chevy cargo van heat

[OntarioVanMan]

>Yeah .... but what about CO ?

We have a detector...Nope none with a Cat heater they just eat oxygen up. Now that was in my tuna can van, the sprinter hasn't had that effect.

 

[Rocketman]

David,

Just an observation on the Mr. Buddy shutting off:

"This heater is certified by CSA international (American gas association), Mr. Heater's portable buddy heater features a low oxygen safety shutoff pilot to provide safe, reliable propane heat indoors.....Designed and approved for indoor use." Quoted from the product description at TractorSupply.com

There's a good chance the low oxygen shut off was doing it's job. This supports Ken's idea of cracking a window.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

dhalltoyo said...

"PS. I tried the Mr. Buddy but it kept shutting off during the night."

Rocketman said "

This heater is certified by CSA international (American gas association), Mr. Heater's portable buddy heater features a low oxygen safety shutoff pilot to provide safe, reliable propane heat indoors.....Designed and approved for indoor use." Quoted from the product description at TractorSupply.com

There's a good chance the low oxygen shut off was doing it's job. "

dhalltoyo said

"lack of oxygen has never been a problem."

You may have been wrong...Trust me my friend my Bic would not work till I opened the window and I had one heck of a headache. My CO2 detector did not go off.

 

[Falligator]

Nothing a lighter and a burrito from taco bell can't handle...warm and toasty...lol :7

 

[buckeyewildman]

hey a good army issue sleeping bag worked for me was in Buffalo NY a couple winters ago it was -24 yes thats 24 below 0 and was plenty toasty that is until i crawled out of the sleeping bag

 

[greg334]

buckeyewildman

It is not keeping warm that is a problem for most of us, it is getting out of the bag that seems to be the challenge.

 

[hondaking38]

be careful i had the mr.buddy that holds the 2 tanks, i bought the conversion to hook it to a 20lb tank, had the windows cracked but woke up 4 hours later sick, with headache and muscle ache for a whole day, i honestly believe i was getting poisoned and if i didnt wake up then i probably never would have, i didnt have a carbon monoxide detector which was totally stupid on my part... well after that i took it back to tsc when i got home and they happily refunded my money...i figured better for me to be cold and alive then dead, it might have been a malfunctioning mr buddy heater, a buddy of mine had the same symptoms before, but he still uses his

 

[dhalltoyo]

Propane Freeze

OVM,

I have come out of the truck stop and tried to light my heater only to discover my butane lighter would not ignite. As there had been no heater running in the van, it seems that there would have been ample oxygen to support combustion.

Coleman recommends that there be at least six square inches of open air space when using their heaters. Measuring all of the gaps at the bottom of all the doors there is more than six square inches of air space. I would think that Mr Heater has similiar operating characteristics.

A little research lead me to the supporting documentation regarding the dynamics of gaseous fuels:

One of the biggest limitations of propane canister heaters is their decreased performance or complete failure at low temperatures. This is due to the lack of effective gas pressure once the temperature of the canister drops below the boiling point of the fuel. When fuel fails to build up enough pressure to effectively feed your heater, your heater slows and eventually stops. To compound matters, running a heater releases gases from a canister, which causes more of the liquid fuel to vaporize, which requires energy that in turn drops the temperature of the canister even more. The longer you run your heater the colder the canister becomes and you may need intermittent rewarming or continuous heating to keep your canister going. See The Nature and Behaviour of Mixtures of Fuels by Roger Caffin for more information on gas dynamics.

 

[indydad11934]

I had a problem with the 1lb propane tank freezing up as well.
I slip the propane tank into a pair of socks before screwing it into the heater.... and it prevents the canister from freezing.

Also, it is important to crack your windows slightly while running the Mr. Heater. The oxygen evaporates inside the van fairly quickly.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

I had a problem with the 1lb propane tank freezing up as well.
I slip the propane tank into a pair of socks before screwing it into the heater.... and it prevents the canister from freezing.

Also, it is important to crack your windows slightly while running the Mr. Heater. The oxygen evaporates inside the van fairly quickly.

Yup...thats my point...small van, well insulated...the BIG Catalytic heater, two people breathing...

Headaches, no air to light lighter till window opened......conclusions would be???

 

[greg334]

I had a problem with the 1lb propane tank freezing up as well.
I slip the propane tank into a pair of socks before screwing it into the heater.... and it prevents the canister from freezing.

You know I have used my heater for a while, I have used 1/2/5lb cans for years and I have never ever had one 'freeze'. The can gets a heavy frost on it and it is very cold to handle but that is because of the liquid leaving the can as a vapor and has never stopped working, even when used to heat the engine up in -15 degrees.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Seems we have conflicting terminolgy....by freezing up, I at least meant the frosting of container.

 

[greg334]

Seems we have conflicting terminolgy....by freezing up, I at least meant the frosting of container.

I guess. some may think it means that the container freezes and it ceases to function, which it would if the container was inverted or hanging outside where the temps will freeze the line first.

 

[OntarioVanMan]

Funny thing about terminolgy...when I drove a propane car it overheated because my fuel lines froze up!!

 

[MCBuggyCo]

How are heaters and sleeping bags handled tax wise?

 

[OntarioVanMan]

How are heaters and sleeping bags handled tax wise?

As a deduction....

 

[greg334]

Yep, deducted.

 

[dhalltoyo]

I have come out of the truck stop and tried to light my heater only to discover my butane lighter would not ignite. As there had been no heater running in the van, it seems that there would have been ample oxygen to support combustion.

Documentation regarding the dynamics of gaseous fuels:

One of the biggest limitations of propane canister heaters is their decreased performance or complete failure at low temperatures. This is due to the lack of effective gas pressure once the temperature of the canister drops below the boiling point of the fuel. When fuel fails to build up enough pressure to effectively feed your heater, your heater slows and eventually stops. To compound matters, running a heater releases gases from a canister, which causes more of the liquid fuel to vaporize, which requires energy that in turn drops the temperature of the canister even more. The longer you run your heater the colder the canister becomes and you may need intermittent rewarming or continuous heating to keep your canister going. See The Nature and Behaviour of Mixtures of Fuels by Roger Caffin for more information on gas dynamics.

 

[theoldprof]

The Espar Heater, how does it work, how is it mounted? Is it a stand alone unit, or does it mount into the side of the van body? Thanks.

 

[Turtle]

It's a standalone unit about the size of a shoe box. It's a mini diesel engine, got a glow plug and everything (the gasoline model, not so much). It's connected to the fuel tank and runs off that. It's mounted inside the van, usually behind the driver's seat, but it can be mounted anywhere. Mine is mounted just in front of the wheel well on the passenger side. It has a tail pipe that is exited out the underside of the van to remove the exhaust. Connect it to an aux battery for power. It has a cold air intake, and a hot air output. Round duct hose directs where the air goes. Y's and T's can be added to the ductwork to more precisely distribute the hot air.