Paraffin Heater

[Big John]

Once or twice a year, I run my Eberspacher on paraffin / kerosene in the belief that it cleans off any build-up of soot on the heat-exchanger. My only comment on using paraffin is the difficulty in obtaining it, and the ridiculous cost of the stuff.

I now run my Eberspacher all the time with Kerosene. No problems with starting, very little smell compared to diesel, no smoke and it will run all night on low without sooting up.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

The Taylors has a flue, is designed for a flue, is provided with a flue-its meant to be used.

My Corona, like many simple and inexpensive heaters has no flue and is portable.

Not comparing like with like. Of course I am not suggesting using a device with a flue without one.

I am, however, suggesting to the doomongers who appear to believe using a combustion device inside a boat without a flue will be sure to kill someone.

It might, but not the way I use it.

I agree. For heating the boat, at present, I have a portable catalytic gas fire that it using gas canisters. I have two Carbon Monoxide detectors, none of which have ever detected any CO gas. I test them regularly to ensure that they function properly. However, the CO monitors go off often when placed adjacent to an open wood fireplace we have in the house.

 

[William_H]

Just a warning to t hose who have a CO monitor and say it has never gone off. CO is more likely to be produced when oxygen supply is poor. So with adequate ventilation CO2 is vented way and CO mostly not produced. But with less ventilation CO2 build up causes CO to be produced so a cascading effect of rapidly producing CO. With any heater one should monitor the flame colour. Blue being good yellow meaning lack of oxygen. I would always try to fit a flue to any burner just for safety. be careful olewill

 

[andygc]

I would always try to fit a flue to any burner just for safety.

You can't fit a flue to a burner that is designed to function without a flue. It completely screws up the air flow through the burner. The designers of blue flame burners went to endless trouble to make sure all the holes were the right size and in the right place to achieve a blue flame using the height of chimney fitted to the burner. If you extend the chimney with a flue you increase the airflow and make the flame unstable and less safe.

And yes, "blue is good, yellow is bad" is a very good mantra to recite around a paraffin heater that has a blue flame burner. But yellow flames are not, of themselves, dangerous. There's plenty of lamps around with wicks and yellow flames. They came into use long before blue flame burners (candles, cruses, whale oil lamps) - like any flame device they just need a good supply of fresh air.

 

[CAPTAIN FANTASTIC]

Just a warning to t hose who have a CO monitor and say it has never gone off. CO is more likely to be produced when oxygen supply is poor. So with adequate ventilation CO2 is vented way and CO mostly not produced. But with less ventilation CO2 build up causes CO to be produced so a cascading effect of rapidly producing CO. With any heater one should monitor the flame colour. Blue being good yellow meaning lack of oxygen. I would always try to fit a flue to any burner just for safety. be careful olewill

You are absolutely right, CO kills and therefore extra care must be taken when using any open fire for heating purposes. Having an enclosed fire designed with a flue for the exhaust gases, is by far a safer option. However, we need to appreciate that paraffin/kerosene purposed made fires can be safe if used sensibly and we need to understand the limitations of these fires and potential dangers of CO.

 

[rotrax]

Exactly!

 

[maxi]

Will work well if you visit your local refuse amenity tip, and pick up a floor standing fire extinguisher, steel body, with a diameter sufficient to house your heater. To the extinguisher it is easy to attach a chimney which will exhaust all combustion fumes - ensure that sufficient air flow holes are drilled around the base of the extinguisher.