Icehouse heaters

[Hexum]

Hi all... I am looking for ideas on different heaters for icehouses. I have used a Mr Heater type mounted on the wall for the past few yrs which works just fine, however I am looking to "upgrade" to a wall mount regular LP heater. Any suggestions/recommendations? Price isnt really an issue just looking for something a little nicer.

[hanson]

I assume you are talking about a heater for a permanent, hardside fish house. There has been some pretty good discussion in the last few weeks to a month on types of heaters, pros & cons, etc.

You said price isn't an issue so I'll answer with an Empire Direct Vent Furnace. Either 10,000 or 15,000 Btu depending on the size of your house. The 15,000 Btu will run you around $450 or so. Direct Vents take air from the outside of your house for combustion and then exhaust to the outside of your house also. No doubt they are the safest type of heater to use.

For less money, you could go with a ventless, blue-flame type wall mount heater available at Menards or a fleet supply. They mount to the wall and will also heat your house very well. The downside, in my opinion, is they burn the air inside your house for combustion and also exhaust inside your house too. There are many FMers here who have effectively used ventless models for years and say they have had no problems with CO.

I installed a 15,000 Empire Direct Vent in my sleeper house for this winter. I plan on spending the night in the house quite a bit. For me, it will just help me to sleep better knowing the heater is vented outside the house.

[StrosLit31]

I bought a force air heater that is made by atwood. It has automatic ignition just like you furnace at home. so you just need a battery and then click the thermostat on and you are good to go. nicest heater i have seen.

[berke99]

I built my drop down ice house 12yrs. ago. I bought an Empire ventless heater. Never had a problem with it, it works great. I think it is 35000 btu, I should have went with a smaller unit though, it is never cold in my house!

[road kill]

I have used the blue-flames before and do not reccomend them. They seem to stink more then direct-vents.

[greenhorn]

Just a quick question Hanson. Is a 15,000 btu empire furnace big enough for a 14 ft fish house?

[Piker]

I think it's a mistake to get anything other than a vent-free blue flame type. I have a 10,000 BTU in my 8X16 and it heats it fine. I need to put some fans on the ceiling and then it will be even better. If I had it to do over though, I'd buy the 30,000 blue flame. Possibly even the one with the thermostat if I had good fans to circulate the air.

[fishing41]

So everyone trusts the vent-free, blue flame furnaces? I thought about converting my house to one, but have had others question the safety. Everyone trusts the shutdown switch, etc?

As for what size to use, my understanding you take the cubic room dimensions (LxWxH) and multiply that by 3 or 4 to determine the BTU's necessary. Not sure that'd be sufficient for a fish house though with frequent door openings, etc.

[Neighboor]

If your going to have it on while fishing with opening the door now and then, with typical daily movements. the vent free is fine.

I personally would not trust going to sleep for 6-7 hours with the house sealed up tight. Without a correctly working CO detector or 2!

[korn_fish]

I beleive it was stated before that just as many CO poisoning cases come from direct vent vs. the newer vent free heaters.

If you have two windows on opposite ends/corners (i.e. front left and the other rear right side) with the heater in the middle wall somewhere, you can crack the two windows and get good air circulation to "vent" your fishouse. Add in one or two small fans to circulate air top to bottom/bottom to top, and I can't see how there should be an issue with CO or humidity.

Vented or non vented, I still recommend a CO detector that has a digital readout of the levels.

I have the comfort glo 20,000 w/thermostat in mine and I had my house tested by a furnace guy that had a certified CO tester. I think any furnace guy or even the F.D. would have them. Mine wasnt emitting any CO, and I tested the humidity levels as well (can get a thermometer that does this from menards or home depot) and humidity didn't change. This was after an hour of having the on high. (Even though mine has a thermostat, if you have it on the highest setting it remains on at all times instead of turning on and back to pilot on the different settings)

Humidity thing might change once you add in open holes etc, but if that is the case, then I would expect the same from a direct vent as well. Maybe the "already vented" heater helps get this humidity out, but if you crack open some windows just slightly, I can't see how this doesn't do the same thing.

I also want to say that when I turned off the blue flame vent free heater, and started up my mr heater cooker, my CO detector was going off within 30 minutes.

Here are the main reasons I went with the blue flame instead of direct vent:

1 - less expensive

2 - Metro area is known for breakins, a ventless can be installed to be removeable and I can take out of my house with ease when I know I am not going to be there for a couple nights.

3 - a direct vent heater just says "hey this house has a big heater worht about 500 just sitting here waiting for you to take and there might be other goodies inside"...Kinda like advertising like a TV antenna would

4 - takes up less space then most other vented wall mount heaters.

I do recommend the thermostat models though. the extra 30-50 for that option is worth it.

[Sportland_Bait]

Most new fish house manufacturers are now going with the direct vent wall mounted heaters. Safer and they take up less space.

Jason Erlandson

[hanson]

greenhorn-

I sure hope its big enough. I was going to go with the 10,000 Btu model until a few other FMers recommended I bump it up to the 15,000 Btu model. The gentleman I bought the heater from manufactures fish houses and he puts the 15,000 Btu model in all the 14-16 foot houses he builds.

I was just out at the lake cabin today working on the house. I got the inside paneling all put in, the lights are hooked up, and I fired up the Empire heater for the first time. It took about 10 minutes or so to really warm the house up. I didn't run the heater very long but I think it will do just fine.

My house is also fully insulated with 1-1/2" pink rigid insulation in the floor, walls, & roof with insulated windows also.

[honda400ex_treme]

do you guys think that a ventless 10,000 btu will put out enough heat for a 6 1/2 x 12 ft hard side ice house with retractable wheels, the floor is insulated with 1 1/2 in. pink foam and the walls and ceiling will be sprayed with insulation. thanks,

Mike

[psegriz]

With sprayed on insulation they become air tight and therefore make sure and have vents. I would just guess that would be enough heat but don't have a house with spray in so couldn't say for certain.

[hanson]

Was out at the lake cabin again working on the bunk beds and stuff inside. I had the Empire running for about 3 hours and the thermometer climbed up to 80 degrees or so and then I had to turn it down. It'll get real warm!!

Outside air temp was somewhere around 20-25 degrees.

[greenhorn]

Worked on ours this weekend as well, got the main floor done, working on studs now....going to take awhile....sure is fun...dreaming of a cold winter..

[MLaker2]

All the moisture from combustion remain in the house with a ventless heater. So windows and any cold areas are going to have condensation problems as well as possible long term moisture issues if you use the house many days in a month or if you leave the furnace on full time like a lot of locals do. Just my $.02

[carpshooterdeluxe]

we have used a blue flame (forget model) 15k-40k btu heater in our 8x12 for three years now with no troubles. best thing we did was install a 12 volt oscillating fan near the top bunk to de-stratisfy the air. just to be safe we have a co detector with low batt. warning, and we keep the two windows cracked a little to allow some fresh air. the best benefit of the heater we use is how fast it warms the house up even at -10* o.a.temp. as far as problems with moisture, i have not really encountered any problems with our windows frosting or moisture related issues...if anything i feel that the heater we use creates a somewhat drier air feeling in the house.

[hanson]

I thought I'd come back to this topic since it is such an important one for those who spend long periods of time in their houses.

All the advice I was given when I bought my Empire 15,000 btu direct vent furnace was absolutely accurate!! This heater puts out enough heat and then some and is pretty easy on the propane also. The one thing I'd like to mention is it does take a little bit of time to get the house warmed up, but when it is warm, it stays warm.

As mentioned before, the house is a 7x12 fully insulated. It was -18 at Red last Friday night and the house easily stayed 80 degrees. I never had to crawl in my sleeping bag on the top bunk it was that warm.

Nobody has ever complained of a headache at all inside my house.

Another thing I'll add is my windows have not frosted up. They are double pane insulated units and I have not had a problem with frost on the inside. In fact, you can put your hand right up next to the glass and can't feel the cold. All I can say is these windows were a good buy for $50 at Menards.

So for those contemplating a heater purchase next year, you won't be disappointed.

Thank you to everybody on-line who helped me to make this decision. It was a big investment but worth every penny in my opinion.

[minndonn]

i have a 6 1/2 X 14 ice house with a vented heater, not the empire. It keeps us very warm. I have added a fan near the ceiling to circulate air. This helps keep the heat even. The furnace is located about the half way up the wall. Visited friends in a 10 X 20 house with a ventless heater and there temperture seems to stay even better. I thin it is because their heater is located near the floor. Any ideas on the location of the heater?