Propane vented radiant tube heater

[oicu812]

How about a in-shot burner. Use the manifold, gas valve and burner from an old furnace. Their easy to get from a HVAC company. You could install the safeties and sleep easy.

https://www.google.com/search?q=inshot+ ... 66&bih=643

[MtnDon]

A weed burner is not regulated.

http://www.amazon.com/Red-Dragon-VT-2-2 ... eed+burner

what's that red thing near the end of the hose? Looks like a regulator. Some weed burners are made to run off a 1 lb cylinder, but this one is meant for use on a 20# type.

[KennethW]

I stand corrected!
Seems a little too powerful for a teardrop. Can they be turned down to a low flame ?

[Colorado_Carter]

Ken,

I am diggin the idea. I think it would be awesome in the mornings to hang your socks on there to get them toasty.

This is what I thought on it.

What if you used a radiator on the inside. bonus side it has a nice looking cover.


I like the idea of venting through a radiator, but what if you vented something conventional like a one of the tiny buddy heaters.


Some kind of ducted tubing that downsize from the 5" heater to the 3/4" hoses going in the side of the trailer (then out). Hook up a small bottle on low to keep you warm all night. Has some safety feature on it-semi-designed for heating

I am thinking $150ish-pieces/parts?

[KennethW]

I pickup a table top gas grill for the regulator and burner.
http://www.menards.com/main/spring-feve ... -10141.htm
I hooked up the burner to a 20# tank that is outside(-14F) and the burner fired up and had a good flame(the torch would not light).
Now I will have to cut the burner off , bent the cut off end into a burner and mount it into the tube union. Or make a new burner.

What would be a good shape for the burner? I am thinking a straight flat flame.(cut off straight, pressed closed and (flared)bent open on the end.
PS The grill shell might make a nice oven on the Colman stove.

[KCStudly]

Why not just use the existing burner as is? Build a flue pipe around it to funnel the heat into your radiator.

[KennethW]

The flue pipe funnel would be outside the teardrop and lose a lot on heat. I would rather jet the flame thru the radiant tube. Like this.
http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/oliverburner1.html
But not so jet like.

[KennethW]

I run the radiant tube heater briefly today. Seems to work good(maybe to good). With a piece of aluminum foil as a reflector I could feel the warmth of the heater radiating down. The dog dish wall thimble stayed cool, pipe did not turn red and the flat black high temp grill paint did not burn off. The latest burner in a table top grill regulator with a 1/4 pipe union, 4"1/4 pipe and a 1/4 union on the end. The end if the union by the regulator is ground off until the thread on the regulator fits tight, The 4" pipe has a cross hole air vent just past the union and the union on the end has the inside flared out. I will have to wait for warmer weather for the final install work. Click on pictures to enlarge.

This is experimental. Build at your on risk. I don't want some one suing me or the blog.

[Mojave Bob]

Just curious, at this point in R & D, are you getting a clean blue burn, or is there a lot of yellow? I think this is an improvement over the torch. Still curious what things will look like after 6 hours of run-time. Does the heat seem to be focused at one end of the radiant tube, or does it distribute well across most of it? Does it appear that you will need a safety shield inside to avert the possibility of burns?

[KennethW]

The flame is mostly blue and about 1" diam X 5" long when not in the tube. In the tube is looks like a foot long blue flame(is this a good flame?) . With a hour of run time the tip of the burner did not turn red and has a little blue tint to the tip when cold. A wire cage slipper over the pipe would be prudent as the pipe would burn you. I won't be testing today (down with a cold).

[KennethW]

Testing Spent the night in the camper with my dog. -11f windchill -26.

Had the regulator set on low.
ki
The heater worked good. It was very comfortable(A Unzipped sleeping bed and in my underwear). Used the windows to control the temperature. The down side the radiant heat is like a tanning bed or sitting be a window in the sun. I had to pull a sheet over my head. .
Looks like the heater works almost too good in that I had it on low. I should have weight the tank to see how much propane I burned. Maybe next time.
There as a little heat build up behind the reflector. I think using just aluminum foil on a wire frame would solve that.
Would I recommend this type on heater. Yes
Any questions ?
Disclaimer
Like anything One builds, be careful and test it safely before using. I am not a expert and I have not tested for all conditions.

[KennethW]

I forgot to mention that in my teardrop I don't have a roof vent-fan so I will install computer fans in the pipe hole for venting in the summer.

[Rainier70]

I must have missed it, if you said, but what are you using for your radiant tube?

Will you have a cap on your vent for wind and rain?

[KennethW]

I used electrical conduit. But I would requirement exhaust pipe for the pipe in the camper. Electrical conduit is zinc coated(bad if it burns off). I sanded most of it off(I work in a machine shop) . All though I don't think it will get hot enough to burn off (my high temp grill paint did not burn off) One could also run the conduit thru a hot fire pit to burn off the zinc. I know welding galvanized pipe is a bad thing to breath.

The exhaust pipe is just slipped on when in use and the coupler is not tight so any water will leak out.

[Colemancooler]

i like the idea, my only concern is the clearance to combustible materials. furnace venting is 6" for single wall venting to anything combustible, i would imagine at the burner end that thing will be hotter than a standard furnace vent. be safe! and good luck