Stove top heater accessory thingy
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It looks like the top of an old kerosine heater I use to use. I always kept a pan of water on top so I would have hot water first thing in the morning when I lit the heater. This with a small fan might circulate heat better but it would depend on space and how stable it is on the burner.
Two separate issues.
Putting out infrared heat, these guys actually glow, so can be very dangerous in a small space.
Then you have thermal mass, for buffering, yes some ongoing radiant output after the burner's turned off.
Big pot of stew / soup etc works well if humidity isn't already a problem.
A big heavy cast iron pot or pan works pretty well dry too.
Do not sleep with any of this stuff going, and always crack some ventilation.
Putting out infrared heat, these guys actually glow, so can be very dangerous in a small space.
Then you have thermal mass, for buffering, yes some ongoing radiant output after the burner's turned off.
Big pot of stew / soup etc works well if humidity isn't already a problem.
A big heavy cast iron pot or pan works pretty well dry too.
Do not sleep with any of this stuff going, and always crack some ventilation.
Spaceman Spiff
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IMO one of the best stove top heaters is a pressure cooker filled with water. If you have a pressure cooker that will get to 15 psi (max allowed by law), the water inside will boil at 250F. Water has a very good thermal capacity so it will store a lot of heat and continue to give off heat for quite a while after the burner is turned off.
One of the disadvantages of a stove top heater is that while the stove is running it is exhausting a lot of water vapor into the van.
One of the disadvantages of a stove top heater is that while the stove is running it is exhausting a lot of water vapor into the van.
Stoves and gas heaters make carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, and both can cause illness or death. Sadly, every year we read about someone who was using a heater or stove for warmth and died as a result. Please be safe, ventilate well, and use a CO detector/alarm if using any combustion device in a closed space like a van or RV...
WalkaboutTed
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Spaceman,
I've used the pressure cooker. Works great! And it's a large thermal mass which will continue to put out heat for hours after you turn off the stove. I used it in the PNW one Junuary (felt like January in June) when condensation was dripping off the ceiling. In spite of propane putting out water vapor, it dried the trailer out in hours (an Aliner) . I had a window cracked and an overhead vent cracked.
Ted
I've used the pressure cooker. Works great! And it's a large thermal mass which will continue to put out heat for hours after you turn off the stove. I used it in the PNW one Junuary (felt like January in June) when condensation was dripping off the ceiling. In spite of propane putting out water vapor, it dried the trailer out in hours (an Aliner) . I had a window cracked and an overhead vent cracked.
Ted
Has anyone considered a Dietz Jupiter 2500 lantern and burning KleanHeat as fuel?
https://www.amazon.com/Dietz-2500-J...piter+2500&dpPl=1&dpID=41RpmbAGu-L&ref=plSrch
https://www.amazon.com/Dietz-2500-J...piter+2500&dpPl=1&dpID=41RpmbAGu-L&ref=plSrch
VJG1977
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The Dietz Jupiter 2500 lantern burning kerosene puts out Apprx. 1400 BTU per Hour. I could not find the BTU per gallon for the KleanHeat fuel but was thinking if it were more than regular kerosene they would advertise it. For a comparison the Mr. Heater F215100 MH4B Little Buddy puts out 3800-BTU.
specs for Dietz from https://www.lanternnet.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=DHL2500
specs for Dietz from https://www.lanternnet.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=DHL2500
frater secessus
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Coleman used to make a heat drum for sportster stoves like that.
I bought one of these heater-thingies, on the assumption that a purpose-engineered device might well be safer and/or more effective than a can of rocks.
The interior glows a bright cherry red at high heat settings on my very ordinary butane stove, and I'd guesstimate that it puts out roughly as much heat as a 1500 watt electric heater. It does indeed seem to be considerably more effective than just cooking something, but because of the low mass the tradeoff is that it doesn't hold heat very long. Overall, however, I'm tentatively a satisfied customer. I'll need more experience before committing firmly.
Two notes...
1) I had to find a very large steel washer to put under this thing, because otherwise it wouldn't sit level on my stove's burner and I felt it was dangerously close to tipping over. This washer is 5" across and weighs maybe a pound. When I use it the heater less glows brightly and seems to put out a bit less heat, but not enough to make a practical difference. My guess is that the heavy steel washer is simply absorbing some of the energy and radiating it instead of the device.
2) I like the fact that the _inside_ gets glowing-hot and not the outside. If it were to somehow be knocked off the burner, it'd be that much less likely to start a fire.
Will this thing make a van/small trailer toasty warm in zero-degree weather? I can't answer that because I live in Florida. But... As I said, I'd estimate it as roughly equivalent to a 1500 watt electric.
Hope someone finds this useful...
The interior glows a bright cherry red at high heat settings on my very ordinary butane stove, and I'd guesstimate that it puts out roughly as much heat as a 1500 watt electric heater. It does indeed seem to be considerably more effective than just cooking something, but because of the low mass the tradeoff is that it doesn't hold heat very long. Overall, however, I'm tentatively a satisfied customer. I'll need more experience before committing firmly.
Two notes...
1) I had to find a very large steel washer to put under this thing, because otherwise it wouldn't sit level on my stove's burner and I felt it was dangerously close to tipping over. This washer is 5" across and weighs maybe a pound. When I use it the heater less glows brightly and seems to put out a bit less heat, but not enough to make a practical difference. My guess is that the heavy steel washer is simply absorbing some of the energy and radiating it instead of the device.
2) I like the fact that the _inside_ gets glowing-hot and not the outside. If it were to somehow be knocked off the burner, it'd be that much less likely to start a fire.
Will this thing make a van/small trailer toasty warm in zero-degree weather? I can't answer that because I live in Florida. But... As I said, I'd estimate it as roughly equivalent to a 1500 watt electric.
Hope someone finds this useful...
highdesertranger
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Rabbit I don't know what type of washer you got but what is it plated with? many washers use plating that give of poisonous fumes when heated. Zinc, Cadmium, are a couple that you shouldn't breath the fumes when heated and those are very common plating's on hardware.
this brings up a subject that I see people not paying attention to. be very careful of what you are heating up especially in an enclosed area like a vehicle.
DO NOT HEAT ANYTHING UNLESS YOU POSITIVILY KNOW IT CAN BE HEATED.
a few examples,
do not use refrigerator shelves for BBQ grates
do not use galvanized flue pipe for wood stoves
if you make an ammo can stove burn it out side until 100% of the coating is burned off
do not use concrete blocks for stoves
many of the clay pots from China have mercury in them. do not heat them.
speaking of mercury many products from China have mercury in them. even dinnerware like plates and bowls.
these are just a few examples.
be safe, not sorry. highdesertranger
this brings up a subject that I see people not paying attention to. be very careful of what you are heating up especially in an enclosed area like a vehicle.
DO NOT HEAT ANYTHING UNLESS YOU POSITIVILY KNOW IT CAN BE HEATED.
a few examples,
do not use refrigerator shelves for BBQ grates
do not use galvanized flue pipe for wood stoves
if you make an ammo can stove burn it out side until 100% of the coating is burned off
do not use concrete blocks for stoves
many of the clay pots from China have mercury in them. do not heat them.
speaking of mercury many products from China have mercury in them. even dinnerware like plates and bowls.
these are just a few examples.
be safe, not sorry. highdesertranger
Don't worry-- this one is plain, ordinary steel. I verified this at purchase due to concern about fumes, and even though it's brand new it's already rusting after being heated. Plus, it came packed in grease. That's a clue, too. So I'm pretty confident I have a safe one, and would urge others who try this to make certain as well.
Thanks for caring, HDR.
Thanks for caring, HDR.
highdesertranger
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good job Rabbit and Greg. it's good to get the word out. I see way to many morons on you tube giving dangerously bad advice. highdesertranger
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