Propane Hangover

[jlm]

Anyone else have a problem with propane hangover? I vent the house very well and get out and get fresh air thoughout my day of fishing but I still get it. Usually I get a headache during the day of fishing and the next day I feel tired and almost as though I had a few too many if you know what I mean. Its also difficult to get up in the morning because I am too tired. Anyone have any suggestions to help out with this? I heard that ginseng (sp) can help alleviate this. Thoughts?

[ChuckN]

There is something wrong! What kind of heater are you using?

I have a ventless heater and the only time I had issues like that was before I found a minor gas leak in a fitting inside the heater itself. Poor quality control I guess by the manufacturer. You will know when you have a minor gas leak somewhere, itchy eyes and headache are primary indictations. Ever since I made the repair, it has been perfect.

A friend told me to spray Windex on all the fittings and hose to find a leak, and I did find a leak. If you see a bubble form, or bubbles, there's the problem. Use pipe teflon tape to seal a fitting. The paste did not work well in the cold.

[jlm]

I would agree, a leak would be the culprit, however, I get it in any house that I fish out of. I have checked my heaters (all of which leaked by the way, I would recommend that everyone check) and fixed them. So, I have eliminated the possibility of propane leaks. I wonder though, how efficient do sunflower heads burn? Is it possible that although their are no propane leaks, I am still getting a little gas from poor efficiency?

[MNice]

By your 2nd post, I assume you have a sunflower, I would guess the probable cause is CO. Bring a portable detector next time and see what it says.

[Gissert]

As MNice mentioned, sunflowers gobble a lot of oxygen, and generate an amazing amount of CO.

I keep my vent flap open on one side of the house, and my zipper a bit open on the other. This lets the wind push in fresh air in on the upwind side, and the slight vaccuum on the downwind side will help pull out the exhaust.

I used to get the sore brain deal too, but that has ceased since I keep the airflow sufficient. It stays a bit cooler in the house, but my holes still stay open.

[Eric Wettschreck]

I used to get the same hang overs. That was when I heated my permanent with a sunflower. Actually, I got it when fishing out of the portable, also heated with a sunflower. Now I have a good heater in my permanent and I feel fresh as a daisy when I'm done fishing. I can't believe the world of difference.

[Outdoors_guy]

I also get a headache from my sunflower if my portable isn't vented good enough. Just keep the vents open and things should be alot better. The one time i went out and there was three of us in my 8x7 portable and using a sunflower heater. We had all the vents shut and the house backed real nice so there was no draft coming in. When i wanted to light the lantern i couldn't get the match lit, so i went to a lighter and couldn't get it to work. We looked at the heater and only half of the sunflower was lit. After that we opened the door for a while to get more oxygen in because we used pretty much all of it up. So It is true they use a lot of oxygen and produce CO. That was the day all my head aches stopped. House is always vented good.

[efgh]

I used to use a sunflower heater in my portable fishouse, after getting headaces and bad tastes in my mouth the first few times I switched to a new way gas vented stove, no more headaces or sour taste in my mouth, a little more stuff to carry around but well worth it, don;t forget to vent your house both perm and portable like other posts mentioned.live to fish another day.

[ChuckN]

I would also add that sunflower heaters is not a good idea inside any permenant house. You would litterally have to keep the door open at all times to get fresh air. However, A buddy heater works a lot better in permenant shacks.

I've had bad sunflower heaters that did not burn properly and stink me out of my portable, in fact I go through about 1 sunflower heater every 2-3 seasons on average.

[Dan Thiem]

Hey Outdoors Guy-

The same thing happend to my brother and his buddy. They are smokers and for some reason they couldn't get either of their lighters to work to lit up a cig. I thought they were just b.s.ing me but I guess they weren't.

[icehousebob]

A few years back, my #2 son and I were Crappie fishing in my 5x6 portable with a sunflower. After a while, I went to light my pipe and the Bic wouldn't light. I pulled out my spare lighter and it also failed. I finally figured out that we were running out of oxygen. If I hadn't been a smoker then, we might have dozed off and not woke up. I now have a Buddy heater and portables with vents.

[Farley]

I think lanterns can have the same effect in a permanant. We used to use a dual fuel lantern and I used to burn filtered gasoline in it, by the time we were done fishing we were high as a giraffes a$$. I remember feeling tired like you said and the headaches. Not fun. Who knew that "only use outdoors" on the label meant only use outdoors?

[Tofishem]

About 10 yrs ago a buddy & I were in the shack when we were starting to fall fast asleep! It had been snowing most of the afternoon, the fishing was slow. Snow was piling up outside our portable and their wasn't alot of ventilation. He tried to light a smoke and only got sparks and said he "was to tired to smoke anyways." Then I tried to light one and the lighter only sparked. I too was to tired to smoke. The Coleman Focus 5 Heater was sparking and I realized that we were dying of CO poisoning!!! Eyes burning and a massive headache went with the signs. Smoking only prolonged my life that day. I have since stopped smoking for over a year now. That's why you can't buy the non catlytic heaters anymore.

[hanson]

I'll second the lantern.

My worst headaches have come after running a Coleman lantern (white gas not propane) for awhile in the portable.

[upnorth]

I typically leave both vents open in my ice shelter and I open the door completely to exchange even more of the air about once an hour. I also get up and walk around the outside every couple hours. I have had the head ache thing, especially in my buddy's portable and his sunflower. He has a different brand than mine, not sure which one it is but his seems to be a bit more obnoxious that my mr heater sunflower.

[wastewaterguru]

Just so that you all know....the headaches are due to the lack of oxygen to your brain. If you get a headache while fishing and you don't normally get headaches.....it's either a lack of oxygen or dehydration. I have found that for me it's usually a combination of both.

[korn_fish]

It's definetly the sunflower heater. whoever recommended taking a CO detector with you next time hit it on the head.

I used to heat my permanent shack with a sunflower. In fact, I slept in it many times. My shack wasn't air tight wich helped, and when I went to sleep, I had a window that was ab out 6 inches from my head cracked open amd I would have a slight breeze on my face all night. But I still woke up with "CO hangovers". This year when I built a new permanent shack, I went through the whole ventless vs vented heater debate. I went with the ventless. To prove to myself how m uch safer it was than a sunflower, I got a battery operated CO detector with a digital display so I can see the levels climb.

I can not get the level to register anything but 0 with the ventless heater, but within 30 minutes of using a sunflower type heater, the thing is beeping at me.

I think anyone that fishes in a portable or permanent shack should get one of these CO detectors. Preferebly with a digital display. You just read many posts about people not realizing the situation until they tried to light a cigarette. CO detectors read O and CO levels as parts per million and they will go off before you get oxygen so low that you can't light a cigarette or the heaters with low oxygen sensors will shut off the heater. Plus, with a digital display you can see when you need to vent more or go take a breath of fresh air.

We all pay good money for the equipment we use to catch more fish. Consider how much more fish you can catch alive than dead and I think you would have to agree that is the best increase in catch rate you can get for $30.

[sidecar pan fishin man]

I just purchased a buddy heater and have used it about 3 times now. Is that considered a ventless heater. I like the thing so far. Troy Pike

[colt44]

I got them always when I used my Focus 5 heater. I now have the emission "free" Mr. Buddy and they are a thing of the past.

[bgmny]

Just a thought about the propane discussion. Propane is heavier than air and will settle to the lowest point anywhere. Any unburned gas from the Mr. Heaters will settle to the lowest pont and make you feel light headed because it is displacing oxygen as it settles. If your're sitting in a chair or on a bucket you are in the exact spot this is taking place. The ventless heaters or buddy heaters are better than the Mr. Heaters but are still doing the same thing, just in a slower manner. Vents should also be put in the bottom of shacks to help remove unburned gases. It shouldn't cool your shack down anymore than usual because it's usually 20 degrees warmer when you stand up anyway. Hope this helps!

[Northlander]

Wastewater hit it on the head. Usually a combo of lack of oxygen and not enough water in your system. Im a big pop drinker but now I always have water in my house and force myself to drink it. I notice as I get older I need more and more water. Always keep a vent open, at least 1 and the door a notch.

[jlm]

Great responses guys, thank you for your feedback. I always vent my houses well but I think I might be one of those guys who just is a little more sensitive to CO than others. I think I may invest in another heater and see how it goes. Thanks all!

[psegriz]

jlm

I read far enough to see ya used a sunflower and I've sat in many fishouses and not been able to smoke a cig cause it wouldn't stay lit. Opened the door and was OK they are a pig on oxygen. Get a different type heater!!!!! I just use an old burner style that burns blue NO YELLOW IN THE FLAMES and never even vent them any more with no problems.