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Old 08-27-2015, 08:37 PM   #1
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Gravity feed propane heater/furnaces

Does anyone have any practical experience with these style of heaters? I used a residential sized one years ago and it worked great. I've found a few on Kijiji that came out of tent trailers, a bit small but cheap, a person could install a couple for "zone" heating, and the beauty is that they use no electricity.

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Old 08-27-2015, 08:46 PM   #2
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Something like this? If so, a few people here have one.

EccoTemp Portable Tankless Water Heater - Eccotemp L5 - Water Heaters - Camping World
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Old 08-27-2015, 08:55 PM   #3
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No, this is a space heater or furnace.
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Old 08-27-2015, 09:03 PM   #4
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Though that water heater seems pretty sweet, too bad it's outdoor use only, probably would only last a couple of months of regular use, and probably freeze solid here I'm Canada.
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Old 08-27-2015, 09:22 PM   #5
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Can you find an example of one online? "Gravity fed"+"propane" doesn't really make sense.. Propane is pressurized...
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Old 08-27-2015, 09:25 PM   #6
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I'm confused.
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Old 08-27-2015, 09:49 PM   #7
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Here's an example, they work by heat convection sometimes with a fan added on like this one, otherwise they use no electricity. http:// http://m.kijiji.ca/trailer-parts-accessories/edmonton/trailer-furnace-gravity-feed/v?adId=1082286195&ck=CK&from=Search&ts=14407293345 00"]http:// trailer furnace gravity feed | parts, accessories | Edmonton | Kijiji Mobile
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Old 08-27-2015, 10:02 PM   #8
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Maybe instead of "gravity feed" you mean "convection," a wall furnace without an included blower fan to force the air through it? I had saved one out of a scrapped office trailer for a while, thinking I would have a use for it some day. But I scrapped it when "some day" never arrived.

I have lived in a 3-room apartment with a natural gas wall furnace and blower on a central wall, and it kept it warm enough in Northeast winters.

Or maybe you mean "fuel oil" aka diesel? There are oil heaters that work on a drip of #2 fuel.

Quote:
Originally Posted by jazty View Post
Can you find an example of one online? "Gravity fed"+"propane" doesn't really make sense.. Propane is pressurized...
Most propane appliances run on vapor boiled off taken from the top of the tank, but a few run on the liquid fuel drawn from the bottom of the tank. Maybe someone thinks drawing liquid from the bottom forced down by the vapor equals gravity feed?
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Old 08-27-2015, 10:44 PM   #9
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Yes it heats by convection, I don't know why they're referred to as gravity feed. Basically they have a burning chamber where the pressurized propane burns, and it is surrounded by a cavity that allows the room's air to circulate through, heat up and rise, drawing colder floor level in.
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Old 08-27-2015, 10:59 PM   #10
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Talking

Apparently the term gravity feed was used to describe what have become known as octopus furnaces in houses about 100 years old. Their inefficiency was due to the airflow restrictions imposed by the constrictions of ducts and the bends they went through to route the airflow. However, the smaller more modern units designed for RVs employ no ductwork and simply work as a space heater with all noxious gases vented outside. AND, no electricity.
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Old 08-27-2015, 11:01 PM   #11
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Or moving parts.
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Old 08-28-2015, 12:00 AM   #12
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Gravity feed propane heater/furnaces

Quote:
Originally Posted by Longrun View Post
Though that water heater seems pretty sweet, too bad it's outdoor use only, probably would only last a couple of months of regular use, and probably freeze solid here I'm Canada.

Click image for larger version

Name:	ImageUploadedByTapatalk1440737944.308369.jpg
Views:	80
Size:	258.1 KB
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I love mine / vented it through the roof - it's been going strong for 3yrs...
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Old 08-28-2015, 08:56 AM   #13
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I believe the OP is talking about a furnace for heating the bus, USMCRockinRV.

I have some questions for you over here: Venting an Eccotemp L5 propane water heater. I'd be much obliged if you could throw me some answers
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Old 08-28-2015, 09:04 AM   #14
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I've been in a camper or two that have that style of convection propane heater. I don't think they're particularly efficient. Reason being that (like the Eccotemp water heater shown above) they require hot exhaust to keep the convection process working. This means that some of the heat from the propane is going inside the camper and some of the heat is being dumped outside.
Power vented appliances are more efficient. Since power vented appliances don't rely on a draft to pull the exhaust outside the heat exchange can be more efficient, usually leaving the exhaust warm to the touch instead of hot. More heat inside, less outside. Of course, they require electricity to run.
Convection furnaces are simple, though. If you don't mind the added cost of burning excess propane then they may be the way to go.
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Old 08-28-2015, 09:10 AM   #15
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If it is fuel efficiency you are looking for, catalytic heaters are way ahead of everything else at about 98%.
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Old 08-28-2015, 09:19 AM   #16
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True, true.. I was lusting over one of these a while back:
Olympian Wave 6 Catalytic Heater
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Old 08-28-2015, 09:38 AM   #17
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Ya...really sweet heat. Had one in my old Bird and loved it. Worth every penny. No exhaust flue required but you do need replace the oxygen it consumes. Remember to leave a window or roof vent cracked open just a bit.
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Old 08-28-2015, 07:49 PM   #18
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Catalytics do seem more efficient, but how open do you need to keep your vent? Around here I have to expect outside temperatures of -40 or lower for weeks at a time. I'd like to avoid having to lose heat just to keep things safe.
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Old 08-28-2015, 11:05 PM   #19
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Doesn't take very much at all but is critical if you are in a tightly sealed structure. If the Cat (or any other heater for that matter) consumes too much of your oxygen, you"ll be waking up dead.

I hate it when that happens.

Best to check the manufacturer's recommendations and heed them.
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Old 08-29-2015, 09:29 AM   #20
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One of the problems created by an unvented heater is the
amount of moisture they create when they are running.
They may be 98% efficient but one of the major products
of combustion is H2O. In an automobile you get about
1 1/2 gallons of water for every gallon of gas you burn.
That's why the exhaust rusts out from the inside. Water
dripping down the walls and ceiling is not pleasant.
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