Tried the Blue Flame, will be looking at another way to heat

Ok. Question. One high and one low.


why high? I read that Carbon Monoxide is SLIGHTLY less dense than air.

So, why are my CO detectors on the floor?

I can't find an answer to this by googling.

Francesca Knowles wrote:

wny_pat wrote:

beemerphile1 wrote:

*the benefit to platinum combustion heaters is that they burn cleaner
if it burns clean, why does it need vented?

If it burns, it doesn't burn clean. And what your using doesn't burn clean either. And if it isn't vented, it can kill you.

I think that it's as simple as this, Beemerphile:

"Vented" is an upsell...there's a big market of folks who don't understand the simplicity of arrangements required for safe, efficient use of an ordinary catalytic heater. This product is meant for that market- and more power to them.

Good to see a U.S.- based company doing so well squeezing five or six hundred dollars extra for a unit that delivers almost as much heat as an ordinary catalytic! ( Given its exact same open-window requirements added to the heat being lost via the "venting")

you know, I think I'm more worried about the CO than I am the oxygen. An open window...will the co go out? have no idea lol

beemerphile1 wrote:
I don't know what a "brick" heater is.

I would never pay the bucks for a PlatCat for several reasons.
*they give almost no tech specs
what is the efficiency percentage?
*the benefit to platinum combustion heaters is that they burn cleaner
if it burns clean, why does it need vented?
Rather than spending all those bucks for the PlatCat, you could buy a battery or two, a solar panel for charging, and run your furnace which is proven safe and effective.
Without researching - does the PlatCat provide incoming air? if not the efficiency will be low because it will be drawing air in through every crack and crevice. Your furnace supplies its own combustion air and it is only about 80% efficient.

We use a Mr. Heater Big Buddy heater which is 'blue flame'.

we've got a solar panel (have no idea the watts, our brother in law didn't know the specs) and run the generator to charge batteries, and my CPAP MIGHT make it two nights. The furnace would kill it much quicker I believe.

seconds. I'm not too worried about my RV being "airtight". It's not. I have the excessive dust infiltration during dust storms to prove it

ain't THAT the truth! lol

pianotuna wrote:
Hi Francesca,

Yes, it draws 0.5 amps for the exhaust blower when the unit is in heating mode. It does draw 5 amps for 2 minutes when igniting. Further it has a proper thermostat so it doesn't get too hot, saving even more on propane costs.

My furnace draws 9 amps for the fan, so running the furnace for one hour would power the platinum cat for 18 hours--and that's if it never cycled off. The larger Cat unit (5200 btus) will run for 17 hours on one gallon of propane (4.25 pounds).

guess I'd have to find out how much that AND a CPAP would drain our inverter over night. I have a heated humidifier (which if it was WARM I wouldn't have to use lol)

MrWizard wrote:

SuzzeeeQ2012 wrote:

CavemanCharlie wrote:
I wonder how well that would work dry camping though. It does use some electricity.

well, that won't work then for us. We're totally dry camping 99% of the time...

think again.. it uses a small amount of 12v battery power for the exhaust fan and thermostat ignition
platinum Cat heater

Ok, I'll see. I'm on CPAP and that pulls some off our inverter.

CavemanCharlie wrote:
...my house furnace has a chimney yes, but it's just a flame setting in the basement with no outside air coming in to replenish what it burns except what it pulls in through cracks....

That antique is costing you a lot of money. A 90%+ efficiency home furnace will bring in combustion air and the exhaust is so cool it goes out through a schedule 40 PVC pipe. No chimney required and only about 7% of your fuel is wasted. Some old furnaces are 60% efficient which means 40% of the fuel you pay for is wasted.

It's fun watching you guys argue. To get slightly off the subject but, not too far, my house furnace has a chimney yes, but it's just a flame setting in the basement with no outside air coming in to replenish what it burns except what it pulls in through cracks. And, in the hog barn we have LB White heaters that run on propane they are just a big flame in the room and there is no chimney at all. But, there is fresh air intake in the barn mostly to keep the pigs from dying from there own breathing not from the heater exhaust.

Hi Francesca,

No.

EsoxLucius wrote:
That is why manufacturers of unvented catalytic heaters suggest opening two vents or windows, one low and one high. Vented catalytic heaters have no such requirement and are therefore more effective because they do not also have to compensate for cold ventilation air as does an unvented heater.

This isn't true, and it's dangerous for folks to believe it is. Room oxygen consumption is the primary cause of CO poisoning from exposed burn propane-fired heaters, and ALL such heaters require an open vent or window for room air replenishment/safe operation.

The "venting" on the Plat Cat is at least billed as for exhaust only.... Combustion air is supplied from the room, and resupply has to be provided the same way one does with a Wave/Blue flame/whatever.

In fact, since the fan's actually pushing air out along with whatever "pollutants", isn't it possible that the Platcat may require MORE intake venting than a Wave????