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Old 12-02-2016, 10:58 AM   #1
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Furnace vs Space heater questions

Several questions here...hope ya'll can help again!

  1. Is the furnace in my TT propane or electric? If both, how do I switch from one to the other?
  2. If electric...would I be better off using the furnace or just using a 1500W space heater? I could turn down the space heater a bit to keep the watt usage a little lower. Pros/Cons of furnace vs. space heater?
1000 Thanks!
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Old 12-02-2016, 11:03 AM   #2
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Your furnace is propane. It used a small amount of electricity to run the blowers and such. Personally, I would avoid using a portable space heater just for the safety factor. All kinds of house fires are started because of those things and that danger is amplified in an RV. I'm unfamiliar with your unit, but some come with a built in electric fireplace which can be used instead of your propane furnace.
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Old 12-02-2016, 11:05 AM   #3
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Furnace is gas, it will work off the battery or when plugged in.

If your plan is to keep it warm over the winter then a space heater will work as long as the water lines have been winterized.

Space heater will be cheaper to operate.

Furnace will use a lot of gas.
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Old 12-02-2016, 11:29 AM   #4
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Originally Posted by timfromma View Post
Your furnace is propane. It used a small amount of electricity to run the blowers and such. Personally, I would avoid using a portable space heater just for the safety factor. All kinds of house fires are started because of those things and that danger is amplified in an RV. I'm unfamiliar with your unit, but some come with a built in electric fireplace which can be used instead of your propane furnace.
I believe that a "majority" of us use electric space heaters, for a number of reasons (save propane, don't like noisy furnace, etc.)

Guess we'll have to add this topic to the "Topics guaranteed to start an argument" thread. Furnace or space heater?

http://www.forestriverforums.com/for...ml#post1373950
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Old 12-02-2016, 11:33 AM   #5
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Use electric space heater(s) all the time. On cold days, evens out the highs and lows of the propane heater. On moderately cool days, saves propane and is a quiet heat source. My fireplace is electric heat and we use that on cool days too.
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Old 12-02-2016, 11:36 AM   #6
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Yep, use a small space heater as well. We keep it in the kitchen and it heats the whole unit just fine.
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Old 12-02-2016, 11:38 AM   #7
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We use space heaters almost exclusively. You'll run through a LOT of propane running the furnace- which is propane only. A few things we do to ensure safety:

1. Only use ceramic or oil filled radiator heaters. Never use anything with a coil type heating element.

2. Run heaters on low or medium- never on high unless we are awake and monitoring and just long enough to bring the temp up. This means we typically run at 600 to 900 watts. Less load on wiring and breakers, and they don't run nearly as hot. IMHO, you are being MUCH safer running 2 separate heaters on low versus 1 on high because of this. Most rigs, even if 30A, will have a circuit run for the GFCI outlets and another for standard wall outlets. Run 1 heater on each leg to split the load. Our rig has 50A service, so I actually added a dedicated circuit to a single outlet that we use for running a space heater. Therefore, I have 1 circuit for GFCI outlets, another for standard wall outlets and a third for that dedicated outlet.

3. I elevate our ceramic heaters. Typically place one on the table. If it is going to be really cold I'll run another on the kitchen cabinets. The oil filled radiator heater stays on the floor, but never gets warm enough that you can't easily keep your hand on it indefinitely. Also make sure to never cover the cords- they should always be completely exposed.

4. I always add a second smoke alarm. I like redundancy.

BTW, if you'll set your ducted A/C to fan only, it will keep the air circulating and the entire rig will stay nice and warm.
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Old 12-02-2016, 11:49 AM   #8
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I think the term 'space heater' congers up different meanings in different parts of the country.

Some folks, when they hear the words 'space heater,' immediately think propane or kerosene while others think electric.

As mentioned, the use of a small electric heater(s) will add warmth to your rig and save on the amount of propane used by the furnace. The number of heaters and their wattage will be dependent upon the type (30A-50A) shore power your unit has and what other appliances you plan to use in conjunction with them.
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Old 12-02-2016, 12:20 PM   #9
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We use a ceramic space heater almost exclusively. It is quieter and keeps a more even heat. We generally keep it set to high but I also have a dedicated 20A power inlet that I installed so I wouldn't have to worry about overloading the trailer's 30A service main. It also comes in handy during cooling season for running a counter top convection oven or other high amperage appliance.
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Old 12-02-2016, 01:06 PM   #10
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Isn't an electric fireplace just another type of space heater?
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Old 12-02-2016, 01:07 PM   #11
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Isn't an electric fireplace just another type of space heater?
Yep.
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Old 12-02-2016, 01:13 PM   #12
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Old 12-02-2016, 01:28 PM   #13
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Isn't an electric fireplace just another type of space heater?
Yes.

It's a space heater with fancy lighting!
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Old 12-02-2016, 01:31 PM   #14
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I think the term 'space heater' congers up different meanings in different parts of the country.
You're probably right.

But google "space heater" and click on images and 95% of what comes back is electric.

Mr. Heater's website just calls their propane heaters either "heater" or "portable heater."
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Old 12-02-2016, 01:42 PM   #15
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If I'm paying for an electric site, you can bet your last dollar that I'm going to use it. Turn on furnace and set low enough just in case the space heaters can't keep up.
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Old 12-02-2016, 01:52 PM   #16
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I use two small electric space heaters, not due to propane cost, rather, to keep the condensation down. One large electric heater can trip the GFI because it is usually shared with other outlets. It is best to keep two 1000W heaters on different circuits than one 1500W on a single circuit.

Propane is so cheap, I would not factor cost unless you are a full timer.
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Old 12-02-2016, 01:54 PM   #17
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I have a fireplace and heat option on the front AC. Needs to get into the low 30s before the furnace is needed....
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Old 12-02-2016, 01:59 PM   #18
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Furnace is noisy and uses a lot of LP gas. Comments about the danger of electric space heaters are valid and have kept me alert at night when we use them, since we have a couple of cats living with us and they're not very safety conscious. I feel better now that we have a ceramic space heater with a switch that turns if off if it's tipped over. For most rigs one space heater in an circuit that has nothing else plugged in you should be fine. I also turn off the heater when we're using the toaster or coffee maker because the combination draws too much current and trips a breaker..
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Old 12-02-2016, 02:06 PM   #19
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Newer electric heaters come with a tip over safety switch...
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Old 12-02-2016, 02:08 PM   #20
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We got this West Marine Portable Cabin Heater Model #7867500. Flat and can't tip, has good reviews from boaters and RVers. My husband had a 24ft sailboat in his past life and used this.
Model #7867500. We have only used it one weekend w/shore power and it worked well on low. The furnace is kinda loud and you get too cold and then a little too hot. Probably lack of insulation.
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