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Old 12-13-2017, 11:51 AM   #1
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Catalytic Heater Mod (Olympian Wave 8)

Anybody add/supplement their furnace with an Olympian Catalytic Heater?

My understanding is that I can T-off from the gas line at the stove;

Connecting to a wave 8 should heat the RearLiving/Kitchen area well, but I'm thinking I'd need another wave (possibly just the 3) to heat the bedroom/bathroom & mid-bunk (not necessarily at the same time)

Note: we Boondock 24/7/365, so this modification allows zero power consumption and uses half? the amount of propane to heat unit, and should heat unit more effectively;

our furnace heats bedroom, bathroom & mid-bunk decently, but NOT RearLiving/Kitchen (which I believe is par for the course)

- does anyone here have a 40' Fifth Wheel wherefore the furnace adequately heats the RearLiving/Kitchen area in 40deg evenings/30deg mornings?

All feedback appreciated

2016 FR Sandpiper 371REBH
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Old 12-13-2017, 11:55 AM   #2
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I have a small 'Big Buddy' I use to take the chill off after a morning shower. Just a 21' TT not a 40' 5ver.

Please tell me you plan to open two windows when you use the propane heater.
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Old 12-13-2017, 12:02 PM   #3
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Dear CruzBill, we plan to open two windows when we use the propane heater(s)
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Old 12-13-2017, 12:45 PM   #4
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Not sure about your RV, but sometime the propane heater in your RV is positioned in a spot so to heat water lines and tanks when it is running. You should look into this. Nothing worse than frozen pipes. On my last rv when the heater was running it would blow hot air into the basement to heat the tanks.
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Old 12-13-2017, 01:31 PM   #5
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heater

I use a Big Buddy for my 38' with the window open a 1/2 " , works very good .
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Old 12-13-2017, 02:37 PM   #6
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On our trailer the water heater is next to the kitchen sink and there is a propane line under the counter. This is an island with doors on both sides (kitchen & living room). I cut that line & installed a T there. I also added a ball valve and then my rubber hose. I have a quick disconnect on that hose and the male fitting on our Mr Heater blue flame heater. We just uncoil the hose out the cabinet door but could have drilled an opening for it in the baseboard. The QD shuts off the gas when unhooked & the ball valve is just for good measure. When traveling we put the heater in the bathroom & the hose back in the cabinet. Also for what it's worth we run a 12v Endless Breeze box fan on the counter (1.3a draw) and circulate the heat for the trailer evenly. I only use the furnace if it's going to down in the teens and I want protection for the tanks. Good luck.
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Old 12-13-2017, 02:50 PM   #7
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Best way to know you are not poisoning yourself with Carbon Monoxide is to leave a burning cigar near the heater. Once there's enough venting to remove the cigar smell there's enough venting to remove all the CO......at that point you'll be wonder what's the purpose.



We have these CO detectors at home and in the RV. Expensive but only one I could find that reads the daily safe limit (20-40ppm) which regular household CO detectors can't do.

Kidde KN-COU-B Ultra-Sensitive Battery Powered Carbon Monoxide alarm

PS... don't used a quick disconnect fitting inside a trailer for propane.
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Old 12-13-2017, 02:54 PM   #8
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Sandpiper, thank you! Backroads, Once I lit the cigar, the wife would remove me........
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Old 12-13-2017, 02:54 PM   #9
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I guess the question is ,,is the Big Buddy more efficient than the installed propane furnace. Dose the Big Buddy produce more heat per gallon of propane than the fixed hot air furnace. I agree with the comment about keeping the ' water pipes warm' oh and the water storage tanks. I'm a full timer in a 37 footer, my burn rate is about 3 gallons per day. Temp inside is 69 to 71 F. Temp outside +35 down to + 25 sometimes in the teen's avg. Guess I could reduce consumption if I throttle back on the thermostat setting.
How much can you squeez a gallon of propane.

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Old 12-13-2017, 02:59 PM   #10
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Maybe an HVAC guy will chime in here, but I doubt that a catalytic heater is more efficient than a vented heater, especially when you factor in the open windows. A sweater is efficient.
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Old 12-13-2017, 03:02 PM   #11
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My question is a little more specific/different because my furnace can not (does not) heat the RearLiving/Kitchen area (note: I honestly don't think it is supposed to) - so a main purpose would be to actually heat that RearLiving/Kitchen

Note2: with regards freezing pipes, I'm only talking about being in evening40s & morning high30s - for my purposes there is no intention to be in below freezing temps, nor have the Buddy/Olympian assist in any manner for such weather
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Old 12-13-2017, 03:46 PM   #12
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Sandpiper, your additional information helps , do you think it's a heaer balance problem. Did you try cutting back on the 'front' supply and giving more prefrence to the 'rear' area.

CLIFFORD
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Old 12-13-2017, 04:05 PM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sandpiper371 View Post
My question is a little more specific/different because my furnace can not (does not) heat the RearLiving/Kitchen area (note: I honestly don't think it is supposed to) - so a main purpose would be to actually heat that RearLiving/Kitchen

Note2: with regards freezing pipes, I'm only talking about being in evening40s & morning high30s - for my purposes there is no intention to be in below freezing temps, nor have the Buddy/Olympian assist in any manner for such weather
Burning propane produced the same BTU....what change is the efficiency of the heat (lower) exchange or not in the case of catalytic (higher) heaters but one has significantly more health issues associated with it.

Furnace should heat the whole trailer. Look into the ducting first. We replaced all the flex ducting with galv. steel.

One of our register use to blast warm air back into the return air inlet. We closed it off and redirected it to the back of the trailer.
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Old 12-13-2017, 04:14 PM   #14
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clifford j View Post
Sandpiper, your additional information helps , do you think it's a heaer balance problem. Did you try cutting back on the 'front' supply and giving more prefrence to the 'rear' area.

CLIFFORD
Is there a way to test this (heat balance) besides covering all vents except the ONE RearLiving/Kit vent; and then just 'eyeballing/feeling' if get more hot air ?

ps: All feedbacks in this thread appreciated
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