Quote:
Originally Posted by hot rod
Bob, you were here way before me and contributed a lot on a variety of things. I just have that on area I know something about, but thanks.
In my experience the infrared heaters do give off a small amount of odor, but you have to remember those portable jobs are designed for temporary heating situations, not a permanent installation. Any you should have a little bit of airflow (like cracking a window open) to make sure they have plenty of combustion air, and will minimize any odor. The catalytic style heaters have no noticeable odor, but are a bit more expensive. The best unit of course is a full on rv furnace, but they are more expensive and more complicated to install. And require electricity to operate. So it is all a trade off, how much to spend, how much work to put it in, and do you need power free operation.
akat- you should consider an adapter hose to run your heater from a 20# cylinder. you are paying $2.50 per pound for those throwaway tanks, and if you figure $15 to fill a 20# tank that is $.75 per pound. So you would spend $50 for the same propane that costs $15 in a 20# tank. You can pay for the hose and a tank in about 2 fills, less if you can come up with good deal on a used tank. My buddy uses that same heater in his race trailer and is quite happy. He puts the tank outside and runs the hose in through a cable hatch when he is using it.
Also that frosting of the tank is because the heater is using the propane faster than the small tank can produce vapor propane from the liquid inside. Eventually the pressure will drop to where the heater performance will drop, and you will also notice more odor when that happens, and you won't get all the gas out of the tank unless you shut the heater down and wait for the tank to warm back up and repressurize. The larger tank will cure that as well.
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Everything you said is true. But this was a temporary fix while I decide what to do. Kind of what Congress and the President are going to do about spending. A temporary fix and let the next guy fix it, lol.
But on a more serious note, yes the 20 or even 30 lb'ers are much cheaper after the initial cost of buying tanks. That is true. But then I have to find a place for those tanks, and right now, there isnt one. Building a box under the truck and attaching to the crossmembers wouldnt be hard at all. And there is the issue of the hoses. I have no real experience with running copper or metal lines. Running a flexible metal line wouldnt be a problem, but I am not sure if they make them for LP and if they are acceptable.
Initially I was thinking propane for some sort of heating, as well as a cooktop. Now, with finding an induction coil cooktop, I dont need propane for cooking, it seems a waste to go though all the effort to install tanks for a heating system. I have electric heaters that work great. And it's very rare when my truck wont be near power. The only place I can think where that might happen is if I dont come home to Atlanta after the show, and instead head out to see Slab City. And if I do that, also a temporary situation (I dont see myself living there) I can always pick up a Coleman portable cooktop.