Stupid question for the heater experts out there.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Fellas, got a dumb question for ya. I'm in the market for a real heater for my fish house. It's 6 1/2 x 10, insulated pretty well. For the past 2 years I've been heating it with a sunflower heater. When I'm in the house it's a constant turn it on, turn it off, turn it on, turn it off, etc. I think sunflowers are 8000-14000 btu. My question is do ya think a 10000 btu heater would do the trick or should I be thinking bigger????? Thanks in advance for the info.

[kevfish]

10000 btu is plenty. I heat mine with a ventless 10,000btu. It is 17 x 7 and it heats it just fine. It takes 20 minutes to get it up to temp. a bigger heater would do it faster.

[ChuckN]

Boilerguy,

Have you checked out the vent free heaters? There is a smaller fishhouse model (by Blue Flame?) heater at Fleet. It has a thermostat built in, and that's a must!! I don't know the BTU's but this heater works great in my friend's 8x12 house.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Actually, due to the budget (I'm a boilermaker not a stock broker) I was planning on going with the blue-flame vent free type. I've never used one of these before so I really don't know how well they work.

I agree, the thermostat control is mandatory. I'm soooooo sick of the turn it off, turn it on, turn it off, blah, blah,blah. A guy never gets time to play cards and drink pork chops when he's messing with the heater.

Thanks for the info fellas.

[Ole1855]

Boiler guy,

I'm going to throw my $.02 in here, I know I'll probably get [PoorWordUsage]ed on, but I wouldn't put a ventless heater in a fish house on a bet!!! Yeah, they're much cheaper, but IMHO, I don't like the idea of getting gased. When the propane burns the CO has to go somewhere, if it isn't getting vented outside, it's staying inside. Call around to the resorts that rent fish houses and see what kind they use. They are legally liable for people staying in them, and knowing that the ventless heaters are way cheaper than the direct vent type, don't you think the resorter's would use them if they were just as safe??? Also, check to see where the heater is made and if there are spare parts available if it breaks.

Ole

[efgh]

To start off with, there is no stupid question if you are trying to find out information, I;m with ole, I will not stay in a perm. fishouse if it has a ventless heater, no matter what anyone says, I want to live to fish another day. there still isnt fishabe ice in this area.

[R_B]

I just purchased a vented 15,000 btu Orbis heater for my 8x14. They are considerably less expensive than others I have seen. They also make an 8,000 btu.

[ChuckN]

I'm not pooin on ya, Ole, but here's my $.02.

My friends and I have rented sleeper fishhouses on LOW for years with ventfree heaters inside. We cannot notice a smell or the signs of getting "gassed". Nothing at all.

I've stayed in other houses with the same heaters and never had a problem. Just add a CO detector and make sure it works every trip. It also helps to put vent pipes for fresh air, simple small PVC pipes through a wall works.

I think a Mr. Heater inside an insulated fishhouse is very dangerous. I HAVE been gassed and thank the lord as I stood up to get out of my portable, I fell outside the door into fresh air. You will know if you get gassed, at least I knew something was wrong and stepped out. Itchy eyes, headache, lightheaded and hard breathing. From a Mr. Heater that malfunctioned on one particular day. It was in the garbage the next day.

[fishingguy]

boilerguy you have mail.

[MN Mike]

We are looking for a different heater for our larger house, its a 8 x 18. We were looking in the Northern catalog, they have the Blue Flame heaters and also have the ceramic radiant heaters.

I currently have a vent free Blue Flame in my 8x8 house and I don't like how its freezing cold on the bottom and very warm up high and I was thinking the radiant heater would be a better solution.

Anybody have the larger radiant heater?

Mike

[Tahoe2349]

Mike:

The only solution I've ever found to that situation is getting the air movement.

Fans and or blowers to heat and direct the air from high to low... plus it helps the "moisture" related issues as well with ventless heating.

We have a 12V car fan (radiator) in our spotter shack. Its a single head fan mounted inside the cuboard door above the heater...Has a outside switch on the counter we use to start it and works great. Its on a "hindged" door so it directional as well and slightly angles towards the floor (lol) and we can move the air where ever needed.

[MNice]

Read the listing on the ventless heaters. Most of the one's I've read have a statement like, "supplemental heat only", or "not for sleeping areas".

My $.02

[kevfish]

I, personally have no problem with the new vent free heaters. If you are worried about it- just crack a window open. Some people just dont like the thought of using one and that is fine. Just like some people say - No ice is safe Ice--- and will never go on the ice and that is fine also

[Ole1855]

MN Mike,

Here's a solution to your problem of having a cold floor and a hot ceiling. I had the same problem with a house I built 20 years ago, you always had to wear your boots and it was so warm higher up, you were in a t-shirt.

Here's what I did. In the summer after the first year I tore everything out of the inside of the house. I put down 1" dense styrofoam insulation and topped it with a 3/8's plywood, then re-installed the carpet. The next season on the ice you could walk around in your stocking feet. Also, when you drill holes and slop some of the ice chips and water on the carpet, it dries really quick.

Ole

[Eric Wettschreck]

Thanks for all the info guys. Just a little FYI, this isn't a sleeper house. I absolutely know how much I don't like the Mr. Heater in this house. Headaches, ichy eyes, etc.

I have a sleeper with a vented heater. I'm just looking for a little info for this particular house. Once again, thanks for the input.

[LT01]

Here is another two cents worth that all should know or remember. The CO WILL NOT be smelled or tasted. If you happen to be awake and are fortunate enough to not be exposed to exremely high levels, yes you may get sick, dizzy,etc and possibly be able to get outside to fresh air. If you happen to be sleeping in your house and something happens, now that is a different story. You may simply never wake up. The other problem is being exposed to low level, long term exposure to CO. The CO will continually build up in your bloodstream possibly without your knowledge. Eventually you may overcome without ever realizing what has happened. Lost a friend this way so it can and does happen. He who said to buy a CO detector hit the nail on the head!!

[I'llTakeWhatiCanGet]

a CO detector is definitely a must. We always bring one along when we rent sleeper shacks. Also, I believe that some of the heaters you might be looking at can be purchased with a low oxygen shut off. That would also be a nice option to have, better to pay a little and live to fish A LOT