Installing a Camco Wave 3 Catalytic propane heater.

[Daleford]

I have the above heater but didn't buy any hose/regulator yet to connect it to the propane tank. The hoses from Camco seem expensive, plus I want to "T" off to run a propane small burner stove. I have an experianced propane guy lined up to help with this as soon as he returns from a trip south. In the meantime I should be gathering all the hookups I need. Question: Do I need the actual regulator/hose from Camco to run this heater properly or will universal hoses and regulator work?

 

[bullfrog !]

I would wait til your knowledgeable installer gets back, otherwise you will need to get educated. The reason is a lot depends where and how your system will be placed, supplied and used. Wave 3 heaters in some installations can accommodate a trash pipe with a clean out and a replaceable filter. These are good to have as cheap hoses deteriorate on the inside and pieces of the cheap hose or impurities like rust in small tanks can and often do clog up the small passages in the heater and regulator. The good hose has a teflon tube inside which helps prevent that, and because of that it costs much more and lasts a lot longer. The less hose you use the better and I personally don’t trust “quick” disconnects. Leak checking should be done often/every time if traveling and disconnecting often. Properly secured metal line like is used in manufactured RVs if possible is much preferred if you are full timing.

 

[maki2]

There are places to cut corners on cost and use lesser quality but in instances such as propane you have several critical safety factors going on. Air quality ie health factors and fire safety. That means put your money where it really counts and this is where it really counts. Good connections that last a long time are critical. Keep a both of soap solution on hand to ALWAYS test connections if you need to remove and then reinstall the fittings to the tank and heater. Do not assume there is not a leak, test for leaks. Soapy water is cheap stuff.

 

[NctryBen]

Gather what you want… but save receipts and be ready to return anything you buy…
Your experienced person would know best what they’d want to use… you could be pointed in a totally different direction than what they use. That’s my thinking…

 

[Happy Camper]

How did this turn out?

 

[Daleford]

Thanks but still ordering /building.

 

[NctryBen]

Be very careful… I saw one where the person had it sitting in the styrofoam because they didn’t want the wood stool under it to catch on fire.

 

[Happy Camper]

Be very careful… I saw one where the person had it sitting in the styrofoam because they didn’t want the wood stool under it to catch on fire.

 

[LargeMarge]

a)
In our ExpeditionVehicle, we set our Wave 3 catalytic heater on the floor on its stumpy legs.
.
Our floor is slate in the center, with bamboo around the perimeter.
The heater heats the slate, then that radiates into the room.
.
And the warm floor feels wonderful on tootsies.
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* We have a dedicated five-gallon propane bottle and hose for the heater.
* We have a dedicated five-gallon propane bottle and hose for the Coleman propane two-burner camp-stove.
Last night -- January 11th at 2am -- the dogs woke us, grumbling because the heater bottle ran out, so I removed the hose from the cook tank, and switched the heater over to it.
One benefit of separate systems.
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And 'yes', the dogs are Heelers, and 'yes', they are micro-managing tyrants.
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An aside:
The box floor of our quarters is wood planks.
Building our rig, we laid one-inch pink-board insulation on that, then plywood, then the slate and bamboo.
.
Over two decades full-time live-aboard, zero issues.
.
.
b)
Based on our experience, the hoses are standard.
You could take your Wave 3 to a camp supply or propane shop, they should be able to fix you right up.