Million dollar idea or catastrophic failure?

[PurpleFloyd]

I like the thought process, but I think the recovery time would be too long. In my business we use boilers and radiators, but it takes a while to get up to temp if we aren't around for the weekend and drop it down.

In theory, there should be plenty of ways to make a forced air system that is sealed from any combustibles, just like a direct vent HE furnace in a house. (if they current ones aren't already)

If the forced air is coming in from the inside, and out to the inside, in a sealed system, through a heat exchanger, and the furnace is in a box sealed from the inside, there shouldn't be any way of getting CO into the house, with the exception of the exhaust blowing back in from the wind (which would happen in either system) or if there was a crack in the heat exchanger.

That is what I was thinking us you still need a pump to circulate the water running off a generator. I like the outside unit idea with a heat exchanger and fan the best.

[Ballyhoo]

Any time you are dealing with propane whether the furnace is inside or outside there is still a risk. There was another house explosion quite a few years ago on LOW and that was caused by a rusty propane tank. there was a pin hole in the bottom of the tank and the propane leaked out and settled on the ice and found a hole under the house. It then filled up the bottom of the house until it got to the heater and boom.

The biggest safety thing you can do is check furnace, lines, tanks a couple times a year. These houses bounce down the road then take a jarring on the ice road. After time things start to shake loose.

[Rick G]

Thought about this myself a few times as I build and have installed the cooling systems for indoor ice rinks. It's a sound idea, the materials are readily avalible at most of the heating/cooling supply outlets. Just waiting for someone else to try it first.