Community Forums

gvjackson · 10-27-2018, 10:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

The main byproduct of burning LPG is water.

To be clear, the humidity buildup due to the water from combustion happens with an unvented unit (Big/Little Buddy), while with our vented forced air units, the water (and CO2) goes out the exhaust port.

twogypsies · 10-27-2018, 10:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gvjackson

To be clear, the humidity buildup due to the water from combustion happens with an unvented unit (Big/Little Buddy), while with our vented forced air units, the water (and CO2) goes out the exhaust port.

… and so does a lot of wasted heat.

Humidity can be controlled. We did it for 16+ years. We never used the furnace.

vsheetz · 10-28-2018, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BruceNeu

Any ideas or recommendations for electric space heaters? Brands, price, and sellers...

Go to Walmart. Likely several there. I have Holmes brand personal heaters. 70w and 150w, or thereabouts. Mechanical as the OP comments. I use a thermocube to automatically turn them on/off.

FL420 · 10-28-2018, 12:39 AM

Just in case anyone wants to test their space heater with a Kill-A-Watt, for power consumption for instance, do not leave it plugged in for very long on the high setting. The back of my Kill-A-Watt got very hot and scorched the face plate of the outlet on the 1500 watt setting. It would probably be okay on the lower 750 watt setting. I don't sleep or even leave the room with it on the high setting setting but will sleep in the bedroom with it on the low setting.
But that's just me.[emoji16]

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MtCamper · 10-28-2018, 04:21 AM

We use an electric whenever we have a plug in. Maybe it's because I'm just cheap. A couple of things to be aware of: if it's really cold you probably need to run you furnace to keep you basement area heated and above freezing. This depends on your rig and how it's designed. The second thing is RVs are usually wired differently than you house. Pull an outlet and see how the connections were made. Odds are the wire is just pushed between two contacts not connected by a screw and it's probably 14 gauge wire. That arrangement is OK for occasional use of high amperage loads, but I've always feared using that design for all night heater usage. I've always added a separate outlet wired with 12 gauge wire and a male pigtail. I plug it in separately to one of the 20 amp outlets in the RV pedestal. I know it's a bit anal retentive but I sleep better.

MingusPirate · 10-28-2018, 10:20 AM

Not all 1500 watt heaters are created equal. For example, the quartz heaters rated at 1500 watts do not transfer all of the heat. You may have 1500 watts of light bulbs but several thing happen. As the temperature of the filament raises so does its' resistance. also, it needs to transfer the heat to the copper tubes. These are the reasons my Honeywell tower out ran the Bob Villa heater. Regarding other heaters, the small 6"x 6" 1500 watt heaters don't have the heat transfer surface. Again resistance goes up with temperature of the core and less heat into the room. So best bet is a large core with lots of surface to conduct the heat away along with a large volume fan.

We use the Honeywell Safety Sentinel Electronic Ceramic Tower Heater, HZ-3855 BP. You can get them at Best Buy and Amazon.

Lastly, all electric heaters have a disclaimer regarding running them left alone. That includes your built-in fireplaces. You really shouldn't do it.

Busskipper · 10-28-2018, 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ray,IN

The main byproduct of burning LPG is water. During cold weather most RV's are prone to condensation problems on cooler exterior walls, especially in closed cabinets on exterior walls.

Burning is not taking place inside the coach.

grindstone01 · 10-28-2018, 10:26 AM

I mounted a 100W light bulb fixture next to the water pump and tank with the 25' cord hanging out the phone jack plug for cold nights.

cdinatl · 10-28-2018, 03:47 PM

X2 oil filled radiant heater. Safe too

FatChance · 10-28-2018, 06:57 PM

Respondents who recommend specific electric heaters should mention how they use it. Relying on the heater for an RV in storage is totally different than using a heater for supplementally heating the RV while residing in the RV. They have different requirements and issues.

As mentioned, RV propane furnaces vent the water combustion byproduct out the exhaust along with deadly combustion gasses. A Mr. Buddy, or similar devices, do not.