Mr. Heater Buddy question

[designerchick]

Hi all! We're adding some extra padding to our emergency heating supplies for the house, which is all electric (blech). Does anyone have this model (it's the smaller one) of the Mr. Heater: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002G5 ... UTF8&psc=1
and if so, can you give me an estimate of how long one of the small 1lb. tanks would last? I'm thinking 2-3 hours? Can't find any specific info though.

Thanks!!

[Flathead]

you are better off with a bigger heater than that. run time is short with 1 lb bottles.Cruise the pawn shops and find a good used Rennai. I picked one up for $30 that keeps my gun shop warm. Run time with a 20 lb tank is over 30 hours and rated at 30,000 btu's. It also has a fan on it that can circulate the air, but isn't needed to keep the shop warm.

[designerchick]

The plan is to use this in one of the smaller bedrooms if we need heat. With all 5 of us piled in there, there wouldn't be much room for anything bigger, plus the big ones make us a bit more nervous with the kidlets running around. From our tests we think it will be sufficient heat for what we need. We've just never had an occasion to actually use it longer term, so we're not sure how much propane we would go through. And yes, we can crack the window and we have battery operated CO detectors.

[majorrath]

Responses to similar question at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/long-heater-propa ... B002G51BZU

Their answers vary - I'd say your best bet would be do a test run and see how long a can burns on your specific unit.

[designerchick]

Responses to similar question at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/long-heater-propa ... B002G51BZU

Their answers vary - I'd say your best bet would be do a test run and see how long a can burns on your specific unit.

Thanks! I didn't even think to check the Amazon questions.

[majorhavoc]

I have that heater. It kicks out a remarkable amount of heat for such a small unit. But make no mistake about it; it's designed to be a back up heat source.

I purchased the regulator and hose kit so I can run it off a standard 14lb propane tank. That solves the run time issue presented by using the 1 lb disposable bottles.

[nolongpork]

I got about three hours per bottle out of mine and I second the big tank adapter. you do need venting though because the sensor is quite good.

Another low cost method for small room heat is a flower pot heater and it has a bonus of being a night lite. if you are interested. FYI I do not use tea lights I use 8hr restaurant candles (same as sterno long burn but 1/3 the cost)

[HeldTheAncient]

I have the big buddy unit and I love it! Definitely worth the investment to get the hose and adapter to hook up a larger propane tank (think grill tanks). I use it to supplement heat in the house when it's on low but if I turn it on high it easily heats up my living area which is about 700 square feet and has vaulted ceilings.

[Black November]

I recently picked up a big buddy, and 12' hose for a 20 lb propane tank.

In a few weeks, I plan to use it truck camping during Wintergeddon.

[designerchick]

Thanks everyone! I'll budget the hose and filter for next month's to-do list.

[azrancher]

Thanks everyone! I'll budget the hose and filter for next month's to-do list.

I tend to run mine on the low setting just to heat my back corner computer room/study. I'm thinking the 3-4 hours that are being quoted are low, but I've never timed it, I would guess 8 hours continuous on low. I would also just buy the adapter to refill the 1Lb containers from the 20Lb jug, the reason you want to use it on the smaller containers is for portability. And I'm not sure what you mean by filter?

Rancher

[mystic_1]

the reason you want to use it on the smaller containers is for portability.

There are also safety implications to bringing a 20lb propane cylinder into your house. Almost all fire safety literature specifically warns against doing this.


I use a Mr Heater Big Buddy in my one-car uninsulated garage during winter. It takes two of the small bottles.



At a guess I would say I was getting at least six to eight hours of run time out of two bottles, using High (18000 BTU) to bring the temperature up, and then Med (9000) or low (4000) to maintain temperature.

If runtime is your main concern I think the Big Buddy using two one-pound bottles and running on low would be the best compromise between heat and safety for your stated scenario.

mystic_1

[majorhavoc]

the reason you want to use it on the smaller containers is for portability.

There are also safety implications to bringing a 20lb propane cylinder into your house. Almost all fire safety literature specifically warns against doing this.
mystic_1

I have a styrofoam insert that fits in my window sash. It has a hole for the fuel line. This is the reason I opted for the longer 20' hose versus the shorter lengths.

The propane tank stays outside.

[designerchick]

We already have the smaller heater, so we can't buy a larger one just now. We've just never had to use it continuously before, so I wasn't sure how long a small tank would last. We have about 16 tanks now, and we'll just stick with those until we have a chance to research the hose/larger tank issue better.

Thanks again everyone. I really appreciate all the input.