Heating options without battery drain?

[Airecraft]

Anyone have any suggestions for heating that doesn't use the battery. We have Eberspacher which uses ~2Amps for the fan, meaning the battery will last 2 nights at most. We've looked at catalytic LPG heaters to run off the propane tanks but they all seem to use non-refillable cartridges, making them expensive.
Does anyone know of a catalytic freestanding heater which can be attached to a refillable propane bottle or any other option that doesn't require a flue or electrical input.
Cheers
Andy

 

[AndyC]

I miss the Truma S5002 that we had in our old motorhome, you could run it as a straight convector using no electric power at all, or use either or both of the twin fans for a good blast of hot air.

Not an easy retro-fit though, you need a big enough space to put it, and it does need a flue.

AndyC

 

[Nicholson]

Anyone have any suggestions for heating that doesn't use the battery. We have Eberspacher which uses ~2Amps for the fan, meaning the battery will last 2 nights at most. We've looked at catalytic LPG heaters to run off the propane tanks but they all seem to use non-refillable cartridges, making them expensive.
Does anyone know of a catalytic freestanding heater which can be attached to a refillable propane bottle or any other option that doesn't require a flue or electrical input.
Cheers
Andy

That depends on how much room you have

 

[robjmckinney]

catalytic LPG heaters

Got mine off ebay, can be mounted or free standing, aound £90 brand new slightly dented, full price £160. Runs off calor through a regulator so any bottle will do, about 12 x9 x4 inches. Had a large one in the past felt they were great, connecting this up one in the house to see how good the heat output is this winter as I had it fitted in van but yet to use it.

So the answer is yes they do have excellant little catalytic LPG heaters connecting to a regulator, so any bottle size ideal for vans and does not use electricity!

 

[Bernard Jones]

We have Eberspacher which uses ~2Amps for the fan,
Andy

plus the diesel pump, and the glowplug to light the diesel every time it fires up? Just wondered what it uses overall?

 

[vwalan]

i use a thermex catalytic heater uses propane .also have gas lights gives a bit of heat as well. the thermex as a cut out if carbon monoxide levals get high. bought mine out the paper 50quid still in box .had an old one before that worked fine for years but gradually the catalytic mat fell apart .it was 20yr old. cheers alan.

 

[Airecraft]

I miss the Truma S5002 that we had in our old motorhome, you could run it as a straight convector using no electric power at all, or use either or both of the twin fans for a good blast of hot air.

AndyC

We had the same in the last van. I can see why new vans install blown air to save space but the battery consumption is a PITA.

So the answer is yes they do have excellant little catalytic LPG heaters connecting to a regulator, so any bottle size ideal for vans and does not use electricity!

Cheers for that - sounds like what we're looking for. Do you know the make or model?

plus the diesel pump, and the glowplug to light the diesel every time it fires up? Just wondered what it uses overall?

Yes, 2A is the running consumption, it draws up to 10A on startup for 5 minutes or so.

 

[Airecraft]

i use a thermex catalytic heater uses propane .also have gas lights gives a bit of heat as well. the thermex as a cut out if carbon monoxide levals get high. bought mine out the paper 50quid still in box .had an old one before that worked fine for years but gradually the catalytic mat fell apart .it was 20yr old. cheers alan.

Thanks Alan. I understood catalytic heaters don't produce CO, the only risks being CO2 and O2 depletion which cause breathlessness, not unconciousness. If there is a risk of CO build up then I won't be using one - anyone know definitively if CO is a hazard with cats?

 

[vwalan]

i may have got it wrong .i do know they are safe to use and if something happens they switch off. will try and investigate.

 

[Bernard Jones]

Yes, 2A is the running consumption, it draws up to 10A on startup for 5 minutes or so.

Thanks for the reply. Thats a lot of electricity when it is starting up about every half hour!

Incidentally there was an eberspacher fitted in the lorry I used to drive. When the outside temperature fell to about -2C the eberspacher would not work because the diesel was too thick to pump through its narrow supply pipe - although the lorry engine kept going. I had to have a separate fuel can and run the eberspacher on paraffin.

 

[AndyC]

Thanks Alan. I understood catalytic heaters don't produce CO, the only risks being CO2 and O2 depletion which cause breathlessness, not unconciousness. If there is a risk of CO build up then I won't be using one - anyone know definitively if CO is a hazard with cats?

There should be no CO produced if it's in good condition. On modern ones there should be an oxygen depletion sensor which cuts off the gas if the O2 concentration gets too low.

The big problem with catalytic heaters is the water vapour, which can cause condensation problems. I wouldn't have one if I could possibly avoid it.

AndyC

 

[Deleted member 3011]

Thanks Alan. I understood catalytic heaters don't produce CO, the only risks being CO2 and O2 depletion which cause breathlessness, not unconciousness. If there is a risk of CO build up then I won't be using one - anyone know definitively if CO is a hazard with cats?

Regardless of which method of heating used, if you have gas connected, essential safety equipment for any mobile home - or any home at all for that matter - is an LPG alarm mounted close to the floor, and a CO and a smoke alarm mounted on the ceiling.

BTW enough CO2 or not enough O2 will cause death. There are (supposedly) cases of people dying in tents because they used a heater. Many motorhomes in Europe and other cold climates are built with almost no natural ventilation so oxygen depletion is a real possibility. Any catalytic heater should therefore be fitted with a cutout to prevent operation once the oxygen level drops.

 

[Airecraft]

There should be no CO produced if it's in good condition. On modern ones there should be an oxygen depletion sensor which cuts off the gas if the O2 concentration gets too low.

The big problem with catalytic heaters is the water vapour, which can cause condensation problems. I wouldn't have one if I could possibly avoid it.

AndyC

Thanks Andy. I know they're not ideal but as we are planning a couple of weeks in the Alps in December and don't want to be tied to sites. I can't see any alternative apart from running the genny every night - not always a popular choice.

 

[AndyC]

I don't think a catalytic heater is a good choice for alpine conditions, you do get a lot of water produced (nearly 2 litres of water from every kg of propane I think) and you'll need plenty of ventilation to prevent excessive condensation.

I would try to use the Eberspacher as much as possible, check out what others do at the locations you are planning to visit, it may be that running a quiet generator for a few hours every day is accepted, if there's no alternative.

AndyC