And if you don't feel up to building your own package (although the actual metalworking skills involved really aren't all that difficult), you might think about buying a retrofit unit or even a complete stove. (In any event, the results reported here shouldn't be viewed as being any more accurate than that 4% figure. We won't belabor the amount of effort that has gone into this article (much of which, of course, also went into the development of Buck Stove's new product) or take the space to try to thank everyone on the outside who's helped out. That way, any mechanical or operator problem will err on the side of safety. Generally speaking, catalytic heaters are safe to use in tents if you have lots of ventilation. Coleman catalytic heaters like the BlackCat and Sport PerfecTemp models … This figure is higher than those developed by some stack-mounted catalysts, but is a little lower than those achieved by some well-designed catalyst stoves. Therefore, the most important information we can provide you will be the fundamentals of good design rather than a single, rigidly limited set of instructions. Since the converter must reach a temperature of at least 500°F before it "lights off," a location close to the fire will insure that the unit starts working as soon as possible and continues to do so throughout the burn. Furthermore, if the energy that's converted as the smoke is burned in the ceramic monolith can be extracted, there will be more heat released into the room. (Throughout the tests we used a stack temperature thermostat and recommend it highly. What's more, the heat released as the catalysts work seems to be efficiently exchanged through the walls of the stove before it's lost out the chimney (loss of heat up the flue from stovepipe-mounted units is a potential problem). Ideal For Burn Ban Locations, Try the RV LIFE Pro Bundle FREE for 7 days, RV Mods – RV Guides – RV Tips | DoItYourselfRV, What Is An RV Propane Regulator? heater.Manufactured by A&L Enterprises in Tumwater, Washington, this compact, catalytic gas heater runs on natural gas or propane and may be safer than the built-in furnace found in most RVs.. So for those of us who already have woodburning heaters, a retrofit catalyst is for now the only way to significantly improve combustion efficiency. Some catalytic heaters are manufactured with cut-off switches that monitor the oxygen level. A pile of logs in a stove will always burn unevenly, thus there are almost always areas in the firebox that are left to smolder. On one cast-iron stove that we've equipped with converters, a thermometer set in that location rises to better than 800°F soon after the converter lights off. For example, the stove we used was equipped with an automatic blower, but we chose to run the fan on "high" constantly. And if you read about the stack temperature thermostat, you already know that members of our staff had been working on woodburning-related projects with independent researcher B.V. Alvarez for some time. This is accomplished by energizing internal electric heating elements using the voltage specified on the heater’s label. There are many designs of catalytic heaters which differ mainly in size. Oxygen is used during the heating process and some production of carbon dioxide gas which can lead to a deadly gas build-up if the air is not refreshed. Furthermore, that same valve will have to be open while you're getting a fire going. That bit of background should make the advantages offered by a catalytic converter pretty obvious. 2. account? By building a honeycomb with more open space (to avoid draft restriction and allow easy passage of heavy particles), they were able to develop a "tailpipe scrubber" for woodburners. The 1,500 BTU output operates up to 14 hours from one 16.4-ounce propane cylinder (not included), and a portable integrated handle makes the heater easy to carry. A baffle attached to the inside of the door then directed the air down to the stove floor, both to preheat it and to direct the blast right at the burn zone. Consequently, we think that our figures are probably in the ballpark, and that you can expect creosote to deposit in your chimney much more slowly once you've installed this catalytic converter. Already a Member? Because we knew that there would be experimental inaccuracies, we made every effort to err on the conservative side. Research Campgrounds, Plan RV Safe Routes & Turn your phone into an RV GPS. That's why we want you to save money and trees by subscribing through our earth-friendly automatic renewal savings plan. As a result, a properly functioning catalytic converter can boost woodstove combustion efficiency to over the 90% mark, since most of the burnables that slip past the fire zone will be ignited in the converter. By turning on the heater, you charge the plate, and the electrically charged plate causes the chemical process to speed up. At the beginning of each phase of the study, we installed a new, lower stovepipe connector that had been weighed. For similar reasons, we also think that it's a good idea to arrange the valve so that it falls open under the influence of gravity. (For that reason, the package should be kept in the middle of the stove's back wall well away from the firebox sides.). Sign in with your online account. Now, however, there are two sources of supply open to MOTHER EARTH NEWS-readers who wish to build a retrofit unit like ours. Approximately five minutes after the bypass is closed, depending on the specific stove and the intensity of the blaze inside, the heater can be damped down to achieve the burn rate you need. Now some of the recently released state-of-the-art heaters can achieve excellent combustion efficiency without resorting to catalytic converters, but without exception these units are carefully designed from the legs up. To use the heater after assembly, fill it with fuel, then turn it upside down until a fuel wet spot about six inches in diameter forms on the dome. On the other hand, the worst run without the catalyst compared to the best run with it shows an improvement of better than 20%. (By leaving that casing in place, we hoped to find out how much heat the catalyst itself contributed, rather than the sum of the catalyst input and the heat exchange effect produced by its metal jacket.). Page 1 WARNING: CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING INSTALLATION INFORMATION. Many of us have eyed them longingly, wishing that we could justify replacing our old metal boxes with state-of-the-art heaters. The Coleman SportCat catalytic heater is a safe, portable propane tent heater that is ideal for cold weather camping. What kind of fuel do Catalytic Heaters use? We have no way of knowing whether this variation is due to experimental error or an actual change in the stove's operating efficiency, but it could easily be either or a combination of the two. The overall weight of the creosote in the catalytic mode was about 20% of that found in the conventional mode. In this regard, it's likely that a well-designed "from scratch" catalyst stove may perform slightly better, but everyone who's been involved in this project feels that such tradeoffs are easily compensated for by the cash saved when you retrofit instead of buying new. After the charge of wood burns down — but not out — you can open the bypass, add more fuel, and then close the bypass immediately. Many of us have eyed them longingly, wishing that we could justify replacing our old metal boxes with state-of-the-art heaters. Consequently — after suffering through a heating season of wishful frustration — MOTHER EARTH NEWS' staff members began conducting some experiments of their own in April of 1982. They don’t make use of actual fire, and are designed to be used in close quarters. The monoliths mount side by side, low on the stove's back wall. If you do have a shutoff valve installed, press and release the button to start the flow of fuel gas to the heater to start the catalytic reaction. Two reasons: 1. The heaters are built with an automatic Piezo electric sparker that lasts about 20,000 starts. Its efficiency is high because combustion takes place at … Once the heater's mass is up to temperature, the converters will be much more forgiving of occasional blasts of chilly air and should relight themselves easily. In addition, testing has shown that the ends of the box at the base should be closed and sealed to prevent an air- and/or smoke-flow pattern that would run against the walls of the heater, where the gases would be cooled. Chemically, a catalyst is a substance that will facilitate a chemical reaction without being changed by it. International Subscribers - Click Here Plus, while we haven't the equipment to actually quantify any reduction in emissions, it's a reasonable assumption (based on research already done by experts in the field) that the device cuts pollution significantly. Canadian subscriptions: 1 year (includes postage & GST). This kept the amount of waste heat from the blower roughly equal at all times, but also made it more difficult to get the catalysts lit off since so much heat was being extracted from the stove's back wall. Catalytic heaters like the # CAM57331 Wave 3 do indeed put out moisture as a byproduct of the heating process, it's unavoidable with that type of heater. At that temperature, the catalyst died after a few minutes of activity. As it is, though, there are a lot of differences among existing designs. The bypass valve should also be built to seal tightly. We've chronicled that research and have waited anxiously for breakthroughs. Of course, most veteran woodburners take pains to see that the wood they cut gets well used, and as a consequence many such folks have toyed with devices that claim to either increase heat transfer efficiency or reduce creosote formation. Even though the cell structure of the catalyst is relatively open (in comparison with that of the automotive variety), the unit does restrict natural draft to some extent, particularly when the catalyst isn't lit. The research team has installed converters on three different stoves, and has had to adapt them in each case. Its stable, detachable base provides a strong stand for the heater. And one of the major obstacles to accomplishing that goal is the very nature of wood itself. Still, one obvious limitation involved in using rectangular catalysts is that the outer corners are often not as active as are the more central areas of the monoliths because the flow patterns and/or mixing are not perfect. In fact, we developed several early versions that attached to the stovepipe outside the firebox, and at that location our attempts to keep the catalyst active at low burn rates weren't very successful. As we've already mentioned, the single most important precaution is to always bypass the converters when the doors are opened. Since there is no open flame (just a heat-producing catalytic reaction instead), catalytic heaters consume propane at a much slower rate. One great way is using a Catalytic Heater for heating the Airstream instead of the furnace. During the entire test, we prevented stack temperature from ever exceeding 600°F at the bottom of the connector, so that deposits wouldn't be burned away by the heat. (A heavily draft-restricted fire, of course, is almost entirely in that dirty, smoldering state.). Testing Chemical Chimney Cleaning Products. 1941 Western Flyer Motorhome: Funny Looking or Good Looking? In order for the smoke to burn in the catalyst, it must be well mixed with a sufficient supply of air. Any smoke that leaks around it will miss the catalyst and reduce efficiency. And in the late 1970's, engineers at Corning Glass Works (then a major producer of ceramic monoliths — a trade term used to describe the honeycomb structure — for cars) recognized that the emissions from woodstoves were similar, in many ways, to those from autos. A catalytic converter can reduce the ignition temperature of carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons from upward of 1300°F to the 500-700°F range. As soon as the burn is established to the point where you would normally shut down the draft control to get the output you desire, the bypass can be closed slowly. Hi, thanks for stopping by. Wood heating, for all the satisfaction it brings, involves a lot of hard work ... and anything that could trim the burden of cutting, splitting, and hauling fuel or reduce the frequency of chimney cleanings would be more than welcome to just about any stove owner. In the presence of a catalyst, which is within the heater, counter-current combustion or catalytic combustion occurs when natural gas (or liquid propane gas) in the presence of oxygen creates carbon dioxide, water, and heat. (And in the long run, you won't have to be putting in wood as often.) Until recently, it hasn't been easy for an individual to acquire catalytic converters for a do-it-yourself design. As you may know, the goal of most wood heat development is to achieve more complete combustion, which can lead to increased heat output and less creosote buildup. (And Why You Need One), Go Off-Grid In The New GoSun Solar-Powered Tiny Home, 10 RV Kitchen Accessories That Save Time & Space, 10 Winter Camping Items You Shouldn’t Travel Without, 7 Best YouTube Channels For New RV Owners, Camp Among Giant Redwoods In Northern California, RV Industry News: What RV Owners Really Want To Know. Once the research crew was satisfied that the prototype was achieving performance in keeping with what they'd hoped for, the unit was subjected to a period of extended testing. To avoid using up any more firebox capacity than would be absolutely necessary, the conventional round catalyst was abandoned, and two smaller rectangular units were used instead. But with the help of sound advice from a Corning Glass Works engineer and his oxygen analyzer, it was determined that specific provisions for secondary air weren't needed. There’s going to be periods of time when your catalytic heater RV isn’t in use, particularly over the warmer months or when your RV is in storage. The catalyst project was once again headed by B.V. and was, in fact, in progress when we reported on the thermostat. The major catalytic converter manufacturers have found it logistically easy (and profitable) to deal only with stove manufacturers. Build this wood stove catalytic converter and your heating appliance can put out more heat while generating less creosote and soot. Models: Catalytic Safety Heater EFFECTIVE DATE: JANUARY 2009 Your Olympian ™ heater is designed and built to provide years of comfortable, radiant heat and economical LP Gas consumption. A catalytic heater is 99+% efficient compared to our furnace which is only 60% efficient. There is any area where you could slide a 2 inch by 6 inch catalytic combuster in the path where the smoke goes and burn it.. Any thoughts? Of course, one of the limitations inherent in retrofitting an existing stove with a catalyst is that the heater's firebox has not been specifically designed to optimize the muting of air and smoke. Even with the unit installed in a small cast-iron heater (one which holds only 20 pounds of wood per load), this loss of firebox space hasn't been a problem. Catalytic heater maintenance and operational guidelines. Well-warmed primary air encourages efficient primary combustion, and hot secondary air is vital to maintaining ignition temperature at the catalyst(s). Catalytic RV Heaters Offer Safer, More Efficient Warmth. So, once the smoke passing through the catalyst reaches that threshold, it will oxidize as long as the combustibles in it are well mixed with a sufficient supply of air. Log in Turn the stove upright, turn the lever to "high", and pour some denatured alcohol on the dome as a primer. [RIGHT] The creosote left when using the converter is dry and flaky and often falls away of its own accord. During that time, about 375 pounds of air-dried oak was consumed at a variety of burn rates. Tiny House Trailer: RV House Made of Redwood, 3 Portable Propane Outdoor Campfires. Materials such as coal, wood pellets, paper with colored ink, tires, plastics, and treated or painted lumber, may "poison" the catalyst and render it ineffective. This can be dangerous! [5] A well-sealed, strong bypass valve is mandatory. First, the stove was run for approximately 150 hours with the package in place. FREE Shipping. Thus, the amount of material available to stick to stovepipe walls will be less (and pollution will be reduced). The goal was to develop a catalytic converter package that could be added to any of the majority of existing stove types so that efficient, clean burning could be made available to the wood-heating public at an affordable price. If your heater has a heat shield make sure it is in place before the heater is light. We positioned an array of thermocouples along the back side of the baffle to sense extreme temperatures, and found that the readings consistently stayed below 1000°F. The package we’ve developed can be adapted to fit a wide variety of stoves, but the actual modifications will be up to you to design since every brand of heater will require its own, often minor, changes in the plan. ProCom Liquid Propane Ventless Ice House Heater - … Its cheaper given that it uses less propane because it uses low pressure propane vs the Mr. Heater Buddy which uses high pressure. don't have an online Later, when the bulk of the burnable combustion waste is carbon monoxide, temperatures will drop, but the catalyst will still be doing its job for almost as long as coals remain in the firebox. Light the dome and let … You may also like to check out: diy rocket stoves, wood shed plans, diy solar water heaters, diy solar pool heaters, diy solar ovens, diy hot tubs, and diy sauna projects. Since that issue went to press, B.V. has accepted a position directing engineering at Buck Stove Corporation, and the final prototype was developed and tested in cooperation with that company. Check your yellow pages for Buck Stove Energy Centers. The catalyst in your stove, similar to the catalytic converter in your car, burns the unburned fuel (smoke) from the fire before it exits through the flue. The flame impingement baffle is not shown. This will greatly reduce the number of trips back to town for more propane. [l] Get the catalyst close to the heat source. I cannot recommend you tap or splice into an existing line. The baffled opening we devised prevented any flame front from reaching the catalysts during our extended testing. We did, however, obtain results that repeated to within 4% when the measured burn rates were equal. order to make it easier to start it is possible to use a flameless heater in which the vapor from liquid fuel (gasoline) is oxidized by the oxgen of the air in the presence of a catalyst. It takes NO power and a minimal amount of propane to run meaning it saves us lots while providing plenty of warmth on even the coldest days and nights. Usually I would have to make another fire about that time or a little earlier to keep things warm even on a good solar day. Meet the 12V DC propane powered Platinum CAT! 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