Greenhouse heaters

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Just don't, burning anything will produce a host of different gases, one of which will be CO, and it is highly likely to kill you in such a confined space.
 
I would not risk it. if you do decide to use it make sure you have a carbon monoxide alarm and no its not the same thing as a fire alarm/censer that you use in your house.
 
I couldn't handle much more than a few minutes in Nicks tent at the weekend Gray, I wouldn't chance it myself mate
 
I couldn't handle much more than a few minutes in Nicks tent at the weekend Gray, I wouldn't chance it myself mate
Rich, thats what gave me the idea, I'm sure Nick said he usually has a paraffin heater running all night. Must have cast iron lungs lol, I've already given up on this as a bad idea, I'm sure Ian Bilmo will put me straight as well. Oh well, cheers fellas....again :)
 
Rich, thats what gave me the idea, I'm sure Nick said he usually has a paraffin heater running all night. Must have cast iron lungs lol, I've already given up on this as a bad idea, I'm sure Ian Bilmo will put me straight as well. Oh well, cheers fellas....again

Nick wouldn't have said that. We have been using the bowl fires and other pressure paraffin apparata; lanterns, stoves etc. for years, and everything is shut down before we turn in for the night.
I've never seen anyone using a greenhouse heater but it is effectively the same as a hurricane lantern. In a tent the size of yours, Gray, I'd be inclined to use one of the gas catalytics or even a Trangia burner in its windshields.
Whatever you use you need to ensure adequate ventilation.
As far as cast iron lung are concerned; mine are anything but, but I find paraffin causes me a rather less problems than woodsmoke. Much as I like to sit by a fire, I really suffer for it the morning after.
 
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CO2 is not goin to be a problem in a tent unless its air tight, which tents are not. CO is the killer as it binds very strongly to your hemoglobin so you cant transport oxygen around the body. this is bad for most of the body but catastrophic for the brain. quickly you will be sleepy, then asleep. after that you are unlikeky to wake up without ouside help but whilst asleep your brain is dying leading to brain damage followed by death.

its hard to know how much something burning is producing, you really need a detector. i think about 20 - 30 ppm is concerning but probably ok. 50 ppm plus may cause long term damage and closer to 100 is an immediate risk.

generally the lighter fuels burn cleaner but for obvious reasons its better safe than sorry
 
How do you form a connection between storage heaters and taking a barbie into a tent.

I think it was more the idea of taking fire bricks to camp and heating them to put in a tent.

A good old fashioned bed warming pan to heat things up then chuck the ashes back on the fire before getting in.
 
I think it was more the idea of taking fire bricks to camp and heating them to put in a tent.

A good old fashioned bed warming pan to heat things up then chuck the ashes back on the fire before getting in.

Or a hot water bottle :)


I bought a cheap Gelert tent heater for a recent trip to the Lakes. I fired it for 10 minutes or so to undress and get in my bed, then switched it off. Fired again in the morning along with a Jetboil for a brew and toasty tent. I had my mesh side panels partially open. My main concern was a blanket or something going over it rather than carbon monoxide. Propane burns much more cleanly than paraffin, it will give off CO2, but much less CO.

The yellower the raw fuel burns, the more carbon it contains. There are meths based Heat Pals that are supposed to be ok, but personally I'm more fearful of fire than being gassed. Depends on your tent size maybe?
 
Folks always seem to get confused between CO and CO2 here for some reason.

Both are potentially killers.
But in this case it's really CO that's the killer, CO2 is actually used for putting out fires.

I have never heard of a CO2 death in relation to fire, for fires inside tents it's CO that's the killer.
 
I think it was more the idea of taking fire bricks to camp and heating them to put in a tent.

A good old fashioned bed warming pan to heat things up then chuck the ashes back on the fire before getting in.

Ah, right. Got hold of the wrong end of the stick.
I think you'd need a lot of firebricks.

Seriously, there's nothing wrong with conventional gas, liquid or solid fuel heaters so long as you bear in mind their ventilation requirements, and with a little thought, draught-free ventilation can generally be achieved.

At a simpler level, a hot-water bottle has a lot going for it.
 
http://www.usepropane.com/ContentPageWithoutLeftNav.aspx?id=3185

Propane burns much more cleanly than paraffin, it will give off CO2, but much less CO.

Not quite correct, CO is generated by inefficient burning of a fuel, what ever fuel that may be, some generate more CO than others, charcoal is really bad, other fuels possibly not so bad.

Carbon monoxide is a product of incomplete combustion of organic matter due to insufficient oxygen supply to enable complete oxidation to carbon dioxide (CO[SUB]2[/SUB]).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_monoxide_poisoning

Complete combustion
LPG + Oxygen -> Carbon Dioxide + water

Incomplete combustion
LPG + Oxygen -> Carbon (soot) + Unburnt gas + Carbon Monoxide + water

Hence good ventilation = good combustion, bad ventilation = bad combustion

Any appliance burning a gas or solid fuel will create CO when burnt.
 
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