What do you know about Propane Stoves

[xman23]

A friend was asking about heating his rarely used lower level with a stove. He loved the fireview from my stove. But he didn't think he could deal with the wood supply. I explained seeing a stove like mine that was propane. Thermostatically controlled and vented to a chimney.
I don't think he cares about saving money operating the stove. Just a nice looking fire that's heating the area. Is this a good alternative to a wood or pellet stove? Do they use a light duty chimney that can be vented out the side of the house?

 

[begreen]

There are some very nice, good looking gas stoves that should fit his needs. Jotul for example makes them in small, medium and large sizes.
(broken link removed to http://jotul.com/us/products/stoves)

 

[Sprinter]

Sounds like a perfect solution for his need, especially if the cost of fuel is not an important factor. Gas can provide a nice looking fire for ambiance and if the stove is efficient, all the better. We used to have an open fireplace with natural gas and it was nice ambiance for occasional use, but negative efficiency. But that was a whole different category.

Installation is probably not exactly trivial, but should be able to be vented horizontally without too much fuss. You would probably need a propane conversion kit, as most gas appliances come equipped for natural gas and there is a difference. But it should be simple enough. I just did it for our new range.

 

[DanCorcoran]

They also make vent-free gas log stoves. Not sure if only natural gas, or propane too.

 

[Sprinter]

I think you would want to be careful with those vent-free stoves, that would probably use a catalytic burner. The big problem with them is that without ventilation, they put out a lot of water vapor which may be a problem depending on the location. They are supposed to be safe enough, but I'm just not comfortable with that type of system.

But my only experience was with an RV version and it was very uncomfortable, so it may still be worth looking into them with that in mind.

 

[DanCorcoran]

Duh! I just realized that I have a vent-free propane gas-log stove in my cabin! It was left there by the previous owner. I use it (along with my woodstove) to heat the cabin quickly when I arrive. I usually only leave it on for 3-4 hours, which is enough to bring the cabin temp up to where the woodstove can handle it. It has a thermostat, which turns the main flame on and off with room temp. I've only used that once, when it went down to 9 below zero (F) one night. The woodstove had trouble keeping up (cabin is not well insulated), so the gas logs would come on and off throughout the night to keep the cabin temp around 50.

Even though there is no wood to mess with, I wouldn't want to use the propane as a primary heat source. It lacks the woodstove ambiance and it has a mildly unpleasant smell. Nothing awful, just kind of chemical smelling.

 

[begreen]

Yes, an ice cold cabin + vent free gas can lead to some serious moisture buildup in a small cabin. Friend tried one of these heaters for a season up north and found in spring they were wiping mold off the walls. We put in a woodstove and the issue has not returned.

 

[Sprinter]

It's something like four cf of water vapor for every cf of propane (gas) burned. Also, if you are going to use an appliance like that, you should have a CO detector. We have a propane range and I can notice the humidity from it a little. But the cinnamon rolls are worth it. Unfortunately, propane produces twice as much water as methane (natural gas) per gas volume and a heating device like this could cause problems like begreen said.

 

[begreen]

A vented propane stove however should not be a problem.

 

[Sprinter]

A vented propane stove however should not be a problem.

Exactly. But one of the advantages that people go for besides installation issues is the efficiency. When that vapor condenses on the windows and walls, you get a lot of heat back. But it's just not worth it IMO.

 

[CenterTree]

We had a vent free propane unit years ago. Never again!
Each family member would complain of headaches every time we used it. (And it was in a semi-leaky basement too.)
Moisture on all the windows. Unpleasant odor.

Go vented. You lose some efficiency , but it is well worth it.