Anyone using the Mr. Heater "Journey" catalytic heaters?

ktmrfs wrote:
And if your lucky enough that the low setting of 1500BTU is enough, great, but if you need 5000BTU or more, compounds the potential moisture issue.

1,500 continuous BTUs is roughly equivalent to a 15,000 BTU furnace running 10 percent of the time.

Max output of this particular heater is 3,000 BTUs. If I need more than that, the furnace can make up the difference.

Using the furnace a little beats using it a lot, IMO.

Then again, if you're really that concerned about the extra moisture, just leave one of the kids at home. :B

Skibane wrote:

ktmrfs wrote:
And if your lucky enough that the low setting of 1500BTU is enough, great, but if you need 5000BTU or more, compounds the potential moisture issue.

1,500 continuous BTUs is roughly equivalent to a 15,000 BTU furnace running 10 percent of the time.

Max output of this particular heater is 3,000 BTUs. If I need more than that, the furnace can make up the difference.

Using the furnace a little beats using it a lot, IMO.

Then again, if you're really that concerned about the extra moisture, just leave one of the kids at home. :B

Not really. Most RV furnaces are not very efficient, you may be getting only 11,000 btu's of heat from it. Then there is the electricity use,especially if not plugged in. Then the noise.Then the huge losses from duct work,in bigger rv's/campers, usually run in cold spaces. Just some reasons space heaters are so popular in rv's. Also,gas and electric space heaters are 100% efficient. If they have fans,then a bit less.

^You're ignoring the fact that unvented heaters need to have a window or ceiling vent opened a bit to replenish the oxygen they consume, and to reduce moisture build-up.

There is some heat loss through that opening.

Any way, my point is that a small heater which runs constantly can put just as much heat into living areas as a much larger furnace that only runs occasionally.

Skibane wrote:
^You're ignoring the fact that unvented heaters need to have a window or ceiling vent opened a bit to replenish the oxygen they consume, and to reduce moisture build-up.

There is some heat loss through that opening.

Any way, my point is that a small heater which runs constantly can put just as much heat into living areas as a much larger furnace that only runs occasionally.

Although, you are ignoring the fact that much of the efficiency of a unvented IS going right out the window and ceiling vent especially when you add in a little bit of wind above zero MPH.

Not arguing that 1500 BTUs setting can create some heat under mild conditions to be somewhat comfortable. But in reality not enough once outside temps drop and the winds blow along with the square footage you are trying to heat.. Small area like containg the heat to just your sleeping area and sure 1,500 BTU might keep you cozy under a few layers of blankets.. Heating a 30ft space, well that amounts to trying to stay warm with a single candle..

I have heated my 26ft TT with one single oil filled radiator heater in winter to do some work.. At 1,500W setting you get roughly 5,200 BTUs.. Worked just OK when winter temps were in the 45F or higher and no wind blowing. Once temps got below 30F and a nice 10 MPH wind and took that heater hrs to bring temps up to 45F-50F.

TT came with a 24K BTU gas furnace, I upgraded that to a 30K BTU furnace.. Now if I want to work in the TT even on the coldest days furnace has no issue getting trailer up to temp that I am comfortable in without the need for long underwear, two layers of coats, heavy hat and thick gloves. As a bonus, the upgraded furnace runs for much less time than the smaller one, means less battery use.

Just depends on your perspective of what is "comfortable" living quarters temps..

Gdetrailer wrote:
Not arguing that 1500 BTUs setting can create some heat under mild conditions to be somewhat comfortable. But in reality not enough once outside temps drop and the winds blow along with the square footage you are trying to heat.

Based on my own experience, I have to disagree.

In windy 40 degree weather, I have used the 1500 BTU setting on my Olympian catalytic heater as the sole heating source to stay very comfortable in a 28 foot class A - with a ceiling vent cracked open for ventilation.

30 degree weather requires the 3000 BTU setting.

Naturally, I could have installed one of the larger catalytic models instead (or installed a second heater located some distance from the first), but I never felt like I needed it.

Gdetrailer wrote:
Although you are ignoring the fact that unvented heaters need to have a window or ceiling vent opened a bit to replenish the oxygen they consume, and to reduce moisture build-up.

There is some heat loss through that opening.

..................................

Just depends on your perspective of what is "comfortable" living quarters temps..

Yes, there is some heat loss. Have you ever put your hand on the exhaust from your furnace. Now that's heat loss! It's huge!

The heat loss from one of our awning windows opened 1/4 - 1/2" and our Maxxfan open the same is virtually nothing, and certainly a huge difference over the furnaces heat loss.

Wind is not a problem. I just make sure the awning window chosen to be cracked is not directly into the wind.

I'll agree that comfortable to one is not the same to the other. Our camper is a 21' Escape 5.0 fifth wheel. The body is about 20.5' long, 7' 4" wide and around 6'8" interior. It's all we need.

We use our Weber catalytic heater when the overnight temps get below 40 F, otherwise when the temps are over 40F the Weber is too warm. At about 30 F we kick the furnace in gear to make up any difference. The Weber on low will run all night on one re-fillable 1# tank.

Enjoy,

Perry

you can't delete a post, just the words in the post.

So, how many gallons of water does one gallon of propane make?
My water question is where is all this water coming from? It can't be all from the propane.
As mentioned, a human will breath out about the amount of water that could fit into a 1lb propane bottle (little less), so running one is like having a second person... just curious...

Other mention. The heaters will heat mass in your camper (walls, kitchen stuff, water, shoes, whatever is there, and these things keep the heat. It is not so much that the air needs to stay warm, but that the mass around you stay warm, so venting some air out is not catastrophic, though that is air that could still be warming up interior mass.
Yea, venting some air out or seeing half your propane heat blow out the exhaust are probably similar numbers, but the Buddy heaters probably still win even though you vent some thru windows

ajriding wrote:
you can't delete a post, just the words in the post.

So, how many gallons of water does one gallon of propane make?
My water question is where is all this water coming from? It can't be all from the propane.

water comes from combustion of propane, (or gasoline, or diesel, or natural gas) see my above post. Burning hydrocarbon (CxHy) + O2 = CO2 + H2O (water) + heat. And yes burning a gallon of propane yields slightly less than a gallon of water. it is emitted as water vapor.

C3H8+5O2= 3CO2 + 4H2O + Heat
Carbon Dioxide + Water + Heat (exothermic reaction)

I have a Buddy heater that I removed the regulator from and plumbed it into my propane line with a hose. I spend winters in Florida which is very humid and have had no issue with condensation. Just make sure to crack the roof vent and a window a bit. It uses much less propane than the furnace and uses no electricity. I have a CO detector with a display and it has never gone above zero.

I'm tempted to try the Flame King's version which has the added benefit of a thermostat and a bit higher output.

Available on Amazon:

Flame King portable heater on Amazon

One advantage the catalytic designs have over their open-flame counterparts is that the burner pad operates at a much lower temperature (i.e., below the ignition point of most bedding, clothes, etc.). For example, if you touch some tissue paper to the pad while it's lit, the tissue will smolder a little bit, but won't ignite.

OTOH, the platinum catalyst adds considerable cost, and doesn't last forever.