Mr. Buddy Heaters at Lowes

[dademt]

As leaky as our pups are, would opening the overhead vent slightly be enough to remove the residual CO?

If the heater is running properly, ie enough oxygen entering the space to support proper combustion and it hasn't been damaged or clogged in any way, then there should be little to no CO emmissions. As with any cold weather camping, you should remember to "vent" your sleeping space to prevent moisture buildup. On our camping trip last week we were at a site with electric so I just ran a small ceramic heater and my main heater was almost never used. Hey, paying for a site with electric - might as well use it. These portable propane units while very safe aren't the most economical or easiest way to heat your unit. They are however a great idea for a backup or if you would loose power at your house to keep it above freezing in a basement or kitchen with water pipes.
 
Here is some interesting info on propane for you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propane

[dademt]

It was the North Dover store.
 
Which model are you looking for? I bought what looked like the last of the larger models (other than the display)...and there were two of the smaller ones there at the time.
 
I'll be glad to ride over and see what's left.

Thanks Chip.

[chip]

Thanks Chip.

My pleasure.  And thanks for the tour...I've always wondered where all those rolls of sheet steel went.  

[flyfisherman]

I've used a Mr.Buddy Heater since they first came out ... or at least since Lowe's Bldg Suppy first started carrying them in 2000.  Cannot begin to estimate how many 16oz disposable canisters has gone through the little heater. Also, have a Mr.Buddy Hose that connects to the 20# L/P tank and can't even guess as to how many of those the Mr.Buddy has consumed.  This has been in my little Starcraft which has no "furnance", the Buddy Heater being the only source of serious heat.  Following the common sense instructions, I've always made sure there was a small vent opening while using the heater and have slept many a comfortable night with it cooking away on the low setting. The idea that my present Starcraft, or my previous Coleman/Fleetwood, was anything near "air tight", is a joke.  All one has to do is experience a cold windy night in a popup and all the unseen vents will become evident!

A friend (MrGadget, who use to post here some time ago) and myself bought the Buddy Heaters at the same time. Mr.Gadget, at the time, was a member of our local volunteer fire department at the time and that gave him access to some very accurate and sophisticated CO detecting equipment that would make the over the counter CO monitoring devices you would buy at Lowe's or some such store, a joke.  We set up the fire department CO monitoring equipment, first in my Starcraft, then in his Coleman, completely zipped up with no ventilation,  fired up the Buddy heater and let it get real, real hot inside, but  never heard the first peep from the CO detector.  Wondering if that detector was working, we then placed the monitor and the lit MrBuddy into a closed, sealed off,  metal "proof box" that the fire department uses for testing purposes and sure enough, just before the heater shut itself off, we heard some squawks from the detector.

The bottom line to all this, is that the Mr.Buddy Heater is a safe radiant heater. Of course, common sense precautions should be taken.  There are literally thousands of the Mr.Buddy Heaters out there, can anyone tell me of a substantiated case of CO causality, anywhere?  The most important thing I've discovered about the Mr.Buddy type heater is not cabon monoxide poisonning, but rather fire.  I'm mighty careful just where I set the heater and make sure it's not in the way of someone placing a flameable object next to it.  As I've posted before on this subject, I've seen the aftermath of a couple of RV fires and they sure do burn to the ground real fast!



Fly

[dademt]

My pleasure. And thanks for the tour...I've always wondered where all those rolls of sheet steel went.

Hey Chip, those heaters came in handy in the least expected place... At my work where you dropped them off. Seems the heater for the first floor office decided to die last night and it was mighty cold in here this morning ( 52 inside and dropping while the outside was 12 and not rising much ). Ran home and grabbed the heaters along with my electric one from the camper and set them up at work. It has definately taken the chill off. So on behalf of myself and my co-workers, Thanks.

[fredthedog]

The Lowes in Sacramento didn't carry them this year.  However, Amazon has the 9,000 BTU model for $37.98.  No shipping, no tax, no hassle.

[tlhdoc]

Thanks for the information and welcome to PUT!  What kind of a camper do you have?

[trumpet87]

The Lowes in Sacramento didn't carry them this year.  However, Amazon has the 9,000 BTU model for $37.98.  No shipping, no tax, no hassle.

Where did you find this on Amazon for this price? The cheapest one on Amazon I can find is $83... Thanks!

[fredthedog]

Where did you find this on Amazon for this price? The cheapest one on Amazon I can find is $83... Thanks!

The MH9B is at $87.40 now.  They must have raised the price since I placed my order 2/25.  Guess I should have bought more than 1.

[fredthedog]

Thanks for the information and welcome to PUT!  What kind of a camper do you have?

Thanks.  I bought my first trailer a few months ago, an 04 Fleetwood Sante Fe in mint condition.  I've since learned that these trailers are not for camping as much as they are for weekend projects, modifications, enhancements and maintenance.  Not sure if I'll have time for more than one or two trips a year with all the work I want to do to make it a super trailer.  Like the accumulator tank I bought the other week.  Not quite sure what it does, how it does it or why I need it but I got it and it's going in.  Super trailer.

[zamboni]

the accumulator tank I bought the other week.  Not quite sure what it does, how it does it or why I need it but I got it and it's going in.

The accumulator tank is a great idea.  When you are "dry" camping (using your on-board fresh water from your tank), your camper keeps its pipes "pressurized" so the water will flow.  Unfortunately, this also means that if you use a tiny bit of water, the pump kicks in and puts more water in the system.

With a tank, the tank's bladder holds a chunk of pressure.  Using a bit of water merely borrows the pressure from the tank.  When it finally gets too low, the pump re-inflates the tank.

Thus, the pump comes on much-less-frequently than a normal dry-campout.  You use the stored pressure in your accumulator tank before your pump kicks in- and re-pressurizes your system.  It is the starting and stopping of the pump that "wastes" battery power.

Not to mention, a small amount of power "bleeds" during the night.  An accumulator tank will let you turn off the pump, and not lose much pressure overnight.  You can still flush the toilet (quickly) several times through the night without "running out of pressure".  Trust me, a pump coming on at 2am can definitely wake up a sensitive baby!!!