Date: Wed, 13 Oct 2004 10:10:13 -0500
Reply-To: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Stan Wilder <wilden1-1@SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Subject: Re: Converting Coleman Catalytic Heater to LP tank?
In-Reply-To: <20041013142804.32626.qmail@web14603.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
I purchased a Carbon Monoxide alarm several years ago and always carried it
in my Westy.
Recently the alarm sounded.
The Alarm was in a 5 gallon plastic bucket in my garage.
It took a few minutes for me to realize what the strange noise was and then
I had to wait for it to sound off again before I could find the darn thing.
Point of this story is that all I had done was to back my Porsche into the
garage and kill the engine in readiness to changing the oil.
Enough Carbon Monoxide was produced in this two minute process to fill the 5
gallon bucket and set off the alarm.
If you're going to lock yourself in a Westy with a LP heater you should have
a Carbon Monoxide alarm. You should try the alarm with just the fridge
working and then with both the fridge and the LP heater working and see how
the alarm behaves after an 8 hour cycle.
Stan Wilder
High Performance Ceramic Coatings
www.engineceramics.com
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Jeffrey Earl
Sent: Wednesday, October 13, 2004 9:28 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Converting Coleman Catalytic Heater to LP tank?
Peter wrote:
"There have been concerns with that unit that it gives
off poisonous gasses despite being advertised as
requiring little ventilation. There was/is a law suit
regarding two fellows who passed away in a *tent*
using a coleman catalytic heater. I'm not convinced
that the vanagon has enough ventilation without
cranking the windows right down so I'm returning my
ProCat today."
Search the archives for a 5 Apr, 2004, post titled:
"Carbon Monoxide Test Colman Cat heater", by Chris
Christensen <populuxe@QWICS.COM>
Chris works for a public utility/gas company,
specializes in natural gas systems, and has access to
professional-grade carbon monoxide measuring devices.
In p-mail correspondence with him, I was left with the
definite impression that when used with adequate
ventilation, the Coleman catalytic heaters are indeed
safe for prolonged use, and we have done so when
camping in our own Westy. We open the windows
according to the instructions and, just for backup,
sleep with a home-grade CO detector/alarm nearby.
Chris made NO safety guarantees to me, and I make none
to anyone else; each must determine one's own degree
of safety compromise when leaving the house each day.
Camp smart.
Jeffrey Earl
1983 diesel Westfalia "Vanasazi"
http://www.vanthology.com/
_______________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Declare Yourself - Register online to vote today!
http://vote.yahoo.com
---
Incoming mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.776 / Virus Database: 523 - Release Date: 10/12/2004
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.776 / Virus Database: 523 - Release Date: 10/12/2004
