Heating using propane

[JohnD10]

Originally Posted by nomad297

I have an analog thermostat that I usually leave set at just below 70. I have a thermometer inside that tells me my ambient temperature is usually around 67 degrees.

Bruce

Yup!

You can't rely on those thermostats to keep the heat at the temp you set it at...

After awhile you kind of get a feeling for the temp you need to set it at to keep the inside temp at your comfort zone.

[pokey]

Originally Posted by JohnD10

Yup!

You can't rely on those thermostats to keep the heat at the temp you set it at...

After awhile you kind of get a feeling for the temp you need to set it at to keep the inside temp at your comfort zone.

No you can't rely on the set thermostat for the heating system. I have one in the kitchen and one in the bedroom that run off of batteries. Both show the temp and also the humidity level so I've got that part covered. Thanks for the info!

[BandJCarm]

"Set on the counter" units that display temp............usually with an outside sensor as well......will give you the true temp. And it'll vary greatly just moving it 10 feet inside the trailer. Use more than one. Not too expensive.

[spock123]

The 15lb bottles are probably twenty pound tanks. If you have the room in the basement you can put in a 100 watt bulb to keep things warm in the basement. I would try the electric heaters, is your camper 50amp? I looked at the average weather in your town and it doesn’t seem to get to cold. You can try this, set the furnace on 60 degrees at night and use the electric heaters during the day

[Kimber45]

if you have a 30 amp camper and want to run two heaters with no issues plug an extension cord into the 20 amp plug on the pedestal and sneak it through a slide out seal to give you an extra plug and more power

[pokey]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

"Set on the counter" units that display temp............usually with an outside sensor as well......will give you the true temp. And it'll vary greatly just moving it 10 feet inside the trailer. Use more than one. Not too expensive.

That's what I've decided on doing. Using one that I already have in the living room and another similar to what you described in the bedroom. No expensive propane to be gobbling up.

[pokey]

Originally Posted by spock123

The 15lb bottles are probably twenty pound tanks. If you have the room in the basement you can put in a 100 watt bulb to keep things warm in the basement. I would try the electric heaters, is your camper 50amp? I looked at the average weather in your town and it doesn’t seem to get to cold. You can try this, set the furnace on 60 degrees at night and use the electric heaters during the day

I've decided on using a smaller one in the bedroom (one end) and another that I already have in the living room the middle and kitchen area. No expensive propane to be gobbling up. Thanks!

[pokey]

Originally Posted by spock123

The 15lb bottles are probably twenty pound tanks. If you have the room in the basement you can put in a 100 watt bulb to keep things warm in the basement. I would try the electric heaters, is your camper 50amp? I looked at the average weather in your town and it doesn’t seem to get to cold. You can try this, set the furnace on 60 degrees at night and use the electric heaters during the day

No it doesn't get that cold here and when in the teens at night (rarely) only for a couple of days. I've decided using one that I already have in the living room and another smaller unit in the bedroom. No expensive propane to be gobbling up.

[pokey]

Originally Posted by Kimber45

if you have a 30 amp camper and want to run two heaters with no issues plug an extension cord into the 20 amp plug on the pedestal and sneak it through a slide out seal to give you an extra plug and more power

I have 50amp. I've decided to use a smaller electric unit in the bedroom and keep using the larger in the living and kitchen area. No gobbling up propane.

[Chuck_S]

No such thing as an "energy efficient" electric heater. They will help a little though. One that draws 1500 watts will supply maybe 5000 BTU/hr of heat -- as will your wife's 1500 watt hair dryer -- which is about 25% of what the small LP furnace in my Roo 23SS puts out. Mine is 19,000 BTU -- find out what your's is. Big trailers have bigger furnaces.

LP furnishes about 23,000 BTU per pound. Rounding both these numbers to 20,000 for some lazy math shows that my furnace burns a pound of propane every hour of flame time.

My furnace will empty one of it's two 20 pound cylinders in 20 hours and both in 40 hours -- less than two days if the furnace runs constantly. Never heard of a 15 pound cylinder. They're universally either 20 or 30 pound. The 20 pound cylinders will really hold 25 pounds but are limited to 80% capacity. Blue Rhino exchange tanks are notoriously under filled to 16 gallons hoping you won't catch on (but I digress).

There's a reason there's for those massive LP cylinders next to houses.

-- Chuck

[pokey]

[QUOTE=Chuck_S;1965048]No such thing as an "energy efficient" electric heater. They will help a little though. One that draws 1500 watts will supply maybe 5000 BTU/hr of heat -- as will your wife's 1500 watt hair dryer -- which is about 25% of what the small LP furnace in my Roo 23SS puts out. Mine is 19,000 BTU -- find out what your's is. Big trailers have bigger furnaces.

LP furnishes about 23,000 BTU per pound. Rounding both these numbers to 20,000 for some lazy math shows that my furnace burns a pound of propane every hour of flame time.

My furnace will empty one of it's two 20 pound cylinders in 20 hours and both in 40 hours -- less than two days if the furnace runs constantly. Never heard of a 15 pound cylinder. They're universally either 20 or 30 pound. The 20 pound cylinders will really hold 25 pounds but are limited to 80% capacity. Blue Rhino exchange tanks are notoriously under filled to 16 gallons hoping you won't catch on (but I digress).

There's a reason there's for those massive LP cylinders next to houses.

-- Chuck[/QUOTE

They both may be 20 pounds I'm not exactly sure. My main electric heater can be set to 1000 BTU's or 1500 and does pretty good but not good enough for when it gets and stays really cold. Thankfully it doesn't get that cold where I live and if it does doesn't last long at all. I've ordered a smaller ceramic heater to put in the bedroom and the bigger will heat the living room and kitchen area. No propane to gobble up and also the lot rent includes $100 per month towards the electric which I or no other RV owners have ever gone over. I may go over some this winter going all electric for heat but shouldn't be too much.

[Teetime]

Originally Posted by Kimber45

I supplement with electric heat in cold weather camping when im not paying the power bill. if you are paying for electric your furnace may be more efficient.

Yes, we do the same when in the North Bay area in Spring/Winter. We have a small electric heater with thermostat when we are not paying a electric meter. We set in on the floor at about 60 degrees and it makes it comfortable at bed level.

When we do use propane, it's usually a tank a week with temps ranging from ~40 low to ~75 high

[Chuck_S]

My main electric heater can be set to 1000 BTU's or 1500 and does pretty good but not good enough for when it gets and stays really cold.

I suspect you're confusing Watts with BTU's. 1000 to 1500 BTU/hr will barely be felt.

Watts to BTU/hr. <-- that's a link.

BTU/hr to Watts. <-- this too.

-- Chuck

[JohnD10]

[QUOTE=pokey;1965073]

Originally Posted by Chuck_S

No such thing as an "energy efficient" electric heater. They will help a little though. One that draws 1500 watts will supply maybe 5000 BTU/hr of heat -- as will your wife's 1500 watt hair dryer -- which is about 25% of what the small LP furnace in my Roo 23SS puts out. Mine is 19,000 BTU -- find out what your's is. Big trailers have bigger furnaces.

LP furnishes about 23,000 BTU per pound. Rounding both these numbers to 20,000 for some lazy math shows that my furnace burns a pound of propane every hour of flame time.

My furnace will empty one of it's two 20 pound cylinders in 20 hours and both in 40 hours -- less than two days if the furnace runs constantly. Never heard of a 15 pound cylinder. They're universally either 20 or 30 pound. The 20 pound cylinders will really hold 25 pounds but are limited to 80% capacity. Blue Rhino exchange tanks are notoriously under filled to 16 gallons hoping you won't catch on (but I digress).

There's a reason there's for those massive LP cylinders next to houses.

-- Chuck[/QUOTE

They both may be 20 pounds I'm not exactly sure. My main electric heater can be set to 1000 BTU's or 1500 and does pretty good but not good enough for when it gets and stays really cold. Thankfully it doesn't get that cold where I live and if it does doesn't last long at all. I've ordered a smaller ceramic heater to put in the bedroom and the bigger will heat the living room and kitchen area. No propane to gobble up and also the lot rent includes $100 per month towards the electric which I or no other RV owners have ever gone over. I may go over some this winter going all electric for heat but shouldn't be too much.

You really should consider using the oil-filled heaters...

I also have two ceramic heaters and those things were on and of...on and off...on and off...constantly!

They are now back-ups or I can use in the basement for the plumbing (although I live in the Arizona desert, so probably won't need them for that).

The oil filled types heat up and radiate heat, even after they cycle themselves off.

They talk a little more time to get hot when you first turn them on, but once heated up...they just can't be beat!

Much more energy efficient, not to mention that they make absolutely no noise whatsoever.

Those ceramic fan heaters...well, if you are a light sleeper like I am, you won't get much sleep!

[pokey]

Thanks all for the many replies. I've decided that since $100 of my lot rent goes towards electric I'm buying a smaller heater for the bedroom and running my current one in the living, kitchen and dining area. No gobbling up $$$ propane. Thanks again!

[pokey]

Originally Posted by BandJCarm

"Set on the counter" units that display temp............usually with an outside sensor as well......will give you the true temp. And it'll vary greatly just moving it 10 feet inside the trailer. Use more than one. Not too expensive.

That's the type that I use now. One sitting in the bedroom and the same type (both have a magnetic back and stands) on the fridge. They show the inside temp and the humidity level but no outside sensor.