Boondocking an Electric Heater

[Glenn Baglo]

In the meantime, I'll be sipping my coffee made on a propane stove with drip filter and towing a trailer with round wheels.

[Jon in AZ]

If you're going to live a retrograde existence, you should really be thoroughgoing about it, Glenn.

Pull that trailer with a horse.

[Glenn Baglo]

Originally Posted by Jon in AZ

If you're going to live a retrograde existence, you should really be thoroughgoing about it, Glenn.

Pull that trailer with a horse.

Whoa Boy.
Finally got around to replacing the analogue thermostat with a digital one. Now, I'll know, from the display, if I'm warm or not.

[Jon in AZ]

Wouldn't it be easier to switch the Celsius display to Fahrenheit? Then you'll be much warmer.

Unless it's 40 below.

Bugeee, keep up the interesting experiment. Afraid I'm a bit retrograde myself, but I'm watching. Please don't tell my wife you've found a way to take a Keurig machine camping...

[k0wtz]

I am lost I read all the pages I am now in a haze not pot!

so much to do so little time left at 75 I think I will just camp!! Boondockign at walmarts with a wave 3!!

bob

[Johnny M]

I have enjoyed reading through this thread. And while battery power might not be as efficient as other methods of heating (or cooling) it certainly is bound to become increasingly efficient as technology improves with solar panels, inverters and other components.

And before you throw out that old stuff, keep those old UPS battery backup devices for your computers! Even if the batteries are expired you can wire them up to a 12v battery bank for use as an inverter rather than buying a new inverter!

I have been contemplating a method of using solar heating of water to produce a "radiator" using a low amp draw water pump to circulate water from a storage tank (heated during the day by sun and stored for circulation after the sun sets)...

Good luck! Will continue to follow this thread!

[k0wtz]

When I ran my 40f bus I would constantly read on the boards and It was attempted to build up a huge bank of batteries thinking a/c and stuff could be ran by using inverters. Impossible!

The only solution I see is generators and you know what a lot of folks think of those.

there really is no solution out here in the boonies!!

bob

[Buggeee]

Just a bit of data.

Its 45 degrees Fahrenheit out here right now. I plugged in the heater and ran it for fifteen minutes. At that point I captured a screenshot of the monitor application and that is attached if you're interested.

Before I started the test I found that the inverter and lights and battery moniter with Bluetooth dongle and probably a relay somewhere were pulling about 1.7 amps just sitting there with no other load. So I zeroed the current calibration of the monitor before running the heater, to isolate the consumption of the heater.

Running the heater as a 120v 700 watt unit, it pulled 65.60 amps from the 12v batteries at the time of this screenshot and it ranged to a low of about 64.90 amps during the test.

You can see it's taxing the bank with a voltage reading of 12.36 under load (it bounces right back up to a full voltage when the load is relieved).

It used a total of 16 amp hours during the 15 minutes. For those keeping score that's a total cost of 8 KCs (Keurig cups).

The cabin was not warm by any definition but the chill had been taken out to some degree, as measured by the feel of my uncapped melon.

I think I need to get a thermometer out here for the next round, to see if this heater is moving the mercury at all and, if so, to what degree.

I've also attached a picture of the loose heater sitting there... just because peeps need pics.

Later Eggers....

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by Buggeee

I've also attached a picture of the loose heater sitting there... just because peeps need pics.

Well, that's better than an uncapped melon anyways...

1.7 amps is a bit. A stock 1141 incandescent lamp runs about 1.6, more or less.

[Franswa]

"It used a total of 16 amp hours during the 15 minutes. For those keeping score that's a total cost of 8 KCs (Keurig cups).

The cabin was not warm by any definition but the chill had been taken out to some degree, as measured by the feel of my uncapped melon."

Here is one item, given your cubic footage space, that can take "the chill out to some degree"....I use it now in the BF and used it in a boat for 15 years. One fill lasts two eight hour nights, one bottle of fuel fills it 10-15 times (?) and costs 8 bucks
(looks and feels nice too!)

YMMV......

[Raspy]

Originally Posted by Franswa

"It used a total of 16 amp hours during the 15 minutes. For those keeping score that's a total cost of 8 KCs (Keurig cups).

The cabin was not warm by any definition but the chill had been taken out to some degree, as measured by the feel of my uncapped melon."

Here is one item, given your cubic footage space, that can take "the chill out to some degree"....I use it now in the BF and used it in a boat for 15 years. One fill lasts two eight hour nights, one bottle of fuel fills it 10-15 times (?) and costs 8 bucks
(looks and feels nice too!)

YMMV......

I have one of those lanterns. Used it for years as my anchor light. Cool.

[k corbin]

That is an interesting way to monitor your electrical consumption.

[EricAllyn]

How much does running the propane stove for 10 min raise the temp feeling? would that be another way to boondock?

[Buggeee]

Originally Posted by Civilguy

Well, that's better than an uncapped melon anyways...

1.7 amps is a bit. A stock 1141 incandescent lamp runs about 1.6, more or less.

Agreed. In chasing down this waste, 0.15 is attributed to an led overhead light and 1.43 is attributed to the inverter in it's ready-to-rock state. The balance I attribute to the 12v led dash lights on my marine AC panel and DC panel.

So the inverter would waste 102.96 amp hours over a three day period (1.43 amps * 24 hours * 3 days). That is a cost of 51.5 spilled coffees. Ouch.

In looking through the manual, the inverter offers a power saving mode (hibernation) that will drop it's stand-by consumption to 0.25 amps. By flipping various dip switches the inverter can be left to sleep and only triggered to "wake up" when asked to deliver a minimum threshold load, ranging from 20 watts to 135 watts as you choose to set it.

So I'll get that set up and save a relative 42 cups of spilled Java over a 3 day boondock experience. (0.25*24*3) vs (1.43*24*3). It's my luck that the switches are located in a manner that will require removal of the inverter from it's nest. I may try one of those little mirrors on a stick. Either way, it will be worth the effort.

Thanks for the prompt CivilGuy, the first saved cup is yours!

[Buggeee]

Ok Franswa and EricAllyn, let's add these to the list, which now looks like this -

Electric heater and promptly depleted battery bank... plus a Weems & Plath Yacht Oil Lamp (aka coal miners lamp), propane stove, hot rock from the campfire, bottle of mint schnapps, two dogs, and a zero degree bag. (No, I did not forget her, but the missus ain't coming on this trip - even with the beautiful brass lamp!)

All good stuff. This is a fun exercise.

[Civilguy]

Originally Posted by Buggeee

Agreed. In chasing down this waste, 0.15 is attributed to an led overhead light and 1.43 is attributed to the inverter in it's ready-to-rock state. The balance I attribute to the 12v led dash lights on my marine AC panel and DC panel.

So the inverter would waste 102.96 amp hours over a three day period (1.43 amps * 24 hours * 3 days). That is a cost of 51.5 spilled coffees. Ouch.

In looking through the manual, the inverter offers a power saving mode (hibernation) that will drop it's stand-by consumption to 0.25 amps. By flipping various dip switches the inverter can be left to sleep and only triggered to "wake up" when asked to deliver a minimum threshold load, ranging from 20 watts to 135 watts as you choose to set it.

So I'll get that set up and save a relative 42 cups of spilled Java over a 3 day boondock experience. (0.25*24*3) vs (1.43*24*3). It's my luck that the switches are located in a manner that will require removal of the inverter from it's nest. I may try one of those little mirrors on a stick. Either way, it will be worth the effort.

Thanks for the prompt CivilGuy, the first saved cup is yours!

The specs and settings on the inverter are interesting, at least to me.

Remember that all that electrical device inefficiency basically ends up as heat. So, while you might save a Keurig cup or three, you are "turning down the heat" when you put the inverter into sleep mode. Choose wisely!

[k0wtz]

I know my solution doesn't suit some but my thinking whenever you convert 12v to 110v just isn't going to be free or work like we think it will not that I haven't thought about it.

My solution is simple a small coleman stove or our 2 burner coleman most of the time the single burner is the best. it runs cheap and is efficient and inside in the cold or rain we get heat!

In cold weather we use our propane fired wave 3 and yes we vent our ceiling and window. No we do not run the windows fully open as someone suggested!

I just think we can expend an awful lot of money and effort in solutions that aren't efficient or wont work in the long run. Not that I don't admire the things some of you try!

bob

bob

[Darral T.]

Just make sure you have a working Carbon Monoxide monitor!

Originally Posted by k0wtz

I know my solution doesn't suit some but my thinking whenever you convert 12v to 110v just isn't going to be free or work like we think it will not that I haven't thought about it.

My solution is simple a small coleman stove or our 2 burner coleman most of the time the single burner is the best. it runs cheap and is efficient and inside in the cold or rain we get heat!

In cold weather we use our propane fired wave 3 and yes we vent our ceiling and window. No we do not run the windows fully open as someone suggested!

I just think we can expend an awful lot of money and effort in solutions that aren't efficient or wont work in the long run. Not that I don't admire the things some of you try!

bob

bob

[charlsara]

Very interesting thread. I have been considering adding an inverter to power my Keurig. It is IMHO the best way to brew coffee. We have a pair of golf cart batteries and the same meter setup. Great news..Thanks for sharing your experiences.

[Buggeee]

Originally Posted by charlsara

Very interesting thread. I have been considering adding an inverter to power my Keurig. It is IMHO the best way to brew coffee. We have a pair of golf cart batteries and the same meter setup. Great news..Thanks for sharing your experiences.

Great news indeed! These people have been fantastic with their contributions to the quest. Enjoy!