Furnace idea.

[oakinteriors1]

I'm with you KC...I am chomping at the bit to try the candle -cookie-tin heater... It certainly tis the season...

[rowerwet]

rereading the thread about mike's pods, the test that didn't show much promise needs to be redone! while a candle box heater doesn't add much heat, the test needs to be done with a person, or the equivalent to one also adding heat to the inside of the pod.
A human gives off about as much heat as 100 watt incandescent bulb, the cookie tin candle heater is just a way to add heat, the person is the real heat source.

[KCStudly]

That sounds like valid logic to me.

A grizzled old professor that I had used to drum it into us, "test them as you use them".

[KennethW]

As I see it for a teardrop heater it must be a heater that is fully vented for safety(I will not be in a small room with a invented heater).No automatic shutoffs are a100% safe. If a heater is not vented is put a lot of water vapor inside the teardrop. The heater should not destroy your stuff by geting to close to it. In that the heater is not used that much it should be low in cost.
Has anyone used a vented propane radiant tube heater? A small home made version of this.
http://www.toolsource.com/mht45ng-inten ... 04066.html
Please correct me in my design thoughts. I would use a propane torch as the heat source and a 4' plus 1-1/2" tube for the exchange. The tube with wall thimbles (painter with bq black high temp paint) would go side to side thru the top of the walls with a reflector above it. The propane torch would be mounted thru a hole in the side of a short bent pipe that fits on the end to the exchange pipe with the torch end and flame pointed into the exchange pipe and if needed a small computer fan over the end of the bent pipe for draft. The exhaust end would have a vertical pipe stop the wind and to promote draft if needed. Both the heater end and the exhaust end would be removable. As I see it the heater would be safe to use when sleeping in that no combustion is inside the teardrop the heated tube would be by the ceiling so thing would fall against it. The heater would be easy to build and low cost. The exchange tube could be use to hanged stuff on and used as a pipe holder on the outside when not being used as a heater . Any thoughts on this type of heater would be great.

[rowerwet]

I like it! now you have to build one and see what kind of gas supply it needs. If it was on full all the time you would end up having to open the windows to keep the tear from over heating.
Those radiant gas heaters work great, almost every hangar I've worked in has been heated with them. It feels like the sun is shinning on you when they are firing. the real heaters like that have a fan to give a forced draft and electronic ignition.
I think the lack of a thermostat to control the heat is the only down side to your heater idea.
I had an idea once to use a pilot light assembly to burn inside a metal tube that ran from the tongue box inside the tear, up the front curve, and finally vented through the roof. The pilot assembly has a thermocouple to shut the gas off it the flame goes out, I ended up thinking the whole thing was rather complex for the limited BTU's from a gas flame.

[rowerwet]

I had a new idea the other day, a wick type kerosene heater, metal garbage can, and some 3" or 4" steel vent pipe from a hot water heater.
either cut holes in the trash can or space it off the ground with bricks, cut a hole in the bottom of the trash can for the vent pipe.
light the kerosene heater, put the trash can over it upside down, put a 90 degree elbow into the hole in the bottom, run the pipe into the tear through a thimble in the side wall at the lowest hight the trash can allows. inside there is another pipe running up the wall and across the ceiling to another thimble in the top of the opposite side wall and from there a vertical pipe sticking up above the tear roof.
kind of complex, and not the cheapest (the heater will run you $100) but it will give plenty of heat all night long.
I heated my house in Maine to a comfortable level during power outages, with one of those kerosene heaters, I put it on the basement floor and left the door to the basement open. We didn't freeze and thanks to the drafty old new england house, the CO detector never went off.

[KennethW]

For control of the propane torch one could run a propane line with valve handle inside the tear. The valve would only lower the flame to a pilot setting. Not a thermostat but controllable(kiss). The downside is if a small draft fan might be needed with the propane radiant heater but the draft fan would be really small like the fan on a computer processor(2"). The upside a self lighting propane torch would replace your firestarter stik and make starting campfires easier. I forgot use no floor space, no or very little power required,park&go camping friendly(walmart) and light in the design spec's. The garbage can kerosene or sunflower heater would be heaver, bulky and harder to set up, but workable and low cost if you have the heater. I was shooting the radiant tube past you guys to see if there would be any redesign ideals. Thanks for you reply.

[Rainier70]

I think it sounds very doable and interesting. Go for it!

[capnTelescope]

I just skipped here from page 8, so please forgive me if this has been brought up already. I have yet to think an original thought.

Also, I see KennethW is thinking along the same line.

It occurred to me that most/many of us have both 12V power (computer fan plus heat exchanger) and propane (plenty of "candle fuel") on board. So why not a propane candle? Then I thought pilot light. KennethW has that partly covered. Then I ran across fireplace gas log safety pilot lights. About $75, but considered safe enough for your living room. Probably needs a pressure regulator, too.

I'm on it. If this inspires you too, go for it. Actually, I have a kinda big fish to fry (build) already. I might be a while.

I'll be paying attention.

[KCStudly]

I poked around just a little to find this bit of info on gas log pilot systems.

[rowerwet]

from a quick web search gas pilot lights give off anywhere from 416 to 1,600 btu/hr. how much of that you loose to the vented combustion air would be the only issue to having a good heater in a tear using only one pilot light assembly.

[capnTelescope]

I poked around just a little to find this bit of info on gas log pilot systems.:

The units I've seen include the shutoff valve, I think. I didn't see anything that raised an alarm, did you?

...gas pilot lights give off anywhere from 416 to 1,600 btu/hr.

On the low end, sounds like 2-3 candles or your Sweetie plus your Retriever in there with you. On the high end, it would get you through a Three Dog Night.

how much of that you loose to the vented combustion air would be the only issue to having a good heater in a tear using only one pilot light assembly.

Of course, we're going to build a good efficient heat exchangers, aren't we?. If it gets too warm, we just turn on our Fantastic Fans.

Thanks for the info, guys.