Heating your van

[Graham]

Hi everybody

We haven't got heating in our Dimension and now the summer months are drawing to a close we are wondering about buying some form of heater. We have an electric heater which we use when we have electric hook up but we wondered if there was any form of SAFE gas heating, we have looked at some but aren't sure how safe they are in the confined space of the van.

Has anybody else got any experience of these?

Regards

Graham

[Derek]

Hi Graham

Dont start me on gas safety, you may wish you never asked

I avoid using gas appliances in an enclosed space where possible as they can give me a thick 'ead. I have poked round the WWW to try and find out why and It seems that it depends what you mean by safe. I found the following learned doc regarding catalytic heaters and havn't a clue about most of what they are on about but I do understand the conclusion which I have clipped. I have also clipped the pic of the heater that they tested.

www.cpsc.gov/library/foia/foia05/os/CO03.pdf


CONCLUSIONS
CPSC staff tested a catalytic heater as part of a project to document the CO emissions from
currently available camp heaters in order to determine if the heaters complied with the combustion
requirements in the voluntary standard Portable Type Gas Camp Heaters (ANSI Z21.63-2000). Although
the catalytic heater is not within the scope of ANSI Z21.63, it was included as part of the project since the
catalytic heater was being marketed for use inside tents and other indoor areas. The voluntary standard
applicable for catalytic camp heaters is ANSI Z21.62, but the standard was withdrawn in 1992. A new
standard is currently being written for catalytic camp heaters.

The follow ing is a summary of CPSC staff’s findings on the testing of the catalytic heater:
· The peak CO concentration ranged from 68 ppm to 125 ppm and the steady state CO
concentration ranged from 67 ppm to 109 ppm. Assuming a limited exposure time of up to 6.5
hours at these CO concentrations, the catalytic heater does not appear to pose a serious CO hazard
to healthy adults when the CO concentration is considered by itself.
· When the catalytic heater was operated in a closed room (ACH ~ 0), the oxygen was depleted
from an ambient concentration of 20.9 percent to 8.8 percent. Because the catalytic heater can
deplete the O2 concentration to such low levels, the heater poses a serious risk of hypoxia. The
degree of hypoxia is further exacerbated by the moderate CO concentration and by an increase in
the carbon dioxide concentration that accompanied the depletion of oxygen.
· As the oxygen decreased in the chamber, the catalytic heater became less effective at converting
the propane and oxygen to carbon dioxide and water vapor. This was reflected by an increase in
the hydrocarbon concentration in the chamber, which ranged from 1,050 ppm to 13,440 ppm (5 to
64 percent of the lower explosion limit of propane in air). The unreacted propane further
increases the degree of hypoxia.

That is not my definition of safe! The open flame heaters are even worse.

I can also go on and on abt sooty stoves, I told you that you may wish you never asked

Derek

[Graham]

Oo eck! As you say it doesn't sound very safe does it, it sounds like we will have to take extra pullovers and hot water bottles or make sure we are on electric hook up.

As regards sooty stoves, is that where he cooks Sue and Sweep's dinner.

[wendy]

If you make sure that you have plenty of ventilation and don't leave it on overnight, I would have thought that it might be OK.

From a not very techie and possibly naive woman.

PS We have a diesel-fired heater (vented to the outside), so this thread is really nothing to do with me!

[Derek]

wendy said:

If you make sure that you have plenty of ventilation and don't leave it on overnight, I would have thought that it might be OK.

Right in one, plenty of ventilation and well supervised, I think the main risk is setting fire to your trousers
I am probably being overcautious but I still don't like portable gas heaters in a confined space.

Derek

[Audrey]

We too have diesel heating in our Dimension, we can't offer any help or advice, sorry.

Audrey

[moya]

Hi all,

I'm with Derek on this one. Gas really worries me almost to the point of being paranoid. Even when I have finished cooking I make OH turn it off in the locker.

We camped a lot all winter but always made sure we had EHU and use a small fan heater with a thermostat on so it cuts on and off all night. I like to be cosy.

[wendy]

I like to be cosy at night but we don't have any heating on at night in the van. We don't have the heating on at home when we are in bed, so why when we are camping? Our down sleeping bags keep us really snug.

[Graham]

Thanks everyone for your advice on heating.

Derek - you seem to be a mine of information about everything from TV aerials to Gas Heating, maybe we should have a special page on the Web Site "Ask Derek". Seriously though many thanks for your help.

I think I have come to the conclusion that I don't really trust anything gas and I agree with Moya that you have to be really careful where gas is concerned, I think we will stick to EHU when the weather gets cold, but like Wendy we wouldn't use it at night we generally seem to be quite warm under our duvets and if Pauline's cold feet become a problem I will get her a hot water bottle. ;D

We bought our Dimension second hand when it was 6 months old, I think if we had bought it new we would have definitely opted for the diesel heating the same as Audrey had done.

[Derek]

graham said:

Derek - you seem to be a mine of information about everything from TV aerials to Gas Heating, maybe we should have a special page on the Web Site "Ask Derek".

Opinionated old gits page would be better Perhaps I was winding you up a little! I do have strong opinions about safety when using bottle gas though.

[yamaha]

I'm with Derek on this one - with an added comment - condensation!!

I'm sure most people have used the "Super Ser" type portable gas heater at home.

Anyone noticed the amazing amount of condensation they produce. This is in a lounge / conservatory - type environment, so I hate to think what it would be like in our little vans.

That said - if we arrived back late and cold, I wouldn't be adverse to lighting a ring on the stove - for a couple of minutes only!!!

Mike

[moya]

graham said:

Thanks everyone for your advice on heating.

I think we will stick to EHU when the weather gets cold, but like Wendy we wouldn't use it at night we generally seem to be quite warm under our duvets and if Pauline's cold feet become a problem I will get her a hot water bottle. ;D

I'm a big softie - can't stand being cold.
I do mean though when we had temperatures of -2 C that we had it on at night. It did seem to cut down on condensation as well. I must admit I wouldn't be hardy enough to stand being in a tent in cold weather. I would most probaly burn it down trying to keep warm.

[Pauline]

yamaha said:

.

That said - if we arrived back late and cold, I wouldn't be adverse to lighting a ring on the stove - for a couple of minutes only!!!

Mike

I've heard of people who have ovens in their van lighting them for extra heat. I would consider that a waste of gas - not very logical I know because a heater would only use gas anyway!

Last winter, when we were unsure how warm we would be, I took all the ingredients to bake a cake so that if we did have to put the oven on at least it would be worthwhile!!

Thankfully we were warm enough, but disappointed not to have cake!

[moya]

Last winter, when we were unsure how warm we would be, I took all the ingredients to bake a cake so that if we did have to put the oven on at least it would be worthwhile!!

Thankfully we were warm enough, but disappointed not to have cake! [/quote]

Bake a cake? My OH would think he'd gone to heaven if I got round to doing that at home Pauline let alone when we were in the van!

I'll stick with the heater and I'm not going to let him know about this post or might he get ideas.

[Pauline]

moya said:

I'm not going to let him know about this post or might he get ideas.

So do you think I should stop the breakfast in bed?

[viv]

Hi there

We are just back from Guy Fawkes night in West Midlands. We had to camp without hook up and it was freezing. We used the diesel heating and it was very efficient and kept us comfortably warm. In fact it had gone off on thermostat by the mornig and the van was perfectly warm enough. I would have no fear of camping in winter now for the odd weekend.

Viv

[jana]

A hot water bottle is another simple tip for keeping warm. Cheap too.

[jack]

Dont laugh - but this works
Heat up a lump of rock on your gas hob until it is very hot (it heats up surprisingly quickly). Carefully lift it off with tongs into a saucepan and set the pan on the floor. It will throw out a nice heat for half an hour or more.

[Pauline]

That sounds a good idea especially if you were really stuck for some heating in a sudden cold snap.

(Must remember not to use Blackpool rock though )

[lunnie]

You also could try using your Cobb bbq after you have u have used it for your meal, it throws off heat for quite a while

[viv]

What clever ideas here and I had not thought of a hot water bottle Jana, clean, efficient, easy and quick and small to store. I can see me sitting on my chair in the snow wrapped up in my quilt and hugging a lovely hot water bottle.
Viv

[jana]

Nothing better Viv especially when cuddling up to a loved one too.

Last year we went off all winter due to the van being warmer than the house as we suffered central heating breakdown leading to us going away to shower etc. We now have working (fingers crossed) central heating. We went anywhere that had a good shower block.