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Old 11-16-2013, 09:37 PM   #21
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Name: Diane
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Donna you got that right! Light a candle in the camper then pour some Grand Marnier into a sniffer and turn it over the candle then drink. Heat the inside out!
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Old 11-16-2013, 10:48 PM   #22
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Another geeky test .. same result..Lame

Warning.. reading this may cause drowsiness..

I decided to do another more controlled experiment..tho probably not as scientific as it could be. I lack hoity toity measurement tools..

I moved the subject space used to the bathroom..the only totally isolated area in my rig. Again, I waited until the sun was going down and not a factor in passive solar heating of the rig. It was an exceptionally overcast day today, so this was minimal anyway.

I opened the bathroom door and waited to "equalize" the temps in the main cabin and the bathroom so both rooms are 65 degrees. My temp measurements in each room were taken 10 mins apart. Both cabin and bathroom roof vents were open to cool the areas while waiting for this equalization, then they both are shut.

Again, I was sitting all bundled up in my ski jacket and stupid hat. 65 is WAY too cold for me..I need a nose mitten. (Granted.. a big one :-) ) I was NOT running any cabin heat for this test. The bathroom door remained closed throughout (Except to take a quick measurement every 15 mins) and the light remained off. Each phase of the test lasted 1 hour.

The bathroom is approx 3 1/2ftx 4ft and is only 5 1/2 ft tall. It has two insulated outside walls + Ceiling, and 2 uninsulated inside walls. There are no windows. It has all the standard stuff in it everyone else has. The door is hollow core, but covered in T&G Cedar, full length and it seals quite well. There is a knock out spot in it where I have a faux firebox on the outside, but I covered this with my robe to insulate it and stuffed the opening at the top. It is what it is.

I placed a grate over my bathroom sink and placed the thermometer kitty corner to that at approx 4 ft away and a foot above sink level. On the grate I put a single 1" diameter Tea candle.

Phase 1 of the test..Tea Candle only.

First measurement, before lighting the candle:
65 degrees and 82% Relative Humidity
15 mins later:
67 degrees and 80% Relative Humidity:
15 mins later:
69 degrees and 80% Relative Humidity
15 mins later:
69 degrees and 80% Relative Humidity ~ No change from last measurement.
15 mins later:
69 degrees and 81% Relative Humidity

Phase 2 ~ The clay pot trick.

(Again, both rooms temp measured at 65 degrees..didn't take long for the bathroom temp to drop, only 5 mins, vent closed)

First measurement, before lighting the candle under the pots:
65 degrees and 84% Relative Humidity
15 mins later:
69 degrees and 81% Relative Humidity
15 mins later:
69 degrees and 81% Relative Humidity ~ No change
15 mins later:
69 degrees and 80% Relative Humidity
15 mins later:
69 degrees and 80% Relative Humidity ~ Absolutely no change. And clearly, the humidity changes I saw yesterday had nothing to do with the pots.

Bathroom temp after heater off for 5 mins, vent closed = 68, inner pot still too hot to touch. After 15 mins, 65, and both pots were only luke warm to the touch. (I did not lift the outer pot to blow out the candle so that the warm air in between would not be compromised, I lifted the grate and blew it out from underneath)

#s wise, I see no significant difference, only a variable in how long it took for the temp in the bathroom to rise, and to drop after the candles were out. Yes, the pots make a much better heat retaining device than air..but not enough to make it worth hauling a couple pounds of fragile pottery around.

Overall, both methods raised the room temp by only 4 degrees. The candle alone took 15 mins longer to get there. The candle/pot combo maintained the room temp longer once shut off. So, I guess, the pots won for overall performance..but 4 degrees is not going to toast my toes.

To be fair, but really subjective..the heat in the bathroom from the pots *felt* more even to me, more surrounding, if that makes any sense. Perhaps this perception of more even heat translates into MORE heat for some folks..I dunno..but my regular heat is now back on and my hat is off...
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Old 11-17-2013, 09:26 AM   #23
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Good experiment, Gina!

I remembered that the original concept was to put the clay pot on the stove (gas burner) and I could see some device that used the burner and got much hotter being useful as it would retain heat but you could quickly turn the burner off. However I see no energy advantage in either over your own heater, unless you don't have one. Not sure I'd want to heat a clay pot on a burner- if it exploded it would be a mess and dangerous- but heating a Dutch oven on the burner would probably work equally well. You could even heat the Dutch oven outside on a fire (no venting inside required) and then bring it inside to radiate heat (like the potato.) Or you could just bring hot rocks inside the camper. But likely still not enough to help much.
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Old 11-17-2013, 09:44 AM   #24
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Gina,
Thanks for giving the experiment a try. I can't imagine that 1 single tea candle would make much difference, but I give you full credit for doing the experiment, recording your findings, and then testing your results again.

Like the others, I don't think I will try it. It seems like a lot of work compared to a kerosene heater like we used in Japan, but never ran overnight because of the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning, or a little Japanese hibachi.

I think I might use the dog method. 1. Invite dog up on bed. 2. Once s/he has warmed up the spot, throw the dog off bed and climb into warm spot. 3. Ask the dog back up to share its warmth.
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Old 11-17-2013, 09:48 AM   #25
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RE: Dog Method

"Three Dog Night" = Australian (aka strain') for a very, very, cold night.

And never, never, never use a Hibachi inside a trailer.



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Old 11-17-2013, 10:14 AM   #26
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Flames that burn petroleum products give off soot. Ever noticed how much soot you get from burning a single candle? Long term, I wouldn't want that stuff coating the inside of my trailer. YMMV
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Old 11-17-2013, 11:05 AM   #27
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Agreed. No candles, no charcoal, no kerosene.
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Old 11-17-2013, 11:07 AM   #28
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Donna, the soot is contained inside the inner pot, so there is that advantage. Not a huge one, but there it is.

I only used 1 candle because it was a fixed unit, a baseline. I haven't a clue how to translate that into btus, nor do I know how to multiply the 4 degree per hour result on paper by adding multiple candles into the formula. It is possible that using more may increase the effect by more than 1-1..I don't know either. Dammit Jim, I am a camphost, not a scientist! (But I used to be an engineering kinda gal...)
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Old 11-17-2013, 11:15 AM   #29
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and I have to wait for my dogs to invite ME up!
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Old 11-17-2013, 11:25 AM   #30
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Are candles free?
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Old 11-17-2013, 11:47 AM   #31
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in Oregon..a bag of 100 is a buck at the dollar store. No tax
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Old 11-17-2013, 06:48 PM   #32
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I'm down to two dogs which makes for a cold night! Though they are very cooperative about keeping my spot warm if I get up during the night. Less so about giving it up again.
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Old 11-17-2013, 11:25 PM   #33
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This answer to how much heat (in BTU's) does a candle produce seems pretty accurate, as does the admonishment of the firefighter that posted not to be an idiot and have lit candles while you are sleeping.

Woodalls Open Roads Forum: Looking for ACTUAL MEASUREMENT ( no guesses...) What's the BTU output of a candle?

I would say a decent candle lantern, one with a chimney such as an old kerosene lamp would have, burning a good sized candle might (if your lucky) produce the heat and light of a 60 watt light bulb. Bees wax candles don't produce much soot. A tea candle would be more like a 20 or 40 watt light.

I do know that the large candle burning in a coffee can will raise the temp inside a car by a decent amount from using the one in my snow emergency kit from the trunk. Difference of about 10 degrees above outside temp. But that is a small space and a big candle.

I guess if you were up doing whatever in your camper candle lantern would make a cozy light and maybe keep your heater from running as often or take the chill off a cool summer night. But only while your awake! And not near curtains.

For sleeping I go with letting the dog or the wife under the covers, whichever seems most inclined to cuddle with me at the time.
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Old 11-18-2013, 03:41 AM   #34
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in my little Kit Companion, I have a gas lamp, original to the unit. It won't necessarily heat the trailer to a toasty warm, but I can tell you from personal experience with a heater failure in below freezing weather (Eastern Oregon in the fall, no less) that it saved my bacon. I still needed to bundle up but I could function normally without feeling cold and restricted to being under my bedding just to stay warm while I was awake. As I recall the outside temp was in the high 20s and it stayed in the mid 50s inside with just the gas lamp.

It also has an oven, if it got TOO uncomfortable, I would fire it up (Door shut, of course) for 1/2 hr or so and it retained heat for quite awhile.
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Old 11-23-2013, 06:03 PM   #35
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for anyone thats interested...a real time video done this week by a tiny house person. (She;s a little ditzy, but it doesn't hurt the test)
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Old 11-23-2013, 08:20 PM   #36
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An interesting thread, but I'll let Homer sum it up:

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Old 11-23-2013, 08:57 PM   #37
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Hmmmm.... and I thought that horse already died and everyone got off ???? Duh!



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Old 11-24-2013, 02:31 AM   #38
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Thanks Gina for following up on this. She used two candles. The British guy used 4. In any case, I think I will let it go

I am currently in Japan and am looking at little hand warmers that have USB rechargers.
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Old 11-25-2013, 01:58 PM   #39
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Garrett Wade Woodworking Tools & Supplies, Shop Tools, Hand Tools, Measuring Tools, Knives & Drills
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Old 11-30-2013, 11:22 PM   #40
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I used candles to keep warm this summer, found it made a big difference. I burnt 4 or 5 at a time. I have a very sensitive detector, and they couldn't set it off. If they happened to go out at night the temperature drop would wake me up. I liked using the pot idea more as it kept everything way from the flame, and directed the heat a little.

They are not enough to help in the winter though.
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