build a room heater

Considering, or completed a DIY prepper project? Made something using traditional methods? Post it here!
medicmark
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Joined: Sun Dec 27, 2015 11:31 am

build a room heater

Post by medicmark »

found this online, looks very good and really easy to do.
links here:- https://youtu.be/9WEGlQ4xBa8

full acknowledgements, not my idea :P
grenfell
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Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:55 pm

Re: build a room heater

Post by grenfell »

This came up some time ago on this forum and others and perhaps someone will put up a link. As I understand it the idea grew up in ww2 as people tried to find a way to warm up the air raid shelters. As such it really is only something for emergencies rather than "normal" heating of a room. There can be issues with fumes in an unventilated or badly ventilated room and the cost has been questioned too. It may seem cheap from the link but there are more economic and efficient , not to talk of safer , methods to heat a room. One member on here I think tried it and used multiple burners to achieve the heating equilivent to conventional methods which again throws up the cost issue.
grenfell
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Re: build a room heater

Post by grenfell »

Yorkshire Andy
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Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: build a room heater

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

Must admit having got 5 candle lanterns the other week they do seem to take the chill off

Not sure if its physiological or actual need a thermometer to check really

But the warm light and well 40 ish watts of heat per tea light can't go to waste
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
featherstick
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Joined: Mon Feb 17, 2014 9:09 pm

Re: build a room heater

Post by featherstick »

It does work. Even open candles will eventually warm a room up. Using flowerpots makes it more effective as the flowerpot heats up and then radiates heat out in all directions, whereas an open candle convects heat to the ceiling and the heat has to layer its way down, if that makes sense.

Can also be used for conservatories or greenhouses if very low temperatures are predicted.
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nickdutch
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Re: build a room heater

Post by nickdutch »

I had a look at this a few years back. Check wikipedia. Each candle flame (a proper candle flame) gives off 80 watts of heat. Therefore, if you burn 10 candles you have a 800 watt heater. But there is a problem and that is air quality (vaporised wax to breathe in anyone? Not to mention soot!) The flowerpots get hot and radiate the hat all around. Including down to the wax itself thus melting it and vaporising it. Hence breathing in candle wax.

Another option is a cleaner burning bioethanol solution

http://www.biofires.com/3-bio-ethanol-f ... AlsZ8P8HAQ


I used a chimburner

http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/281026665 ... -l1000.jpg

and put it in a chimnea. A cheap metal garden one for about £30 from B+M

https://www.buydirect4u.co.uk/product/g ... As028P8HAQ


Job done at low cost.

Bioethanol can be purchased at

http://www.prestigiousfires.co.uk/bioet ... AlT-8P8HAQ

Or if you get a distiller you can make your own dirty smelly stuff that still works but might rust your steel burner. ( :) )

Its nice to have a "real fire" in a flat with no chimney
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junmist
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Re: build a room heater

Post by junmist »

I like this one myself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgxHLXZ6D1g and you can use it in a van
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nickdutch
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Re: build a room heater

Post by nickdutch »

junmist wrote:I like this one myself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgxHLXZ6D1g and you can use it in a van
Its still just 80 watts which is the equivalent of one candle flame according to wikipeda (when I looked in to this stuff when it was all new)

So that wont really do the living room all that much good in a minus 20 situation.
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Mad Scientist
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Re: build a room heater

Post by Mad Scientist »

Has anyone tried me of those disposable BBQs? Too smoky maybe? Might stick to my candle collection.
ForgeCorvus
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Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:32 pm

Re: build a room heater

Post by ForgeCorvus »

Mad Scientist wrote:Has anyone tried me of those disposable BBQs? Too smoky maybe? Might stick to my candle collection.
Not a good idea, somebody did a few years back.... Mind you they were trying to kill themselves.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/su ... bbq-629104


If you're planning on burning anything inside please get a CO detector.
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