AnEv942 wrote:
HMS Beagle wrote:
...I would agree the CO is higher, though not much, much higher if the stove burner is working properly. The efficiency is about the same: no more heat is produced by catalytic combustion than open flame combustion.
Sorry but I am really confused, possibly you know something that I dont or my assumptions are just wrong about my Wave or ony other catalytic heater, unless were are talking different things here. If you were describing my Mr Heater Buddy heater I might concur to a degree. Though it does burn cleaner than our stove, I dont want to be in a small place long with it. But your stating that the efficiency of a catalytic heater is no better than the burner on my stove?
...same amount of propane for a given number of BTUs (heat)?
...same amount of unburned fuel and by-products etc. "fumes" released into air?
Curious
Mark
The BTUs released by burning propane doesn't matter how you do it - open flame or catalytic will be about the same. Open flame is at higher temperature and the combustion is slightly less complete, leading to a slightly higher percentage of less desirable byproducts (like CO and unburned propane), and slightly less heat. But the difference is small. In either case all of the BTUs start out in the camper and most leave either through the walls or out the vents.
You may prefer the catalytic heat because it is lower temperature, spread over the whole surface, and some is radiated by the hot element in the desired direction. But the amount of heat is the same. Most RV burners are around 4000 to 6000 BTUs, same as the Wave.
I'm not recommending the use of a stove burner to heat your RV, just disputing that any unvented gas heater is more efficient than another. The Wave
will be more efficient than the forced air furnace which is probably only 60 or 70% efficient, with waste heat going out its exhaust that never makes it into the camper.
