Heating trailer with Kerosene lamp + vent pipe?

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Heating trailer with Kerosene lamp + vent pipe?

Postby jimqpublic » Tue Nov 30, 2010 6:47 pm

Recent discussions have brought up the need for a low-BTU heat source that doesn't use a bunch of electricity, is cheap, and most importantly safe.

Here's my idea for heating a small trailer. Take a Dietz kerosene lantern such as the Little Wizard or Jupiter

Build a base to hold it in place, remove the top cap, and then run a small diameter stovepipe from the top right up through the trailer roof.

These lanterns use the "Cold Blast" system of air induction described HERE. It seems that with the stove pipe adding more draft that virtually all the products of combustion would go up the chimmney, even though the lamp isn't a sealed burner.

To be safe I would provide a source of combustion air, a bit of high-point venting, and a carbon monoxide monitor/alarm in the trailer. Obviously the prudent thing would be to test the system while monitoring the CO levels to be sure it's safe. (Kidde Nighthawk Digital)

The Little Wizard generates 1100 BTU/hr, the Jupiter 1400. If you got half that into the trailer it would be a handy bit of heat. To keep it from being too bright you could use a colored glass globe.

I'm thinking of rigging a test chamber in a cardboard box to see if the idea would actually work. I have need for a kerosene lamp and a CO monitor anyhow.
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Postby ERV » Tue Nov 30, 2010 7:32 pm

Jim
I have a lot of lanterns I play with all the time. I think most of your heat is going to be going out the pipe. I have had as many as 10 going in the garage seeing if they would heat it up any. Could not tell the difference. But it was very cold out. Maybe if you could size the pipe right? But I would think the pipe would take out what ever heat you had in the tear too.
Now when I got out 3 of my Coleman stoves..... ;)
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Postby Ageless » Tue Nov 30, 2010 8:19 pm

They used to make a 'Healilator' for wood stoves; basically a baffled box with a fan tha fit into the stovepipe/ I had one years ago on my Franklin fireplace and it would put out quite a bit of heat. I imagine a person could make something similar, using a computer fan.

I like the idea. Have used the Coleman lantern for heat myself on occasion.
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Postby ERV » Tue Nov 30, 2010 8:58 pm

The Coleman lanterns put out a lot of heat. But he is talking about a kerosene lantern. Which would be quieter than a Coleman. This would be a nice thing to figure out if it is doable. I have about 110 heaters then. 8)
I just don't think you could over come the chimney taking most of the heat. Still going to look into it, and follow this thread. A lot of folks on here with creative minds. :thumbsup:
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Postby Ageless » Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:23 pm

They still make them


Image


This could be fab'd quite easy as it doesn't allow fumes to enter; a pretty safe method
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Postby starleen2 » Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:29 pm

Ageless wrote:They still make them


Image


This could be fab'd quite easy as it doesn't allow fumes to enter; a pretty safe method

with that method you could place the heat source and unit outside and blow the heat in through a tube - the drawback is that you don't get the light :thinking:
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Postby Ageless » Tue Nov 30, 2010 9:43 pm

No; this installs in the stovepipe. The unit could still be inside so you would get the light.
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Postby jimqpublic » Tue Nov 30, 2010 11:02 pm

What got me thinking was reading on the Lanternnet site about some of the models being designed as greenhouse heaters. Of course you're right that a lot of the heat goes up the pipe. How about a S-shaped stove pipe? Seems it might radiate more heat being longer and somewhat more restrictive.

Between college and joining the "real world" I lived in an eighteen foot 1970 Prowler trailer. It had a built-in one mantle propane lamp which put out a lot of heat. Generally not too safe to use as heat in an enclosed space due to the CO output- but with jalousie windows the trailer was impossible to seal it very tight.
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Postby Ageless » Tue Nov 30, 2010 11:19 pm

Cowboy;
The picture is just a reference. I think one could be built much smaller. Seems that the top of the lantern might be about the size of downspout tube, so scale it down to fit. A small 12V computer fan would be used.

Thinking that copper sheet could be used as it conducts heat well
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Postby alffink » Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:16 am

Hey guys, remember the point of Jims question.....
He is trying to have a limited source of heat for a Chalet, the "A" frame style pop-up, not a teardrop, that's a whole lot more cubic feet of area to heat.....

now if your willing to run pipe for this, how about the Potbelly stove one of the guys uses, darn, can't remember who has it, itis actually a sales-miniture, just a scaled down replica but appears to be a great solution for him. Sits in a window box, with the chimney never coming directly into the trailer.

:thinking:
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Postby absolutsnwbrdr » Wed Dec 01, 2010 9:30 am

alffink wrote:now if your willing to run pipe for this, how about the Potbelly stove one of the guys uses, darn, can't remember who has it, itis actually a sales-miniture, just a scaled down replica but appears to be a great solution for him. Sits in a window box, with the chimney never coming directly into the trailer.


Thats BobHenry's... love the idea!!

http://tnttt.com/viewto ... 039#735039
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Postby jimqpublic » Wed Dec 01, 2010 10:51 am

Actually the idea was more for a future large TD, not the Chalet. Our furnace works just fine but the infrastructure of a big, noisy furnace and deep cycle battery is more weight, space, and expense than I want to put into a TD.

That in mind, I've realized that if mounted on a shelf over the foot area of a TD it wouldn't have much of a stovepipe. More like a roof jack and a very short piece of pipe to direct the gasses out. The lanterns I listed are 12" and 15".

I suppose a similar chimney arrangement could be used with a propane lantern, which would provide a lot more radiant heat, but also way too much light.
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Postby alffink » Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:12 am

Now inthat case Jim

Are we boondocking or in campsite with utilities?

I just question the effectivness of the lantern versus the hoops you'll go thru to make sure it's safe.

Karen and I, use only a 12V matress pad, with a deep cycle battery, have lights, DVD player, auto type Radio-CD player and have been out for 4-5 days without a recharge and still had battery when we got home.

Now we only use the pad to pre-heat the bed, way too warm to leave on all night and we only use it if the weather is below freezing.

Just the way I do it....I actually like the way your thinking about the lantern, but is it worth the trouble and possible danger?
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Postby alffink » Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:20 am

Now I should say, that I'll probasbly use the matress pad this weekend in the desert, I'll be in Landers for a Star-Party Saturday, expecting the nights tobe in the low 30's high 20's and I will be sleeping alone, Karen isn't much for the astronomy side of my hobbies....this makes for a big difference.

But, I will be toasty with the 12V pad, even if alone
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Re: Heating trailer with Kerosene lamp + vent pipe?

Postby Ratkity » Wed Dec 01, 2010 11:49 am

jimqpublic wrote:Recent discussions have brought up the need for a low-BTU heat source that doesn't use a bunch of electricity, is cheap, and most importantly safe.

Here's my idea for heating a small trailer. Take a Dietz kerosene lantern such as the Little Wizard or Jupiter

Build a base to hold it in place, remove the top cap, and then run a small diameter stovepipe from the top right up through the trailer roof.

These lanterns use the "Cold Blast" system of air induction described HERE. It seems that with the stove pipe adding more draft that virtually all the products of combustion would go up the chimmney, even though the lamp isn't a sealed burner.

To be safe I would provide a source of combustion air, a bit of high-point venting, and a carbon monoxide monitor/alarm in the trailer. Obviously the prudent thing would be to test the system while monitoring the CO levels to be sure it's safe. (Kidde Nighthawk Digital)

The Little Wizard generates 1100 BTU/hr, the Jupiter 1400. If you got half that into the trailer it would be a handy bit of heat. To keep it from being too bright you could use a colored glass globe.

I'm thinking of rigging a test chamber in a cardboard box to see if the idea would actually work. I have need for a kerosene lamp and a CO monitor anyhow.


Curses! Another lantern type thing I want!! *grumbles something about being exposed to too many crazy collectors*

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