Your Wagonmaster heater may kill you

[David Tilston]

On a long enough time scale, breathing is fatal.

Given the discussions about using catalytic vs Mr. Heater type propane heaters, I would say, if there is an exhaust vent at all, you are ahead of other combustion type heaters that don't vent exhaust.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by David Tilston

On a long enough time scale, breathing is fatal.
.

The leading cause of death is birth.

[glamourpets]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

The carbon monoxide from the generator will sneak into the camper and will kill you for sure.

This problem can be minimized by positioning the generator at the opposite end of a 100' power cord.

[glamourpets]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

Read the posts here long enough and virtually everything ends up being a potential fatality.

This is where my mind was when we started this conversation. Is this a real problem, or overinflated hype. It seems to me that the requirement with these furnaces is that you must have a brain and you must use it. There are things that go wrong. You just have to be aware of them and address them if they come up.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by glamourpets

Here is another consideration:

The propane stovetop provides a cooking flame with no ventelation what-so-ever. Even if you choose to add a hood, the stove still "vents" into the open air of the cabin. Perhaps its not the heater, but its the hot chocolate on the stove (and its associated byproducts) that will kill you. Thoughts?

Well Derek the two BIG difference in safety between the stove scenario you described above and the old heater you have are:

1) Each stove manufacture instructions indicate that the user must have good fresh air ventilation when using inside. My 21 year old trailer actually has a small warning label on the wall right by the stove to that effect. Which means you need to open up a window or large vent when using - something people running a furnace to keep the trailer warm are not likely to do or if they do they dont open them enough.

2) A stove with a power vent is even safer as not only does the user have a window open while using it but they have an exhaust fan pulling the bad air out & at the same time it will pull good air in via the open window, something your old furnace does not have and the #1 reason it was ban from use in an RV and discontinued. As indicated previously the old furnace you are asking about actually has a tiny exhaust pipe with no fan.

A lot of people here use propane furnaces including myself made by the same company your old furnance is made by but the BIG difference is they have larger exhaust piping and they have a fan. I use mine a lot when off the grid as do others here - no generator required just a solar panel to keep the battery charged up due to the fan using up battery power.

This is one of the those situations where in a free world people can take warnings seriously in regards to whether or not something they own is safe to use or not. But at the end of day sadly it also one of those situations where the party who made the decision to continue to use something despite the warns might actually not find out it was a bad decision until its to late and at that point they may not actually be able to speak to retell the story as to why it was a bad decision. CO2 after all is a silent killer.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by glamourpets

This problem can be minimized by positioning the generator at the opposite end of a 100' power cord.

Don't spoil all the scarey fun.

[Evan Friesen]

Heaters don't kill people, people kill people! The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a heater is a good guy with a heater!

They're trying to take our freedom to pack heat!!!

What next! A national heater registry? I hope nobody is sending in their product registrations when you're buying a new heater...

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Evan Friesen

Heaters don't kill people, people kill people! The only thing that can stop a bad guy with a heater is a good guy with a heater!

They're trying to take our freedom to pack heat!!!

What next! A national heater registry? I hope nobody is sending in their product registrations when you're buying a new heater...

Wait a minute - aren't you the scofflaw who removed this label?

[Evan Friesen]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

Wait a minute - aren't you the scofflaw who removed this label?

I plead the Fifth!

[glamourpets]

Originally Posted by Thomas G.

Don't spoil all the scarey fun.

Judging by the discussions about car accidents, tire blow outs, frame failures, and other misfortunes, we will be lucky to arrive at our chosen camp destinations alive. This odds of a safe journey are so low that perhaps this whole CO conversation is irrelevant.

Derek

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by glamourpets

Judging by the discussions about car accidents, tire blow outs, frame failures, and other misfortunes, we will be lucky to arrive at our chosen camp destinations alive. This odds of a safe journey are so low that perhaps this whole CO conversation is irrelevant.

Derek

Oh Geeze, don't bring Colorado into this. Enough carnage in that state, so I hear.

[Thomas G.]

Originally Posted by Evan Friesen

I plead the Fifth!

I drank the fifth.

[Matt in SV]

This thread alone explains why I keep seeing this heater/blower ad with every page refresh, in various sizes and locations...

[RogerDat]

The furnace lacks "modern" safety features such as low oxegen shut off, which also means it works at high elevations where people have had problems with newer furnaces refusing to work. They have very little to fail except cracks or rust holes, which are pretty easy to check for and the pilot themal probe.

They are simple. They don't run down the battery, are much safer than a portable heater or lantern if properly maintained.

I give them a thumbs up if inspected, maintained and you have a CO2 detector. And don't mind leaving a window or vent cracked a little for outside air. I mean the burner is small, your gas stove is probably putting more CO2 into your trailer when you make dinner.

I will say I generally have not slept with the heater on, but do fire it up in the mornings or evenings sometimes. And use an electric bookshelf heater if there is shore power.

After more than 20 years of using them I am still alive, as to CO2 induced brain damage... I'll take that 5th that was going around earlier.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by RogerDat

The furnace lacks "modern" safety features such as low oxegen shut off...

Does any furnace have a low-oxygen shutdown? This is a feature needed for unvented heaters, but I don't think an externally vented furnace needs to worry about depleting the oxygen of the outdoors.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Matt in SV

This thread alone explains why I keep seeing this heater/blower ad with every page refresh, in various sizes and locations...

That's the very blower that's been following me around at Sister Site IRV2!

In fact, it got me so rattled that I actually posted a thread there on the question:
Why does Google think I of all people actually NEED a machine to generate more hot air?


Francesca, mystified.

[Roy in TO]

Derek,
I'll PM you the contact info for Mark from Panda Propane up in Holland Landing which I understand is not too far from you. He inspects propane claims for the insurance industry, so I imagine he is up to snuff. So if you want to get the info from the horses mouth, I'd call him.
He pulled my furnace, bench tested it and told me what to fix in the piping. Pictures are in this post: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tml#post139049
I've got a different gravity furnace in my Trillium. A Fromme model Number 9201F789

[glamourpets]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

Derek,
I'll PM you the contact info for Mark from Panda Propane up in Holland Landing which I understand is not too far from you. He inspects propane claims for the insurance industry, so I imagine he is up to snuff. So if you want to get the info from the horses mouth, I'd call him.
He pulled my furnace, bench tested it and told me what to fix in the piping. Pictures are in this thread: http://www.fiberglassrv.com/forums/f...tml#post139049
I've got a different gravity furnace in my Trillium. A Fromme model Number 9201F789

Thanks Roy. This is helpful. Holland Landing is definitely a manageable distance. I'm going to need someone to look over my propane system when th restoration gets that far. Right now I'm trying to decide what to do with that heater.

Derek

[Roy in TO]

The heater is a work horse. Many nights just having it on pilot takes the edge off in the boler. We've had the water freeze outside and been warm and toasty inside.

Even for the recent meet in Cobourg we only cranked the one in the Trillium up to about 2.

I wouldn't do without a heater in either trailer. Our camping season typically starts and ends with below freezing on either end.

I may add computer fans to the one in the Trillium like one I saw at the recent Eggfest. Mark charged about $95 / hour a few years back. You can save yourself a few $$ by pulling the heater and letting him do the work on the bench. The R&R is what takes the time.

[Francesca Knowles]

Originally Posted by Roy in TO

I may add computer fans to the one in the Trillium like one I saw at the recent Eggfest. .

Faggedoubout computer fans- they use electricity from the battery. Getcherself an Ecofan- they make their OWN electricity off waste heat from the heater!

And they're stone silent to boot.

Francesca