Just How Much Humidity can I expect from propane heat?

[One Awesome Inch]

I am really having a tough time deciding on a propane heater. Its going to either be the Dickenson Newport P9000 or the Olympian Wave 3. The Dickenson is a far nicer unit as its externally vented, super nice build quality etc however at near $800 its not near as cost effective as the Wave 3 which can be had for around $200 or less. As the Wave 3 is not externally vented it will be adding humidity to the interior of my van.

My question is how much more humidity will it add? 10% more, 20% more, even more than that?

Where I live in the Pacific Northwest humidity is often about 85% and with humidity comes moisture and with moisture comes mold > health issues.

I should say that money is only the secondary reason I am trying to avoid purchase of the Dickenson and would rather go with the Wave 3. The Dickenson requires that you add a 4.5 inch "chimney" onto the roof of the vehicle. In my situation I would really like to rent a parking space in my soon-to-be ex-wife's condo for $50 per month. That 4.5 inch chimney would make the van height too tall to get thru the parking garage's front gate and go below all the low level pipes. Not only would getting a space in the underground garage give me a place to park over night on a regular basis but it would also keep me cooler in the summer heat and warmer if it gets really cold. I will also be going to my kid's condo 5 days a week at 6:30am to take care of them and bring them to school while my ex-wife goes to work. So yeah, that underground parking spot would be super beneficial.

So yeah I really need to figure out how much humidity the Wave 3 (1600 to 3000BTUs) will add to the van's interior in my PNW climate. If its uncomfortably moist I will have to get the Dickenson and be forced to park on the street.

 

[jimindenver]

There is a formula as to how much moisture is added when using a unvented heater, of course I don't know it because I can't use them at altitude. That said it is a common topic on the RV forums and it is enough that it has to be dealt with by venting. Even here where the humidity is low, just us and the dogs sleeping at night put out enough humidity that it condensates on the windows and we always leave a window cracked even using the RV furnace that is vented in and out.

In a recent discussion older fanless RV furnaces were brought up. I'd find and instal one of those before using a unvented heater. I believe they vent out the side like any RV furnace. No fumes, no moisture, no fan to suck the battery dry.

 

[LeeRevell]

I have always wondered about this 'adding humidity' thing with respect to using propane. Does the gas really 'add' to the humidity or is it just the temperature difference between outside (cold) and inside (warm) that makes condensation? The second seems much more logical. Covering or not having windows, as well as good insulation and soft covering, should greatly mitigate the condensation. But, I have not spent a cold night in the van using propane heat (only electric).

 

[One Awesome Inch]

From what I have just read every pound of propane burned produces one pound of water vapor. Not good!

 

[Seraphim]

I'm with Lee on this. We use electric and propane, depending on whether we have shore power or not. No reason to waste propane when 110v is available. Condensation really hasn't been an issue, but I always leave a roof vent cracked open. The one time it was noticeable was when a water bottle cracked and soaked the carpet. That night I forgot to crack the vent and there was condensation inside, and we were using an electric heater. I will add that our propane furnace is vented.

It is my understanding that the condensation comes from existing moisture in the environment.

 

[Almost There]

The calculations I just found all over the internet show anywhere from 1 lb of water per lb of propane burned to a ratio of 1.6 to 1.


http://www.ehow.com/about_6635338_burning-propane-water.html

Interesting lesson in chemistry here...now I know why it happens.

The burning of propane creates water vapor which then condenses on the cooler surfaces, namely the windows.

By having a roof vent open you might be able to vent most of the vapor before it becomes a problem because it would tend to rise along with the heat...maybe!

 

[flying kurbmaster]

I am pretty sure I read somewhere that you can install the chimney on the Dickenson on the side of your van.

 

[flying kurbmaster]

of course that may not be practical as it will likely get hot and create a hazard

 

[One Awesome Inch]

For the record the Wave 3 uses 1/8LB of propane per hour at 1600BTU.... its low setting.

1/8 LB = 2 ounces or 56.7 grams.

2 ounces of moisture doesnt seem that bad, but then again thats only 1600BTUs.

 

[One Awesome Inch]

of course that may not be practical as it will likely get hot and create a hazard

Yeah, I thought I read that chimney pipe must be vertical... I could be wrong though.

The used RV furnace without fan / blower called a convection furnace... while appealing in many ways has its drawbacks. For one thing, though I am somewhat handy, I have no experience installing such a furnace or dealing with gas pipelines. It makes me nervous consider the implications if something goes wrong.

Any one know of a *new* vented and fanless propane heater that does not have to have a chimney?

 

[Almost There]

For the record the Wave 3 uses 1/8LB of propane per hour at 1600BTU.... its low setting.

1/8 LB = 2 ounces or 56.7 grams.

2 ounces of moisture doesnt seem that bad, but then again thats only 1600BTUs.

Here's another calculator you can play with - the figures I plugged in showed it would take 7,620 btu/hour to raise the temperature of the average space of a van by 20 degrees Celsius.

http://www.calculator.net/btu-calculator.html

Take that times the rating for the Wave 3 and see what you come up with.

 

[ccbreder]

This is another reason ventilation is so important. One pound of propane is 8.45 cubic feet and produces 4 cubic feet of water vapor. Propane burning with sufficient oxygen produces 4 pounds of water for every 1 pound of propane. 4 pounds of water is a little less that two quarts. One pound of propane produces over 20,000 BTUs. How long does your Buddy heater run on 1 pound?

 

[highdesertranger]

well without getting all technical from my experience all I can say is it produces a lot of moisture. highdesertranger

 

[VanLifeCrisis]

buddy heater runs about 5-6 hours on a pound on low. I get quite a bit of condensation on windows running my heater for about 8 hours but the interior isnt damp or clammy, no moisture on clothes, walls or even smooth surfaces etc. I do keep at least 2 inches of ventilation (cracked windows).

 

[One Awesome Inch]

The Wave 3 at 1600 BTUs uses less propane than the Mr. Heater Buddy - mid size. 1/8LB per hour.

At this point, I am leaning heavily towards a vented heater as my climate is already super humid. Plus, I do like the fact that vented heaters only produce heat and 0% fuel vapors of any kind will be in the van.

 

[compassrose]

I am currently in a desert. But even when it is raining and the humidity is hitting in the 80's (and I'm rejoicing), I have no problems with moisture from the LP heaters. I also cook with LP.

 

[karl]

I'm tired of the moisture and the smell of my Buddy heater, and my dog has stuck her tail in the Buddy a couple times, so I'm installing an rv furnace that is vented and uses outside combustion air.
I upgraded from a Scat cat or some such thing because of the smell, and find the Buddy more user friendly but still smells like plastic burning.

 

[Critter]

I'm not so convinced that there's a big problem with propane heat and moisture. I often work as a painter. We use propane heaters in damp environments to dry fresh paint and sheetrock compound in houses that start with an 85% humidity level. Not only does the heat from the propane heater take the moisture out of the air, it also dries the walls completely.

So while a propane heater may give off a certain amount of moisture, the amount of moisture that sticks around depends on temperature and humidity already in the air.

Sometimes gear is wet, but sometimes when moisture forms on the inside of your vehicle or tent it is just because the outside air is much cooler. When warm air gets cold it condenses into moisture, like on the side of a glass of water. Venting seems to be the problem.

 

[ccbreder]

It all depends on ventilation.

 

[HarmonicaBruce]

That 4.5 inch chimney would make the van height too tall to get thru the parking garage's front gate and go below all the low level pipes.

Can you make a "retractable" chimney for the van?