LPG Portable heaters

Thanks for all of the replies! I went with a 10k blue-flame model with a thermostat. Chino

They all emit CO, it's a matter of concentration. Less O2 available = more CO emitted. You can sleep with it on, as long there is enough venting and the burner is working properly. So there are some "ifs" in this gamble. The stake is your health. Everything in life is a gamble, law of probabilities.

I am not sure my new Wave 6 has oxygen depletion sensor. There is nothing in the manual about this. Wave 3 does (or did, some time ago). They've discontinued models listed as "marine" that had ODS sensor, as I recall.

Been using the Olycats since 1973.
I always chuckle at the ignorant people that say you can't burn these heaters while sleeping,......as if they will kill ya when you're sleeping, but not when you're awake.
During winter both my Cats usually run day and nite. In Quartzsite, one of them burns on low all nite, sometimes both. The little bit of venting is hardly worth talking about. Both my wave 3s have oxy sensors on them
I love my Olycats, but if I couldn't burn them while sleeping, I would deep six them in a heart beat !

One thing she didn't make clear for newbies when writing about the flaring tool - put the flare nut on the copper pipe BEFORE making a flare :) ... What she is calling a "female connector" must be flare nut, just not obvious.

For permanent or seasonal living it's better to have a permanently mounted heater. On the wall, out of the way. Besides, copper pipe lasts longer than rubber before it starts leaking.

Vent-Free Organization, safety standards, blah blah...

All these heaters burn propane. Hence, they all consume O2 and emit CO2, CO and H20. This is a formula for propane burning, you can't get around it. Monitoring CO level is a must, preferably with current level displayed and historical numbers on the detector. When it burns "properly" and enough O2 is supplied through the windows and roof vents, there is negligible little CO. Blue flame and brick models have been found to burn oxygen faster than cat heaters, thus requiring more open windows to avoid drop in O2 and resulting increase in CO.

Another good safety gadget is Excess Flow Valve. It will shut the propane line if there is a leak. When I tested mine, it took a few seconds to shut off, but it did shut off.

SteveAE wrote:
Check out this article.

Thanks, Steve, for that link, a must read article.

One more thing about catalytic heaters: they are sensitive to dust. Keep it covered when not in use. New heater costs $260, replacement catalytic pad $120-150. They have vinyl covers on Amazon, but I just made a cover of clear plastic bag that it came in - with duct tape in corners and bungee cord around, to keep it in place. Doesn't look too ugly, I guess. Didn't want their black vinyl cover.


Bold spot on the wheel well is after the dinette bench - I removed one of them. Boy, what a right decision. More space, easy to get in and out of the table, comfortable chair to sit on. Not to mention how many other uses you'll find for a chair in your trailer. Before, I tended to avoid this bench and was sitting on the sofa with plate in my hands. Now I enjoy eating breakfast at the table. Storage space under the bench (now lost) is highly overrated, it was difficult to access. Later on I might install a small chest of drawers on this wheel well, under the table, facing towards the heater.

You should specify your needs. For a (relatively) warm climate of AZ, where you don't need a lot of heat, and only need it from sunset to bedtime and from wake-up to sunrise, I don't think it matters. You only need to raise a temperature by 10-15 degrees, for a few hours. You don't need 77F all the night when you sleep, get a nice warm duvet instead. I wouldn't leave these small heaters on overnight, either.

Thermostat you probably won't find on these. At best, there will be 3-position regulator for heat output, high-medium-low.

I installed catalytic heater Olympian Wave 6 on the wall, and so far happy with it. 6000 BTU is probably overkill in this climate, but smaller 3000 bTU might not be enough on some winter days. Same 3-position switch, radiant heat (no flame). Less propane (a lot less) than blue flame heaters, less oxygen consumed and less CO emitted. They can be used as "portable", with optional legs, if you prefer.

Edit-PS:
I don't like the term "vent-free" used in the article above. It is misleading. Makes you think that you don't need venting. It's better to have a vented heater, but they are rare or bulky. I tried to get a vented catalytic RV heater from the only company that makes them, but they were having some production problems. So I opted for non-vented heater. You do need to leave your windows or roof vents open a crack, with any heater from 3000 BTU and up. They all consume oxygen and emit CO2 and CO (and water vapor of course). Blue flame are worse than catalytic, in this respect.

Both work well and after the first hour there is little difference in performance. The brick heaters radiate heat to the solid surfaces directly in front of the heater. The blue flame heaters use convection to heat the air, which depending on location, volume and airflow may distribute the heat over a larger area faster. The biggest difference is when you first turn on the heater, the brick heater warms those right in front of it quickly, where the blue flame heats the surrounding air. A side effect is that the front surface of the brick heater gets much hotter, which can be a safety factor for those with pets.
Other than your personal preference for where you want the initial heat concentrated, there is little difference in overall performance, assuming the same BTU ratings.

Check out this article.

We like the brick heaters. I think it radiates heat better than the flame heaters.