Improper use of a propane heater

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Improper use of a propane heater

February 10, 2010, 06:37:10 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 109945

http://www.hendersondailynews.com/articles/2010/02/10/news/01propane.txt

Improper use of a propane heater

Reply #1 – February 11, 2010, 09:36:45 am

Yahoo Message Number: 109954

Ed, The article didn't say, but I wonder if the offending propane heater was the built-in unit or a portable type that operates off those small propane bottles (which would be a very stupid thing to do)? This is a good example of always having a good CO2 detector w/fresh battery in all coaches.
Mike

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Re: Improper use of a propane heater

Reply #2 – February 11, 2010, 10:00:02 am

Yahoo Message Number: 109956

"The article didn't say, but I wonder if the offending propane heater was the built-in unit or a portable type that operates off those small propane bottles"
Yes, I was very frustrated--it's as if they had written an article about a man who died of food poisoning, but didn't say from what. I'm *guessing* that it was probably an unvented, non-catalytic heater such as the "Portable Buddy", or possibly a "blue flame" type, left running all night with the vents and windows closed... but there's no way to know for sure without locating the accident report. What a tragedy!

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/

Re: Improper use of a propane heater

Reply #3 – February 11, 2010, 01:40:28 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 109966

Hello Mike & others. I was also curious about the type of heater involved so I e-mailed the women who wrote the story. I received her reply just now.

Ed

Re: Improper use of a propane heater

Reply #4 – February 11, 2010, 06:50:27 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 109974

Ed, thanks for digging deeper into this accident. It sounds as if the heater that killed the couple was a cheap "tank-top" type similar to this Mr. Heater model:

http://www.mrheater.com/product.aspx?catid=42&id=21>
Unvented, and of course not catalytic, it puts out copious amounts of carbon monoxide. The only safety device is a loss-of-flame shutoff to prevent it from venting raw propane if it gets blown out. Of course it's marked "For outdoor use only," but some people don't read directions. :-( In a sealed trailer, a device like this can be lethal.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/

Re: Improper use of a propane heater

Reply #5 – February 11, 2010, 09:27:29 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 109981

Dear friends - It doesn't really matter what type of propane heater you are using or what the source of propane is. ANY heater which uses propane uses that propane to react with oxygen to produce (we hope) water and carbon dioxide plus the desired heat effect. It does not matter whether it is an open flame or catalytic converter. The trouble arises when

Re: Improper use of a propane heater

Reply #6 – February 11, 2010, 10:04:31 pm

Yahoo Message Number: 109982

Quote

Dear friends - It doesn't really matter what type of propane heater you are using or what the source of propane is. ANY heater which uses propane uses that propane to react with oxygen to produce (we hope) water and carbon dioxide plus the desired heat effect. It does not matter whether it is an open flame or catalytic converter. The trouble arises when in a (relatively) closed system, such as your motorhome all shut up, the oxygen is slowly used up. The result is an accumulation of carbon dioxide as well as the increased production of carbon monoxide. Either of these two gases will KILL you. Let me repeat for emphasis, either of these two gases will KILL you. In our motorhome, we have used the small grill-type propane tank to operate a catalytic heater. It has worked well. However, we have NEVER gone to bed with this heater in operation. We shut it off before we go to bed. The theory here is that it is better to wake up cold than not to wake up at all.

True, of course, but a well-designed catalytic heater will produce virtually no CO during normal combustion. This makes them safe for use in a ventilated indoor area. There are many heaters, however, which produce significant CO under all conditions. THESE should never be used indoors at all. This, I believe, is the question with this article. Perhaps the RV had ventilation, but the CO level accumulated anyway to a fatal level, due to a misused or faulty heater. We'll never know given the facts at hand....

Steve

Steve

Re: Improper use of a propane heater

Reply #7 – February 12, 2010, 12:19:58 am

Yahoo Message Number: 109984

Chuck, your point is well taken. Although with normal ventilation a catalytic heater emits no carbon monoxide, if you operate it in a sealed space, it will begin to do so as the oxygen is used up. And carbon dioxide can also cause death, though not as quickly.
I second what Steve said: no unvented propane heater should EVER be left running overnight.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/

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