Propane Heaters for cabin

[Coyote]

I am researching propane heaters for a small cabin. There are blue flame models, (convection) and infrared ceramic plaque heaters, same BTU. Anybody have experience with both to compare? Glo-Warm is the manufacturer, sold at Home Depot and on sale right now! Thanks for any input!

 

[gordon21]

If a fan might be important..........

I am pretty sure there are some blue flame models with integral fans. They may blow air through a shroud and work sorta like an fireplace insert. I don't remember ever seeing any type of fan with the ceramic type.

If you like it warm, take the mfgr rating and divide by 2. If it says it is good for 1200SF, then plan on it being OK for only 600SF. Those ratings are very optimistic. I guess they only are trying to get a room up to 66-70 degrees. I prefer a lot warmer.

Buy a CO 2 monitor. It could save your life.

 

[charlz]

How much do you plan on using them? Propane is pretty pricey these days.

 

[Skyco]

I use the blue flame type in my little mountain shack in NC. With no fan the temp stratifies very heavily. Floor area cold and ceiling hot, ok in the middle
Don't know of the infrared type will be any better, I just picked up an infrared portable at Tractor Supply I may try there...but it really is for emergency backup at my home in SC.
Ditto the CO detector and be sure to add a smoke detector too, don't want to wake up dead

Here is the one I just bought-Tractor Supply Company - Pro-Temp Cabinet Utility Heater I like it because it is all contained in one cabinet, including the 20lb LP tank!

This is similar to what I've been using- Tractor Supply Company - 20K BTU/Hour Vent-Free Blue Flame LP Heater I have it mounted on the wall near the floor with the tank outside.

 

[kenmac]

I am researching propane heaters for a small cabin. There are blue flame models, (convection) and infrared ceramic plaque heaters, same BTU. Anybody have experience with both to compare? Glo-Warm is the manufacturer, sold at Home Depot and on sale right now! Thanks for any input!

Both heat quite well (depending on btu) The blue flame is a little safer in my opinion because of the glass front over the burner. Thermostat control models work great. If this is a small cabin , you may want to introduce a little outside air while the heater is in operation

 

[Skyco]

I'd forgotten about the outside air...when I first tried running the blue flame in my shack it would go out midway through the night. Finally figured out it was the oxygen depletion sensor doing it's job. It was a requirement to have some outside air if I wanted to stay warm

 

[chh]

I've used the infared plaque style in our office for the last few years. They are great heaters and very efficient. Some of the larger models should have fans to help with the heat. We have a ceiling fan we use to help move the air around if needed. Our is one of the small models, generally consider a bathroom style and it does a pretty good job of heating a 14'x40' area. Down by the floor does get pretty cool if it is very cold outside though. 15 years old now the only maintainence it has ever had is to blow out the orifice for the pilot light every couple of years. Dust seems to build up in it in the summer.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

I use a propane "fireplace", (you know the fake ceramic logs and fireplace look) to heat my cabin. Works good but with a vaulted type ceiling it takes awhile to heat everything up. A lot of the heat goes up in the ceiling and stays. Wasteful, yes but I wanted the vaulted look when I built my cabin. I have two 100 lb cylinders outside with the supply line coming inside to the heater. When one cylinder runs out all I have to do is switch the line to the other cylinder, load the empty one on my truck to bring back full the next time I return.

 

[charlz]

I use a propane "fireplace", (you know the fake ceramic logs and fireplace look) to heat my cabin. Works good but with a vaulted type ceiling it takes awhile to heat everything up. A lot of the heat goes up in the ceiling and stays. Wasteful, yes but I wanted the vaulted look when I built my cabin. I have two 100 lb cylinders outside with the supply line coming inside to the heater. When one cylinder runs out all I have to do is switch the line to the other cylinder, load the empty one on my truck to bring back full the next time I return.

If you have electricity I have had pretty good luck pointing a stand fan (laying it back) into the ceiling on an angle and it pushes the hot air down the far wall and mixes it in some.

 

[westbrooklawn]

I have one of the blue flame heaters installed in my garage. Initially I was not happy because all of the heat went straight up the wall, and stayed at ceiling height. I then fashioned a sloping hood out of aluminum flashing which sticks out about 10" from the wall directly above the heater... this helps in directing the heat out into the room. I then hung a 20" box fan above the hood, and run it on low speed, pushing the heated air into the room. This may not be the prettiest setup, but it works very well in keeping the heat distributed well throughout the garage... I am very satisfied.

 

[Nat]

Coyote , I'm going thru the same search right now. My office is in the basement and gets pretty cold down here, and with the weather we have had latley my little 1500W electric doesn't cut it. I have NG here for a gas stove and water heater so I'm looking at getting a small gas fired wall heater to mount on the wall. Northern has blue flame and ceramic infared listed and it seems either will do the job, but my thoughs are the ceramic will be cleaner.
I'll follow this thread for a few days before I decide. later, Nat

 

[Coyote]

Thanks Skyco. Sounds like our "shacks" are similar. I like the cabinet style from TC you mentioned. Have you used it yet? Does propane give off as much moisture as kerosene? Those heaters are wet, lots of condensation over night. How long does the 20lb tank last in the cabinet heater?

I use the blue flame type in my little mountain shack in NC. With no fan the temp stratifies very heavily. Floor area cold and ceiling hot, ok in the middle
Don't know of the infrared type will be any better, I just picked up an infrared portable at Tractor Supply I may try there...but it really is for emergency backup at my home in SC.
Ditto the CO detector and be sure to add a smoke detector too, don't want to wake up dead

Here is the one I just bought-Tractor Supply Company - Pro-Temp Cabinet Utility Heater I like it because it is all contained in one cabinet, including the 20lb LP tank!

This is similar to what I've been using- Tractor Supply Company - 20K BTU/Hour Vent-Free Blue Flame LP Heater I have it mounted on the wall near the floor with the tank outside.

 

[Coyote]

Your cabin looks large for the only heat to be a gas fireplace! Do you have a blower on it? How long do you get out of a 100lb tank? My cabin is 12' X 20', uninsulated dutch barn style.

I use a propane "fireplace", (you know the fake ceramic logs and fireplace look) to heat my cabin. Works good but with a vaulted type ceiling it takes awhile to heat everything up. A lot of the heat goes up in the ceiling and stays. Wasteful, yes but I wanted the vaulted look when I built my cabin. I have two 100 lb cylinders outside with the supply line coming inside to the heater. When one cylinder runs out all I have to do is switch the line to the other cylinder, load the empty one on my truck to bring back full the next time I return.

 

[anthonyk]

I've got one of these in my home office, and it's amazing.
With this, I can keep the room I spend most of my time in warm, and the rest of the house is not wasting heat.

Reiker Room Conditioner Textured White - Free Shipping - Ceiling Fans

Anthony

 

[schmism]

I guess they only are trying to get a room up to 66-70 degrees. I prefer a lot warmer.

Buy a CO 2 monitor. It could save your life.

68 in my house.... a lot warmer than 70!....oooookkkkkk my grandma likes it at like 78

 

[Skyco]

Thanks Skyco. Sounds like our "shacks" are similar. I like the cabinet style from TC you mentioned. Have you used it yet? Does propane give off as much moisture as kerosene? Those heaters are wet, lots of condensation over night. How long does the 20lb tank last in the cabinet heater?

I've only used it outdoors as a test run and to burn off any initial "stink" new heaters have. I've not noticed a moisture problem with the blue flame heater but then I do have some ventilation when running it to keep it from suffocating me.
As for how long on a tank my rough calculation* shows that on high it should last about 24 hours. There are 3 levels of burn each adding 6,000 BTU. So on low it should go about 72 hours. My little "shack" is only 8x12 and insulated well, When the wife and I and 2 dogs are in it sleeping the blue flame heater rarely runs more than the pilot light down to about 30 degrees.
Which reminds me- the cabinet heater does NOT have a thermostat so that could be a problem, the wall mounted blue flame one does. As I said I bought it more as an emergency backup for home. I have generators to make electricity during a power outage but none big enough to run the main heat pump.


*Propane has 91,500 BTU per gallon....a 5 gallon (20 lb) tank therefore has 457,500 BTUs so a 18,000 BTU heater should last about 25.4 hours, give or take a little.....actually I'm not sure a 20 lb tank holds quite 5 gallons since propane is 4.24 lbs per gallon even though I've heard them referred to as both 20 lb or 5 gallon...so that is rounded down to come up with 24 hours, at full heat output.

 

[Coyote]

Update....I bought two heaters this week, a Dyna Glo Tag Along at HD 50% off at $65.00. This is the Big Buddy version with two tanks. I just picked up an Outdoorsman from Reddy Heat, link below. Got it at Northern Tool. This is a complete kit, just plug in a 20 lb tank, it is a wall mounted blue flame. These two should do it. I won't use kerosene again...too stinky! I'm eventually going to a wood stove but can't afford to lose the floor space in my little cabin!

Reddy Heater RH10PT Outdoorsman Heater @ FMConline

 

[Deaf]

We use two Mr. Heaters to heat our 600 sqft (3 rm 1 bath) cabin. With no eclectic we choose to use both kerosene and propane depending on temps and hunting season. During bow we use just propane and the rest of the time Karo and propane as needed. The smell does bother us some but we leave a window or two cracked at all times, this really helps and is much safer. When we burn propane we get much more condensation. The other thing about the Karo heater we like is being able to place a 7 gallon turkey fryer pot half full on top of the heater and have hot water all weekend.

The Mr. heater units we have burn about 28-32 hours on a Wall Mart tank which I think is 17.5 # of propane.

The wood stove would be great but as you pointed out takes up to much room and once hot cant be turned off like the heaters.

Deaf

 

[Wayne County Hose]

Update....I bought two heaters this week, a Dyna Glo Tag Along at HD 50% off at $65.00.

Interesting, I just bought a kerosene torpedo heater from HD a couple days ago. It was $410 when I was looking a month ago, it was $280 a couple days ago. I asked the guy why the big discount. He told me that the spring stuff is coming in and they need to get rid of the heaters.

 

[Skyco]

I'm forever done with unvented kerosene heaters. Bought one of the Kero-Suns back when the fad hit in the 70's. Still have it, never use it. I'd rather freeze They just stink too much for me to tolerate.