thermex heater works great

[Lothlorian]

I fired up my thermex heater the other night and it worked really well. It heated the inside really well. I have read about the dangers in this forum of a heater like this. I can cause Co2 poisoning and suck all your O2 out of the trailer. I bought a Co2 detector and decided to crack a vent.

What are your opinions on safety and the thermex heater. I would like more comments on this subject.

Lothlorian

[altamont]

Uh, there is a potential to suck out all the O2 and have CO2 poisoning? What if you forget to crack a window or your CO2 detector goes bad? Any chance of a problem like that happening and it doesn't go in my trailer!

[azflycaster]

Are you sure the detector is for CO2 and not CO? Carbon Monoxide detectors are common and everyone should have one in their RV and home if they have gas burning devices. Your Cat heater will not produce CO, but will increase the amount of CO2 inside the trailer. Both are deadly.

We use our Cat heater only during the day when needed and always keep a window and vent cracked open. We never go to sleep with it on. Cat heaters are great while boondocking because they require no electricity and use much less propane then the trailer's furnace. They also do not have any flame except when starting the unit. Cat heaters will not protect your tanks from a freeze and should not be used as a sole source of heat during a hard freeze. The trailer furnace will heat the tanks.

[azflycaster]

Originally Posted by altamont

Uh, there is a potential to suck out all the O2 and have CO2 poisoning? What if you forget to crack a window or your CO2 detector goes bad? Any chance of a problem like that happening and it doesn't go in my trailer!

Many of the newer Cat heaters have an O2 sensor. If the O2 level drops, the unit shuts off.
What if your furnace has a leak and your CO detector is bad?

[Chuck]

There's a potential for ANY gas appliance to give off CO. (CO2 is not the problem). In order for a catalytic heater to give off CO, there has to be a very low O2 content in the air, which is really unlikely in an airstream...even less so if there's a window or vent cracked. They've been putting these things in travel trailers for decades.
I wouldn't sleep in any trailer, with any gas appliance operating, without a CO detector.
What happens if your CO detector fails and you forget to crack a window? probably nothing. If your CO detector fails and your furnace springs a leak...probably worse. And if your electric heater overheats, or there's an electrical fault somewhere, etc, etc...it could cause a fire and kill you that way.

[samb]

In my opinion a carbon monoxide detector is related to a computer. What a wonderful device! But, has your computer ever failed to act properly? Your CO detector WILL fail at some time........they cannot be built to last forever. Are you willing to bet your life on it? Your CO detector worked last year, so it should work this year?
I have installed a furnace that is directly vented to the outside and have a CO detector.
I, for one, plan to never "wake up dead".
Sam

[Lothlorian]

Sorry about the Co2 miss print. That is what happens when you teach plant science for 14 years. My mind was on plants.

thanks for the advice. My co detector is brand new I bought it yesterday. I think I will just use the heater for the instant heat. I cannot afford to replace my heater. I am still saving for axels.

Brian

[bevman]

I have a Lil Buddy cat heater from Mr. Heater. It does have an 02 sensor built in. I can't turn it on the high setting, or I'd roast. I do have a NEW CO detector. It's not gone into alarm... and I haven't woken up dead yet.

[AirsDream]

I had a CO detector go off in anger once - had rented a brand new 36' MoHo in Alaska and was parked at oceanside. Fired up generator to charge batts. and let the kids watch a movie.

Mid-movie, the detector started shrieking. Got my attention real fast. Thought it must be a false alarm. Must be that a little smoke from the microwave popcorn somehow confused it. Maybe the detector is defective. Maybe ... But a little investigation revealed that one of the kids had left a rear bedroom window open and the angle we were parked at was just right so that the gentle ocean breeze was wafting generator exhaust output up to and into that window. Absolutely no exhaust smell from the genny, etc. Just CO stealthily coming in ...

Made me a believer in CO detectors, but even better is keeping it out of the coach in the first place, for as someone noted, all electronics fail eventually. I sure am glad that in my case the detector was new / worked as intended. Ya' just never know.

Ryanh