Date:         Wed, 13 Oct 2004 12:12:05 -0500
Reply-To:     Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Subject:      All catalytics are not create equal
In-Reply-To:  <Pine.GSO.4.44.0410131018290.21426-100000@neota>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed

I had the some oxygen consumption information at one time while I was
making the decision to go with the Olympian or the much cheaper walmart
catalytic or the more expensive and installation-heavy vented. I don't
have figures anymore but the Olympian used WAY less oxygen than the
coleman and the vented heaters, while they used oxygen and lots of it,
got it from outside the cabin--hopefully.

So many people I know have installed the Olympian wave 3 in horse
trailers and campers that I knew it wouldn't kill me. It doesn't use
ANY electricity. It's easy to leave the 4 square inch opening it
requires, and it's absolutely silent and doesn't cycle on and off.

I've fooled with vented heaters in RVs and they are fine, if noisy. But
I felt with that all things considered, the Olympian was the best
value. I'm completely satisfied with it and haven't died yet. It's a
good alternative to a vented installation in my opinion, which by the
way I think is an excellent solution except for the drawbacks I mention
above (drawbacks for me, anyway).

If anyone wants pictures of a permanent installation I'll send them
along.

As to why people have died using unvented heaters, I don't know. People
do all kinds of crazy things. I could not find a single mention of
anyone dying from using an Olympian of any size, though. The olympian
instructions do not say not to use while sleeping. Don't lump all
catalytic heaters together, they are not the same.

Jim

On Oct 13, 2004, at 11:33 AM, Andrew Fox wrote:

> If the statements below are true than why have so many people died
> while
> using an unvented catalytic heater in a tent or vehicle?  I can't
> imagine
> that the tent the 2 fellows died in was extremely airtight, nor was the
> bus with its top popped at the bus show a few years back when the child
> sleeping in the poptop woke up to dead parents downstairs.
>
> The instructions that come with the heaters specifically say "do not
> use
> while sleeping, use only with a window open while awake", by the way
> the
> packaging of these products makes no mention of these specifics, on the
> packaging they say "safe for indoor use", you've got to buy the product
> and read the instructions to find out its not really safe for indoor
> use
> unless a window is open and not safe to use while sleeping under any
> circumstances.  I think the coleman,etc should be sued on that point.
>
> There are safe and much warmer vented alternatives but they start at
> about
> $400, not a bad deal in my opinion.
>
>
>
> 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/
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
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