Cabin Heating

[rogerwa]

The good news is that I just purchased a Cabin in NW Wisconsin. We close on Friday.<br /><br />My family wants to spend a few weekends over the winter at the cabin and I am wanting to know how other heat their cabins.<br /><br />Ours is about 800SF with a 60,000 BTU propane fan forced heater in the center. While 60,000 BTU should be sufficient, I am thinking that distribution will be more of an issue. It is insulated and has two bedrooms off of the living area that I am concerned will be cold.<br /><br />I have considered additional baseboard or propane wall mount heater for the bedrooms. With Baseboard I am concerned about the amount of Amperage necessary as it only has 60 amp service and I would have a lot of trouble running 240v.<br /><br />What do you have experience with and what would be a good inexpensive way to augement that larger heater?<br /><br />Also, do any of you heat them when you are not there so the water doesn't have to be wintereized??. How much wattage does the electric pipe tape draw and how well does it work?

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: Cabin Heating

I have a friend that put a gas fireplace in they are pretty inexpensive and some dont need venting.He said he would never leave the house with any heat on when not in use and never leave it without winterizing.Charlie

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Cabin Heating

60KBTU should be more than enough for 800sf.<br />the small wall mount blue flame propane heaters<br />are good for zone heating and fairly in-expensive.

 

[backdraft]

Re: Cabin Heating

A non vented heater in a closed or well insulated room will kill you and anyone else in the room. You'll die of oxygen deprivation. The oxygen is used up in the combustion process and in the process produces carbon monoxide and other gases. Wall mounted heaters with an outside vent are a very good way to go.. I know . I 've carried the victims out. nevjb

 

[Topmason]

Re: Cabin Heating

Ditto this!<br /><br />

A non vented heater in a closed or well insulated room will kill you and anyone else in the room. You'll die of oxygen deprivation. The oxygen is used up in the combustion process and in the process produces carbon monoxide and other gases. Wall mounted heaters with an outside vent are a very good way to go.

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Cabin Heating

I agree on the non vented. Anything I would do would probably be direct vent..

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Cabin Heating

my family and i vacation in a similar sized cabin in ontario throughout the year.<br /><br />i think your propane heater will suffice in the winter. i'd give it a season before you spend any more money. if you need to add then, so be it.<br /><br />the heat tape won't help you if you leave the cabin cold and wet. it only offers minimal protection. you might get lucky with heat tape and lots of insulation, but i wouldn't take the chance.<br /><br />as for the new non-vented heaters, they work fine. my parents have a propane fired fireplace in their living room with no vent. it produces a lot of heat with no smell or vapors of any kind. the house is old and "vented", which i am sure helps. but it's not fair to write off the new technology.

 

[backdraft]

Re: Cabin Heating

Enough said. You can't protect everyone in life. nevjb

 

[Hooty]

Re: Cabin Heating

Roger that nevjb.<br /><br />c/6<br />Hooty

 

[CCrew]

Re: Cabin Heating

"as for the new non-vented heaters, they work fine"<br /><br />Considering that carbon monoxide is a by-product of combustion just how does the "new technology" address that? I'm sorry, IMHO if it burns, it needs to be vented. I certainly wouldn't risk my family or even someone I *didn't* care for. New texhnology may be fine, but that old technology (fire) will kill ya!<br /><br />Roger

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Cabin Heating

AS it turns out, I was up there this weekend and we fired up the propane heater and about 6 hours later we were toasty warm. It was not very cold (upper 20's) but we slept on top of the blankets with the heat on Medium.<br /><br />For really cold weather I think we can get by with a space heater in each room and the main heater just fine..<br /><br />I was really worried we'd get up there and freeze our butts off all night long. I wasn't worried about myself, but 4 freezing kids could be a handful..

 

[mellowyellow]

Re: Cabin Heating

sometimes all you need is a couple of small fans<br />to circulate the heat into the other rooms. lots<br />cheaper to run and also safer.<br />have fun!<br />M.Y.

 

[river rat 26]

Re: Cabin Heating

use non vented propane heaters in my house and on my houseboat, 15yrs in house and 12years on the boat, never a problem. I got your back mattttt25

 

[mattttt25]

Re: Cabin Heating

all i was trying to say is they do serve a purpose. using one won't cause instant death to the occupants. they are not intended as a primary heat source. but placed in a large room (not bedroom), they can compliment the heating and add a nice visual effect.<br /><br />i seem to remember all the posts about how it used to be in the "old days", and how so many people around these boards did "bad things" by today's standards and are just fine. well, i even remember huddling around the propane heater to keep warm in my parents' little one bedroom apartment (back when we were really poor). i don't remember that being vented.

 

[pjc]

Re: Cabin Heating

--how do--hang a ceiling fan (assume you have juice)--<br />My little shak (12x16', small but cozy) in NC WI is heated by wood box stove. R10 foam in walls, R12 batts in exposed ceiling, R5 foam under 1" treated ply floor. 20# LP bottle feeds two burner iron stove as well as two LP light fixtures.<br />I run my TV and Sat system w/ Honda EX700-real quiet power--bud suggested that I hang a 42" fan w/ light bulb (I wanted to load gen at 40% or so occasionaly) to move air around--heat the floor.<br />Works real well--<br />BTW-congrats on the cabin purchase--my wife and kids love when we are up north!

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Cabin Heating

I already have a ceiling fan..might be good to use it for that purpose.<br /><br />My wife won't let a TV in the place. I think after a few rainy days with three boys under 10 couped up in there we will see a TV.

 

[pjc]

Re: Cabin Heating

I'm familiar with the cooped up kid deal. Even though lovely bride and I ration our 3 and 5 year olds tv---they still need a daily dose as we do.<br />--suggestion--our shak tv is a 13" cheapo w/ vcr built in--get some "outdoor" or nature type tapes in line with what your family does at your cabin. Quite a bit of what our kids watch is actually educational--not mindless junk.

 

[Dman]

Re: Cabin Heating

Rogerwa,<br />What area did you buy that cabin?<br />Hayward?<br /><br />Dman

 

[rogerwa]

Re: Cabin Heating

Closer to Siren.. On the Clam lake Chain..