Best way to vent Buddy and Big Buddy propane heaters?

I bought the heater below for blasting cold rooms I would work in and for a quick garage heat up. If your own Ridgid tool batteries this propane heater uses those and can be plugged up also. Took two years to locate one in North America. Finally corporate customer service sent me an alert 120 would available for the USA.
It’s a 60,000 beast that runs a long time on the larger battery. Maybe 6 hrs but you’re going to be cutting this monster off a lot.
 
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Question for the 20 lb propane cylinder people. if you plan to use the propane tank outdoors and it's sub-freezing outside is there any problem with the tank not wanting to provide fuel? I feel like I heard that the cylinders freeze up and won't empty. This matters for both buddy heater and generator people.
 
Timfoilhat said:
Question for the 20 lb propane cylinder people. if you plan to use the propane tank outdoors and it's sub-freezing outside is there any problem with the tank not wanting to provide fuel? I feel like I heard that the cylinders freeze up and won't empty. This matters for both buddy heater and generator people.
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its sub-freezing in my garage and it emptied the tank just fine
 
Do not put in a bed room. The ODS sensors work by the pilot flame bending away from the thermocouple and it nit being able to generate enough electricity to hold open the gas control valve.

They do work. I know of instances where people’s gas logs would go out and they would just have to open a door to the room to get fresh air to restart the logs.
 
Timfoilhat said:
Question for the 20 lb propane cylinder people. if you plan to use the propane tank outdoors and it's sub-freezing outside is there any problem with the tank not wanting to provide fuel? I feel like I heard that the cylinders freeze up and won't empty. This matters for both buddy heater and generator people.
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From a quick perusal, it seems one is fine above zero Fahrenheit and probably good through the minus-teens (also Fahrenheit).

In the middle graph, the vapor pressure passes through 1.0 bar at -40 degC (which is almost equal to -40 degF) so this is probably the low temperature effective limit (or, about the 14.7 psia on the Fahrenheit plot).

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CO and normal “air” we breath are almost the same molecular weight so there is not really a “level” where CO builds up. I will say that levels may build slightly more in smaller rooms so it likely would be best to have everything set up in the den or such where you have more air volume along with the ability to crack a window or door for cross ventilation. Also I would not be looking to keep it toasty warm (70-72° or more) as much as just keep it from getting cold (maybe 65°) and wrap her (and everyone else) up in warm clothing. Running hard eats more fuel and can generate CO at a little higher rate.
 
Diablos said:
this is why the boy scouts dont allow them to be used on scout events. when im on winter camp outs with them i put hand warmers in my sleeping bag (not that i really need to) for a little extra warmth
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When I was in scouts I just had to rough it. The lucky kids got to snuggle with the troop leader.
 
I shopped around last year after I bought the heater and found the non filter 10' for about $20. I can't remember where I got it, I'll see if I can find where it came from. Last year when I was, looking Tractor Supply had a location for them, but was sold out.
 
BlackGun said:
Dang hose posted above was close to what I paid for the heater. I bought my heaters from a lead posted on this forum at I think $55. That hose with tax is slightly under that.
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I think I paid $119 seven years ago at Walmart for that Big Buddy. And I was shopping price, and bought two more.
 
BlackGun said:
I bought the heater below for blasting cold rooms I would work in and for a quick garage heat up. If your own Ridgid tool batteries this propane heater uses those and can be plugged up also. Took two years to locate one in North America. Finally corporate customer service sent me an alert 120 would available for the USA.
It’s a 60,000 beast that runs a long time on the larger battery. Maybe 6 hrs but you’re going to be cutting this monster off a lot.
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That looks sweet for jobsites but it's not approved for enclosed spaces. I think the ceramic tile design is the only type safe for use inside.
Home Depot had them in stock for $150
 
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Buddy heaters are nice to have. With any space heater, don't put the heater between you and the door, or between you and your fire extinguishers. I like 5 and 10 pound, metal valued extinguishers.

Double check the smoke alarms too.
 
Culper said:
Buddy heaters are nice to have. With any space heater, don't put the heater between you and the door, or between you and your fire extinguishers. I like 5 and 10 pound, metal valued extinguishers.

Double check the smoke alarms too.
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Fire extinguishers are a good idea. I think I put a couple in the new house before the fam moved in.
 
BlackGun said:
That was too funny. And unfortunately true.
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My troop leader was eventually convicted, but he never bothered me, guess I was an ugly kid.

To get back on topic, I have a buddy heater, the hose that oozes goo sucks.
 
fieldgrade said:
Fire extinguishers are a good idea. I think I put a couple in the new house before the fam moved in.
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I had a, rare, brilliant idea a few years ago regarding Christmas presents. “House Boxes”. Random stuff people need in their house but rarely buy, unless you are one of “us”. Fire extinguishers, fire/co2 alarms, night/power outage lights, FAKs, fresh box of SD rounds, batteries, the list goes on and on. Get your better half involved. It’s a hit with all the fam.
 
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Slacker said:
That looks sweet for jobsites but it's not approved for enclosed spaces. I think the ceramic tile design is the only type safe for use inside.
Home Depot had them in stock for $150
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I’m not endorsing them for everyday use as a heat source but if you want to blast a room to comfort they work. I’m not setting it on carpet, near furniture, and it will only be on for a few minutes. Then you can put the whimpy Mr Heater to work. I had a one hundred square foot, 25* room after a snow a toasty 60 degrees in less than 5 minutes. You damn sure not running this around kids or heating your jacket with it.
 
I have three #20 propane tanks. I went to Home Depot, Tractor Supply, Northern Tool, and Southern States to get another so if my kids need a heater I can lend it. Nothing in stock. Not any size. This is the third day I have made this route on a road. There are no one pound Coleman’s either.

Home Depot had many dozen’s of 6500w Generac portable units. They were $869. Northern Tool had many brands on the shelf. Generators shockingly are available at many places.
 
Take this FWIW. I run a full size buddy heater on a
25 lb tank every cold robin sage in an 8 x 8 hooch with only the bare minimum of ventilation.

By that there is about a 1/2 inch gap around the hole the hose comes through the wall, a little air leakage around the door and a ridge vent. That’s it.

Me, my wife and kid sleep in there and have never had a problem.
 
BlackGun said:
I have three #20 propane tanks. I went to Home Depot, Tractor Supply, Northern Tool, and Southern States to get another so if my kids need a heater I can lend it. Nothing in stock. Not any size. This is the third day I have made this route on a road. There are no one pound Coleman’s either.

Home Depot had many dozen’s of 6500w Generac portable units. They were $869. Northern Tool had many brands on the shelf. Generators shockingly are available at many places.
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You try the IGA/Buffalo Shoals?
 
Bottle freezing up means low pressure in side of the bottle. Could result from low liquid level in the bottle, or heavy draw on the bottle. I get this when I use a 20lbd cylinder on a large pig cooker from time to time. Place the 20 lbd bottle in a warm, if possible, water bath. Heat equates to pressure when it comes to propane inside of a vessel. Heat the bottle up in a water bath, and you will get some pressure back.
 
scmoose said:
Bottle freezing up means low pressure in side of the bottle. Could result from low liquid level in the bottle, or heavy draw on the bottle. I get this when I use a 20lbd cylinder on a large pig cooker from time to time. Place the 20 lbd bottle in a warm, if possible, water bath. Heat equates to pressure when it comes to propane inside of a vessel. Heat the bottle up in a water bath, and you will get some pressure back.
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When I put that never opened, but very light 1lber on my heater the other day and it ran out in five minutes, the outside of it became all frosted up.
 
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fieldgrade said:
When I put that never opened, but very light 1lber on my heater the other day and it ran out in five minutes, the outside of it became all frosted up.
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Because you probably lost most of the liquid, leaked out through the relieve valve, over time. Pressure inside of the 1lb cylinder was low because it leaked out. When you hooked it up, it put a load on that bottle and it froze up. When I use the buddy heater camping in the winter time my bottles usually freeze because, its cold as hell outside, and I'm pulling a heavy load on the bottle. Cold temp means low pressure, as High temp equates to high pressure. When liquid propane flashes, goes from a high pressure to a low pressure, it flashes at -44 deg F. It takes roughly 100 psi to keep propane liquified. Our large tank at the plant here at Apex is only maintained at .6 PSI. in that big tank. So the liquid propane in that tank is constantly boiling / flashing within that tank. The temp inside that tank is usually -48 deg F or so. We take the vapor pressure off the top of that tank, compress it, then put it back into the bottom of the tank in liquid form. The vapor off of the top is compressed, which produces heat, then ran through a condenser fan which condenses it back into a liquid. The liquid flashes / temperature drops when it goes from the higher pressure, coming out of the compressors, to a lower pressure, being dumped back into the tank. FYI we sent 2.2 million gallons of liquified propane through the gate yesterday in a 24 hour period on trucks.
 
BlackGun said:
I have three #20 propane tanks. I went to Home Depot, Tractor Supply, Northern Tool, and Southern States to get another so if my kids need a heater I can lend it. Nothing in stock. Not any size. This is the third day I have made this route on a road. There are no one pound Coleman’s either.
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Some of the WM stores have self-service units outside where you can exchange/buy tanks.

Reagarding the 1lb Coleman cylinders….don’t toss em…they can be refilled.
 
Windini said:
But maybe not all of 'em, if you find some like @fieldgrade did. Best mark & toss those.

Kinda like checkin' your spent brass before reloading.
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I tossed that one, and I was just thinking about that post.

I just don’t think I want to keep those leaky ones. Especially since I don’t know how long they took to leak down. If I used them regularly maybe, but the times I need them are timed with seven year locust plagues, and maybe not even that often. They are really just a part of my foul weather preps, and not even for me anymore, but surrounding adult family.
 
Hey y'all, my bad. I wasn't being very green when I said "toss 'em."

I really think it would be best to reuse, reduce, & recycle whenever possible, no matter the personal cost or inconvenience.

Reuse the bad ones at, say, 100 yards.
Reduce any residual pressure for safety's sake! .223 & up should work. TIP: aim low.
Recycle the pressure-reduced cylinders as moving targets.

Do it FOR THE CHILDREN!
 
Windini said:
But maybe not all of 'em, if you find some like @fieldgrade did. Best mark & toss those.

Kinda like checkin' your spent brass before reloading.
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Windini said:
Hey y'all, my bad. I wasn't being very green when I said "toss 'em."

I really think it would be best to reuse, reduce, & recycle whenever possible, no matter the personal cost or inconvenience.

Reuse the bad ones at, say, 100 yards.
Reduce any residual pressure for safety's sake! .223 & up should work. TIP: aim low.
Recycle the pressure-reduced cylinders as moving targets.

Do it FOR THE CHILDREN!
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There it is !!
 
Diablos said:
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I went online to buy the kit and there are none to found. Interesting subject as I went to my oldest daughters yesterday only to find her car battery was dead. She cranked up a new bottle on her Mr Heater and it was empty in slightly over 2 hours while I got her battery out and new one in. Freaking Chevy Equinox battery change is not a simple task. A good bit of the car has to come apart.
 
Mirac said:
The pilots are sometimes finicky for staying lit.
Use a cotton swab and denatured alcohol to Clean the pilot tube.
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Or some of the canned air for computers. Very small spiders love to get in the pilot tubes and their webs are rough on the pilot.
 
BlackGun said:
I went online to buy the kit and there are none to found. Interesting subject as I went to my oldest daughters yesterday only to find her car battery was dead. She cranked up a new bottle on her Mr Heater and it was empty in slightly over 2 hours while I got her battery out and new one in. Freaking Chevy Equinox battery change is not a simple task. A good bit of the car has to come apart.
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They have them at the Northern Tool in Hickory.
 
I went back and checked and the prices on the non-filter required hose has almost doubled since last year.
 
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