Candle powered radiant heater

[Bonnie]

KanHeat

So, what say all you engineers out there? Safe to use or no?

Bonnie

[Coach George Jessup]

Dude... MUCHOOOOOOO thanx for this thread

Cant explain how much potential this adds to lot of projects Im indirectly involved with.

[Roy in TO]

Interesting concept. A bolt, some nuts and washers and clay flower pots.

The link you provide says it will provide about 50 BTU's /hr, another link you provided for the boat wood stoves stated one needs 15 BTU per cubic foot. Therefore this should heat about 3 cubic feet of your trailer. If my math is right, you would need 24 to heat a 13' boler or Scamp.

I'm sure you could find something a lot smaller and more efficient for the $700 it will cost you to heat your trailer with 24 of these.

[Gina D.]

it is *Probably* safe if you use the proper precautions ...

but I can't find anywhere on his site what the BTUs are.

I am guessing not very much.

[Daniel V.]

I can see how it makes the heat more "radiant" as opposed to letting it go up to the ceiling, but can't it see how it would increase the heat output of the candle. So, BTU for BTU, you'd get the same heat from just burning the candle on its own, except your trailer would be the giant clay pot. Does that make sense?

[Bonnie]

I liked the idea. Candle power for emergencies and such. I used candles in the last big power outtage (ice storm two years ago) to keep the plumbing from freezing. In the inner bath (no windows, etc.) it was actually too hot.

Food for thought.

[Greg A]

I have a vision of coming in after being out playing in a beautiful 30 degree snow wonderland and lighting my candle and waiting for the heat, and waiting for the heat, and waiting for the heat.

I really enjoyed looking through all his "products." This fella is truly the old fashioned "garage inventor." I especially enjoyed the wearable humming bird feeder.

[Harry Young]

Hey guys food for thought below is a link on a concern to watch out for since this idea is considered to be used in a little fiberglass trailer, one of my friends is a respiratory M.D. and alerted me to it...You could use soy candles with wicks that are certified lead free to minimize risk, however combustion is combustion and uncontrolled combustion is a risky venture anyway, I might mention that pots made in the US are controlled supposedly "at least 8 years ago" and are lead free, pots outside the US i.e. Mexico is not. Please read and decide for yourselves.


<span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%">
<span style="font-family:Times New Roman"><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"></span>Harry
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12398334

KanHeat

So, what say all you engineers out there? Safe to use or no?

Bonnie

[Terry G]

Unless someone has found a shortcut around the Laws of Thermodynamics, then it's very unlikely that you're going to get much heat out of one little candle. If the candle is about 50 BTU, which sounds reasonable, then that's exactly how much heat you're going to get from the collection of clay pots. If anybody doesn't agree with that, then I've got a couple a Perpetual Motion machines in my garage that I'd like to sell you.

[peterh]

Some food for thought:

• If you hold your hand a foot or two over a candle, how much heat does it generate? Is that enough to heat your trailer? How many candles do you need to stay warm?
• The yellow part of the candle flame is where incomplete combustion is taking place. In other words, if you see yellow, it means the flame is putting out carbon monoxide . . . and soot. One candle probably doesn't put out enough carbon monoxide to hurt you, but lots of them (like enough to heat a trailer)? I wouldn't trust it.
• It's an open flame. The US Fire Administration website says there are 15,600 residential fires started by candles each year, resulting in 150 deaths and 1,270 injuries. And how many of these little open-flame fire hazards did you need to stay warm?

[April Wilcox]

neat ideas! I wouldn't use a candle for heat, but I like some of the other stuff they had on the website. I was thinking that heat stick idea might do some good in a trailer, the floor gets soooo cooooold, and the top is almost too hot, so that might be a good way to recirculate the warmer air without using a lot of juice... A flexible tube would work better to form to the curves in the trailer...just a thought.

[Lizbeth]

In years past there was a post talking about turning a clay pot upside down on a stove burner as a heat sink.

I really like the guy. What neat inventions!

[Ken C]

He is a true inventor. He said he has been piddling with it and different heat sources for 4 years.

[Patrick Mc]

In years past there was a post talking about turning a clay pot upside down on a stove burner as a heat sink.

We did this when sailing off the California coast. We'd put a pot over each burner and warm them up before bed. It worked well. With the extra pots, washers, and bolts, I can see this being much better. I just wouldn't use the candle. And, I'd make my own.

Pat

[Roy in TO]

I can't find anywhere on his site what the BTUs are.

They are just to the right of the picture of one in a large wood and plastic case in the garden.
(4th picture down)

The site says:
<blockquote>"The jar candle is about 3" high and 3" in diameter and contains 4.25 oz of wax, almost 1,000 Btu's. These candles will typically burn 20-24 hours, or at about 50 Btu's an hour. This is not a lot of heat so don't be thinking you are going to heat the house with one!"</blockquote>