Pellet burning stove

[Cumminsfan]

Originally Posted by twinboat

I bought a house with a pellet stove and 2 tons of pellets.

Sold it all on Craig's list and spent a week cleaning the soot out of the house. Even the inside of the fridge was black.

Well it sounds like whoever did the install did it wrong and the pellet stove was probably in need of maintenance. We've had a pellet stove for close to 15 years. 2 different stoves actually. If the gaskets are needing to be replaced then you will get some smoke smell in the house. We currently have a nice Harmon pellet stove and it's virtually smell free. I can't smell any smoke what so ever.
I will add that some stoves are POS and are pretty much junk when brand new. Just like RV's you get what you pay for.

[chrispaula]

Originally Posted by Kurtsara

So you are living in a camper in a cold area?

Why not use electric heaters?

That's what we're doing too to keep gas costs down.

[nothermark]

If the electric is cost competitive it's your best bet.

FWIW I would not mess with a catalytic in an RV. I don't like breathing the the combustion byproducts. YMMV.

[weredoingit]

Originally Posted by tcg

I see the Kozy one has an oxygen depletion sensor. Isn't that one of the big problems with these types of non vented heaters especially in a small tight place like an RV?

It would seem to be?? But How does the Mr. buddy propane heater work? We've used ours in the 5th wheel for hours with no problems? I'm with you, it sounds risky? But I don't know how they can say it's safe for an RV if it's not?

[C.Martin]

We have noticed that RV’rs parked for the season in cold climates have used an extend-a-stay setup with a very large propane tank delivered by the local propane company. I’ve not compared...but it would seem the cost per gallon of LP would be better...and it saves the hassle of going out in the freezing cold every few days to fill 5gal tanks at the service station.

And using ceramic heaters does help considerably to reduce propane consumption.

Our propane furnace in our fifth wheel felt good when it was working...but if the wind picked up, sometimes the furnace would fault due to wind up the burner exhaust. We would wake up in the middle of the night feeling VERY cold. That prompted us to get two little ceramic heaters...and keep them going on the low setting all the time. I liked not running down the the U-Haul store to fill the propane every time I turned around too.

[twinboat]

If UN-vented heaters are perfectly safe, why doesn't RVIA allow them ?
( Recreation Vehicle Industry Association )

I'm sure the lower end RV manufactures would love to cut some costs and use less expensive heaters.

[Itinerant1]

For us boondockers I wish the electric fireplace could be swapped out with a vented propane fireplace for taking the chill out like the Mr Heater big buddy.

[tcg]

Originally Posted by weredoingit

It would seem to be?? But How does the Mr. buddy propane heater work? We've used ours in the 5th wheel for hours with no problems? I'm with you, it sounds risky? But I don't know how they can say it's safe for an RV if it's not?

Here is a link to the manual for a Mr. Buddy. Pages 3 and 4 talk about the dangers. It appears as long as there is adequate ventilation to provide enough combustion oxygen it is safe. If there is not then a CO situation could arise. There a few warnings about this.

http://www.mrheater.com/downloads/dl...l_usa_2017.pdf

I wonder what adequate ventilation means? I wonder if just cracking a roof vent would be enough.

When we built our house I had an ultra high efficiency furnace installed. During inspection they had a way to test if the furnace had adequate combustion air. Because our house was built and insulated very tight I was told I had to add an outside vent in the furnace area to provide the extra air.

I guess the safety all depends on how tight your RV is.

That being said, if I had no other options I would probablly use a Mr. Buddy or similar with a window or roof vent cracked.

[Hit_the_Rhod]

Originally Posted by C.Martin

We have noticed that RV’rs parked for the season in cold climates have used an extend-a-stay setup with a very large propane tank delivered by the local propane company. I’ve not compared...but it would seem the cost per gallon of LP would be better...and it saves the hassle of going out in the freezing cold every few days to fill 5gal tanks at the service station. .

C.Martin, We have friends who live in a fifth wheel full time, in California, about 25 miles from the Oregon border. They were paying $3.75/gallon for propane in their 30 lb cylinders. Finally went with an extend a stay last month, just before Christmas, 110 GALLON tank, filled up at the bulk rate of $1.75/gallon! That's a LOT of savings.

On the Pellet Stove sooting up the house. . . something was definitely wrong. We had a pellet stove in WA state, really nice one, a little dust when filling the hopper, but NO SOOT, NO SMELL, just clean dry heat!

Either your stove was junk, or something was screwed up on it, or it was installed wrong.

[weredoingit]

That being said, if I had no other options I would probablly use a Mr. Buddy or similar with a window or roof vent cracked.


That's how we use are's, I bought the 10' hoes adapter and use a 5 gallon propane tank. I crack a roof vent. But I'm not comfortable having it on when were asleep. But my wife can smell things I can't and she says she can't smell fumes at all, however when the burners on the stove are on she can smell fumes. We use the Mr. Buddy for boondocking so electric heaters are not a real good option. But that 10,000 BTU heater would be great, if it didn't kill us.

[okmunky]

I lrecently replaced my propane detector and CO monitor before installing the vent free propane heater. It has an oxygen sensor that will shut the heater off if the oxygen drops to an unsafe level. My RV is not very tight

Here in the desert the water vapor produced by burning propane is very welcome.

[emuller1]

Originally Posted by chrispaula

That's what we're doing too to keep gas costs down.

Bought an electric fireplace off amazon, installed in the living room and love it, heats at various levels, no mess and looks pretty good.
Us a space heater in the bedroom if need be.

[quartlow]

Originally Posted by Hit_the_Rhod

110 GALLON tank, filled up at the bulk rate of $1.75/gallon! That's a LOT of savings.

That was DIRT CHEAP. I literally got propane here at home
Wed. It was 2.89 a gallon for 327.6 gallons.

The Weld shop that I fill bottles at is only 2.97 gallon.

[clifford j]

Quartlow, I just got Propane 98 gal @ $2.67 eastern Pa.

CLIFFORD