Cheap Heating?

[WheelEstate USA]

Avgas and jet fuel are not the same thing. Avgas is 100 octane (some as low as 80) gas used in internal combustion engines. Octane is loosely defined as the ability to wait for the spark. That's why lower octane can make your engine ping or knock and effect mileage. Lower compression requires lower octane and many engines can run on as little as 70.
Jet fuel is refined kerosene with additives used in turbine engines. The additives keep it from freezing at altitudes.

Lead was added to gas to cushion the valves and prevent wear. Today's engines use different alloys to get around not having lead in the gas.
Originally, iodine was used as an anti-knock agent.

 

[Wild_E]

wow thanks...
can we get back to cheap heating now?

Veggie oil is safe, cheap and if it tips over it goes out, as in it puts out the flame so it is safe. Easy to make, easy to make safe with a cover.
Cheers and good luck with this site

 

[WheelEstate USA]

I've read good things about using veggie oil.
Are you collecting used or heating with fresh oil??

 

[Wild_E]

I just use the new oil from the 1 - 3 gallon containers when they come on sale. This week 1 gal for only $3.99 each. With the basic system of only 1 wick, of which I am sitting here with it going now, it uses at most 1 once overnight.

With 2 wicks (made from natural fibre jute string) it uses from 1.5 - 2 ounces. Cover it over at night with a metal container or two, now I also have a cheap improvised vent from a metal oil filler. I only need the vent when it is 2 or more wicks at the same time.
Virgin Olive Oil burns the purest as well as the smokeless and fumeless one that I have found. It is also the one that is on sale the least amount of times.

I did try the old trick with the lard, just put a wick or two down into it, then light it up. Works not too bad but you have to use real wicks for some reason and the jute string does not work, for me.

used... make me hungry as it smells like french fries, so I do not get that anymore.!!!

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Sounds like something I'd like to try sometime. In warmer climates we just need to keep the chill away sitting around at night and early mornings so something like this might work very well.
I'm guessing it takes a while to heat an area and one would have to start it before the chill sets in ??

 

[Wild_E]

I have started it after it has rained or when I got back in my camper, takes a while but definetly worth it. The chill and dampness kills me really so this is very nice for me to do.

Bigger RV or Camper have two or three going, I section off the front half from the back half with a curtain so it cuts down the size it has to work in. Does it heat it up no not really, does it help make it comfortable, hell ya.. !

Also multiple layers of wool carpet, wearing thicker socks, then putting on boot liners help as well. Toss on a fleece jacket and sweatshirt to make sure you have breathability in your clothing so you are comfortable and do not sweat. Use the same design as the first poster, with the pots or in my post the metal cans, but use the Veggie Oil with jute string for wicks, so cheap.

 

[WheelEstate USA]

Thanks, will file this info for future.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

Excellent thread. Lots of useful information I will be saving and referring back to.

 

[Unchained]

used... make me hungry as it smells like french fries, so I do not get that anymore.!!!

*Scratches used veggie oil off my list of possible heating fuels*
I have enough trouble resisting the fries as is!

A coworker of mine is currently living in my 15' TT during the work week (I have a larger 5th wheel here) and it is getting nippy, so we are experimenting. Tonight, he is burning 4 candles in a pie tin in the sink, no pots. Tomorrow, we are going to set up the flower pot system and compare results. He keeps a digi thermometer in the tt and the temps are supposed to be comparable, so it should be interesting.

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

Ive been pleasantly surprised how cheap the propane has been to run the mr buddy, after the initial 14 bucks ive spent 8 dollars in 3 weeks (was curious so went to refill and it was just over half).

 

[Mac J]

http://www.pplmotorhomes.com/parts/...edium=parts&utm_campaign=WaveHeaters-11-13-13

 

[Zil]

Mac. they are well recommended heaters, but not cheap heat. The Buddy line is as good for our purpose.

 

[peacetara]

I have a Mr. Buddy. It took me ~ a year (I filled it last in Quartzite during the RTR, and just refilled it again this week for $17). I use 1 20lb tank, and I have a coleman stove and a Mr. buddy heater. $20/year for heat AND stove is pretty awesome. Ferdy is 72 sq feet.

Don't know how that compares to other people's experiences.

With Love,
Tara

 

[grummy]

Frankly, if one can afford the up front money, I don't think you can beat the specs on an Espar/Eberspacher heater.

Mine is only 6500 btu and the specs put it at somewhere just over a gallon of diesel fuel per day if run on HIGH. Of course, it doesnt run on HIGH once the place is warmed up. Low uses some insanely low figure of something like .03 GPH when running which comes to about .75 gallon.

The nice thing is that they are fully automatic, and will taper both flame and blower up and down according to the thermostat, even completely shut off if its not needed just like your house furnace. They are also external combustion,... in fact the entire combustion is done outside the vehicle simply by the way it gets mounted (the "connections" are all outside or on the other side of the living quarters). So, no smells, no oxygen depletion, no added humidity, no CO2 (as long as you have ducted things safely). Love mine.

Amazing little units considering their small size (perhaps about 6" x 6" x 10" ?) Though my truck is gas powered, I run a frame mount diesel tank and can dump in from a storage can or pull up to the diesel pump easy enough. You do need to have a source of 12v power though... its not overwhelmingly demanding though. Startup draws are 25amp for perhaps 30 seconds, but I think as low as 1.2 amp or so on low. My solar array takes care of everything quite well, so it works very well for me.

Some issues are that the older ones can sometimes be a challenge to keep running (they need yearly maintenance like glow plug cleaning, etc.) Use caution if your buying an old one. Newer ones are supposed to be lots better. I'll often times mix a little Kerosene in the tank to help keep it from getting sooted up.

I have seen some Russian knock-offs on the market for about half the price of the espar versions. Have not seen any reports on how well they are working out.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

So which is safer the mr buddy or candle/flower pot system?

I am specifically concerned with air quality, co2 and noxious fumes... not candles dumping over or propane tanks exploding.

 

[Zil]

If you need to be warm, the number of candles burning wax would be very polluting. CO2 is not bad, CO will kill you. CO is a result of any combustion without enough oxygen. Candles under a cover will generate some CO, not much per candle but some. A properly operated Mr Buddy type heater will warm you quickly and safely in the coldest conditions.

---

http://www.naturallifemagazine.com/9906/candles.htm
A quick google.

 

[Mac J]

Unity Gain, CO2 is what we exhale.

 

[TALLMAN]

According to this site candles would be a cheap way of heating a small space.

http://isupportorganic.blogspot.com/2013/11/how-to-heat-room-for-less-than-15-cents-per-day.html



How to Heat Your Room for 15 Cents a Day

If anyone tries it let me know.

 

[Zil]

I hope some one on this site will test the candle heater. I can't see much heat from a candle.
Plus; http://www.naturallifemagazine.com/9906/candles.htm

 

[Willy]

Takes a lot, but can kill ya http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_dioxide#Toxicity .. but I wouldn't be too worried about it; CO is the nasty one. As for the efficacy of 'candle heat', well, there ain't no free lunch. All depends on how well you insulate and your tolerance to cold. ..Willy.