Cool hearter for those preparing

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I was at my local Home Depot store on saturday and saw/bought a new type of heater (at least new to me). Coleman Catalytic heater screws onto a small propane bottle and provides 3000 BTU for 8 hours off one bottle. Safe to be used indoors for emergency heat. Probably available from sports/camping stores as well.

My primary heat source will be my wood stove (is in normal times as well - cheaper than the heat pump). I was looking for supplementary heat kerosene stove or something, but this is much smaller, safer and more convenient. Pretty cool, check it out.

-- ng (cantgprovideemail@none.com), November 08, 1999

Answers

Thanks ng,

I picked up two of these at Home Depot (apx. $50 each). This isn't very much heat (not enough to do a room), but it helps take the edge off. For instance, it should give a boost to my back bedrooms which the wood stove won't reach very well. I think they last closer to 6- 7 hours.

And if it turns out just to be a BITR and I don't need all those 1-lb cannisters for alternative cooking and light, I now have a way to safely use them up (to supplement heat from my wood stove on my porch).

This heater only works with the 1-lb cannisters, not the larger 25-lb containers.

-- Brooks (brooksbie@hotmail.com), November 08, 1999.


You can get an adapter to go from a 5 gal.
propane bottle to the Coleman heater. It
comes with a short hose.

-- spider (spider0@usa.net), November 08, 1999.

I bought 3 Coleman Focus 12 propane heaters with electronic ignition for an unbelievable $4.00 each at Wal-Mart (reg. $105.00). Previously, the best price I found on a 8-10-12,000 BTU propane heater was $47.00 (reg. $60.00, light with match) at a sports store going out of business.

These propane heaters all come with Warnings that CO2 can kill. However, IMHO, these heaters burn so hot I don't believe CO2 is an issue if they are in good condition. I'm more concerned about exploding propane - make sure all your connections are good!

On a similar note, last year I could not find a store that carried kerosene heaters in the Toronto area. Just two weeks ago, Canadian Tire started stocking Kero World heaters. $229 or $279.00.

All prices quoted in CDN dollars.

-- Cable_man (tlangan@iname.com), November 08, 1999.


thank you, thank you. I was on the phone early this am with a close friend who lives in an apartment in New Hampshire. They have been talking about getting a kerosene heater, but this sounds like a better deal. Money is tight for them and they were starting to figure they would have to head for a close by friend or the church if/when it gets ugly. Guess it will be my Xmas present to her.

-- Nancy (wellsnl@hotmail.com), November 08, 1999.

Cable_man --

CO2 (carbon dioxide) is produced by any burning of carbonaceous material in air, no matter how hot the flame may be.

You may be thinking of CO (carbon monoxide) which can produce brain damage in fairly low concentrations, and kill at higher concentrations. CO is produced by incomplete burning, as happens in a low temperature flame.

CO2 is in itself not toxic, but it displaces oxygen. If enough CO2 is present there will not be enough oxygen left to keep you alive. If you're asleep when that point is reached you won't wake up.

Always provide adequate ventilation to the outside when burning fossil fuels indoors.

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), November 08, 1999.



Tom,

Thank you, yes, I mean CO.

See the thread further up on Propane heaters. Discusses length of use in hours and days.

-- Cable_man (tlangan@iname.com), November 08, 1999.


13 or 14 years ago I got stuck in northern N.Mexico over winter, (weeks and weeks below freezing, including 20 somethings below zero for a whole week), in my motor home, (electrical system burned up), and survived with nothing more than a hot water bottle during those cold nights. Guys would never dream of doing that, but many smart ladies know it's the only way to go if your sweetie's hot bod ain't available. Truly the cheapest way to go as hot water from a tea kettle heats up in just a few minutes. (Hint...England makes the best hot water bottles. Disregard the warning not to put boiling water in it. I do it all the time, starting with a tad of cool water in the bag before filling it up with sizzling H2O). Good luck. Cheap-cheap-cheap-cheap-cheap, still skating along.

-- Surviver (Cheapskate@poor.house), November 09, 1999.

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