok. Newer homes are especially vulnerable to CO2 because they're sealed so well.

 

[indyjoe]

CO2 can build up rapidly as well. Just be sure to keep the air moving and you should be ok. Newer homes are especially vulnerable to CO2 because they're sealed so well.

Yep. Open a window about 1". If you open one, and the home is sealed fairly well, you shouldn't exchange too much heat. But the oxygen will get replenished and CO2 pushed out. Hopefully you make no CO, but it should help with that too.

 

[csaws]

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Well here is a short clip on the effects of propane ignition

YouTube - Super awesome propane explosion

Now, this is a 60 lbs. cylinder, not the 20 pounder being discussed,
the pressures remain the same but the volume is a third.

Jeremy, feel free to keep your LP tanks inside your home.
You must have a fire suppression system.

I am not against propane heaters, I am against the tanks being inside.

So where exactly do you store your spare 20# cylinder for your gas grille?

 

[yotewacker]

A 20# propane cylinder is what exploded in the early 60's. Took out half of the coliseum in Indianapolis and killed over 100 people.
The battery and inverter thing won't work either, unless you have a large charger.

 

[jeremy]

A 20# propane cylinder is what exploded in the early 60's. Took out half of the coliseum in Indianapolis and killed over 100 people.
The battery and inverter thing won't work either, unless you have a large charger.

Can you provide a link for your source of Information...

Cause that is not what I know of it...

 

[cosermann]

I like my dirt simple kerosene heater, the fact that kero has about 47% more btu/gal than propane, and that I can use kero for other stuff (lamp/lantern fuel, cookstove fuel, solvent, lubricant, insecticide, etc.).

One thing I noticed during the most recent winter storm was that the portable propane cylinders were snapped up at all the big box stores, but I could go to most of the gas stations in town and pump as much kero as I wanted.

 

[ThrottleJockey]

A 20# propane cylinder is what exploded in the early 60's. Took out half of the coliseum in Indianapolis and killed over 100 people.
The battery and inverter thing won't work either, unless you have a large charger.

First off, 100 people standing directly around a 20# cylinder wouldn't be killed by it exploding.WAY OFF. Secondly, a bit more info about the battery/inverter idea, single battery coupled with an inverter large enough to power a heat source won't last 20 minutes. You could however use the inverter with your car battery while the car is idling and it should sustain, the problem being that it would take a pretty good sized inverter for a heater. Here Building your own generator. is your best bet as to how to use an inverter properly for the amount of power you would require. I know I often speak of using a battery and inverter but the part I rarely mention is stripping the alternator from my car and coupling it with a small engine to generate the power. While I could throw a genny like this together in about 20 minutes in an emergency, I advise making one up in advance since most people couldn't do it nearly as quick (unless they've done it before and have the components lying about ready to use).

 

[looney2ns]

An auto start auto change over
generator big enough to handle the load of their condo.

 

[Arm America]

So where exactly do you store your spare 20# cylinder for your gas grille?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't use propane for grilling as I'm connected to Natural Gas.

I would never keep a 20# in a house and would use minimal piping thru an outside wall to a temporary heater if needed.

I have seen firsthand the ramifications of compressed fuel
fires in an enclosed environment.

In a residential environment, once ignited, can not be extinguished
and only burn out when the fuel and pressure no longer exists.
Actually, this holds true with about any propane explosion accident.

Propane will puddle and roll across the floor like mercury
to the lowest point of the house and can easily go undetected.

Loss of 1/4 tank volume (inside) w/ignition can detach a garage,
Loss of 1/2 tank volume (inside) w/ignition will remove ones roof,
ceiling joists and all windows.

Not worth the risks but thats my opinion. (tank inside of dwelling)

I use large amounts of propane, acetylene, oxygen and
a few other high pressure inert gases. I respect them all.

I know of the Indianapolis Coliseum explosion that killed 74 people in 1963,
went to High School with a couple of survivors.

 

[griegeba]

We have two vent free fireplaces, and will keep 3200sq/ft house warm.