Greetings
There has been a few discussions recently of the safety of gas heaters in closed environments.
We just returned from a
Brisbane to
Melbourne via the
Darling River and returned through Shepparton, up through the Hunter Valley and coast.
Expecting cold weather, I went to our local camping
shop to enquire about gas heaters and the safety in using them.
I was told of and bought a Coleman gas heater using the relatively new "safe for indoors use" Propane Catalytic system.
This was quoted as being safe for indoors use, but not as efficient as normal gas heaters, but safe if overturned and no poisonous gas output. The gas is supplied in Coleman disposable canisters. Heater approx $60, gas bottles around $8, but expected to last 8 to 12 hours each.
Sitting is a frigid camper trailer tent near Glenn Innes, we thought we'd try the heater.
The instructions specify "use outdoors only", then has a page of how many walls and what area of roof is classed as being not indoors.
The first gas bottle would not attach to the heater at all. The second gas bottle screwed on fine, was lit, and the warmth generated was minuscule.
If the heater we bought is indicative with the small amount of warmth generated, it should be called a gas barely warming device, not a heater.
I would even suggest a dead snakes flatulence would be more acceptable as a heater than this.
Perhaps ours is a faulty unit, and I will be returning it to the camping
shop to see, but if it is a true indication of the ability of the new technology manufactured by Coleman, take your winter woollies with you.
Cheers
Ian