Heating when the power is off.

[Mortblanc]

I vote that we go out and sit in the caravan, turn on the gas heat, and sit and play cards until the power comes back on!

All of the ideas we are throwing out are for the totally unprepared and none of us have these things as first line bits of our thought process.

My first line emergency heat is a Buddy Heater hooked to a 20# propane tank. I can run that for a week. With a propane light on top of the distribution tree I have 150 watts of light and 1500 watts of heat.

If the power cut is permeant the wood stove comes off the back porch and into the front room.

Also remember that rolling power cuts are not an accident, they are planned to conserve power for industrial use so they will be at the most critical use points of the day. 5-10 in the evening and 6-12 in the morning.

If you work, chances are the power will only be on when you are not at home.

I know that in South Africa they often cut power on a rolling schedule that is announced. It is the same in many countries but often the people are too absorbed with other things to figure out there is a schedule. They never plan anything and simply scream frantically when the juice is cut.

[Joe]

The issue with the mobile type gas heaters is the exhaust, how are you going to get around that ? I’ve used these is the past and they are not great.

[bigpaul]

crack open a window, thats standard practise with any gas heater.

[Pete Grey]

(5 November 2022, 15:40)bigpaul Wrote: crack open a window, thats standard practise with any gas heater.

Yes BP ventilation is essential with any form of combustion, especially a temporary or mobile device.

When we fitted our stove/wood burner we were told to fit an airbrick on the outside wall, we’ve also got smoke detectors and a carbon monoxide monitor, both ESSENTIAL.

Part of our plans for emergency cooking is a calor gas two burner picnic stove, with a propane cylinder outside and the hose through the cracked open window.

[bigpaul]

yeah we had a gas fire in our old flat, we blocked up the vent in the opposite outside wall because it caused a howling draught on the backs of our necks, we started feeling drowsy and sick, we soon unblocked the vent, better to have a howling draught than that!!!

[Mortblanc]

As said, ventilation is the sensible, universal answer.

My Buddy Heaters all have O2 sensors that shut them off if they overload. That technology has been standard for 50 years now.

Your house is probably not as "air tight" as you suppose. Just a slightly cracked window is enough. Many is the time I went through a house the family just moved into and had to seal up the light switches and plug panels with plastic because a virtual wind was whistling in!

Today I do not need heat but I am sitting and watching the drapes over the doors and windows move with the air currents imposed by a steady 50mph south wind. My doors are covered by plastic, canvas and wool blankets and I can assure you there is plenty of oxygen available if I decided to light a heater.

Pete, do you have a filter in that gas hose? Rubber leaches into the line and stops up the burner jets if not.

[Pete Grey]

(5 November 2022, 21:29)Mortblanc Wrote: ..........Pete, do you have a filter in that gas hose? Rubber leaches into the line and stops up the burner jets if not.

No MB, no filter but the hose is brand new.

[Mortblanc]

I have discovered the difficult way that it only takes a few hours use without a filter to clog a heater.

They will light and burn for a few minutes, then fade out about the time you fall asleep.

Once clogged they have to be torn apart to remove the mess.

[Pete Grey]

The gas hose in the camper is coming up to twenty years old and we’ve never had any problem with the fridge, stove or water heater, thankfully.

After your warning I will make sure it’s changed. I need to book a service and MOT for next week anyway, so i’ll get the gas system checked,r thanks MB.

[Mortblanc]

Those 20 year old hoses might be better than the new ones we are sourcing now.

That also reminds me that I have some hoses in my caravan that are at least 15 years old and need replacing. They are copper tube with rubber lines in spots for easy connections.

At any rate, I am sure the hoses from a solid caravan/motorhome or gas supply center would be good quality and much better than the ones I have purchased from sporting goods store camping sections.