Pellet stove backup?

**jimmbob** · November 12, 2012, 14:22

So, I got my live-in tin shed insulated and am putting in a pellet stove. I need a backup heat source for when the power goes out in the winter and was thinking of using a tank-top heater that clamps on a 20 lb. propane bottle. Can these be used indoors for extended periods of time(a few days) in an 18' x 18' shed without having a window open or do I need to consider something else for temporary backup?

RG Coburn · November 12, 2012, 16:55

Most of the pellet stoves I've seen require 115vac.

Okay..I see you are asking a backup to the pellet stove..
I'd go with a catalylic propane wall mount heater. Keep a window or two cracked for fresh air circulation.

RG Coburn · November 13, 2012, 15:28

Kinda ironic..I stopped by a friends house last night,and he was trying to bug a problem with his pellet stove. It would go thru the entire start-up cycle,but burn out after not getting any pellets augered into it.Long story short..we tracked it all back to the microswitch on the pellet hopper lid,which cuts power to the auger when the lid is lifted,so kiddies don't get their piggies stuck in the auger."Reprofiled" the microswitch are(bent it slightly)and it started working like a charm.

C2A1 · November 13, 2012, 15:44

On mine I went to the RV store and got an inverter, so when the power is out I hook up to an auto battery. Will run for days on a deep cycle optima battery.

HighRatMaster · November 13, 2012, 21:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimmbob

thinking of using a tank-top heater that clamps on a 20 lb. propane bottle. Can these be used indoors for extended periods of time(a few days) in an 18' x 18' shed without having a window open ?

Not without dying.

There are small catalytic heaters for this, hthttp://www.northerntool.com/images...35_lg.jpgtp://. I use one in my wall tent sometimes when it's not quite cold enough for the wood stove or it more than 5 below outside and I don't want to get up 3 times a night to stoke the fire, it works great.

P.I. Staker · November 13, 2012, 23:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by C2A1

On mine I went to the RV store and got an inverter, so when the power is out I hook up to an auto battery. Will run for days on a deep cycle optima battery.

This.

MordeanGrey · November 14, 2012, 14:11

Quote:

Originally Posted by C2A1

On mine I went to the RV store and got an inverter, so when the power is out I hook up to an auto battery. Will run for days on a deep cycle optima battery.

Yep!

This +2.

A coworker has this setup and it works great!

RG Coburn · November 14, 2012, 15:38

It will run the fan as well for days?

C2A1 · November 14, 2012, 16:54

Yep, does down here in NM. I put my battery in a box with inverter and plug and looks like it belongs in the living room. I use the gel cell batteries to avoid fumes and they can take deep discharges and recover. I would guess time on batery will depend on the fan size and speed but mine does fine.

Aeroscout · November 14, 2012, 17:41

FYI...Propane or Natural Gas burns wet....puts off lots of moisture into the air.

My Dad and I Elk hunt in Eastern Oregon (prefer in winter, in the snow) and we made the mistake one year of taking our catalytic propane heater in leu of our Kerosene heater...huge mistake. It was warm enough when you stood by it but it made everything in the tent damp (which equates to farging cold)...and it was near impossible to dry anything out.

Might be ok for more temperate climates...but if its colder than a well diggers belt buckle outside...propane or natural gas are out.

Personally my back up would be a good old fashion wood burning stove.....work good last long time.....proven by history to be very effective.

justashooter · November 15, 2012, 08:20

hand fed coal burning gravity heat. no 'lectricity at all. 60K BTU all day long, as long as the 3 ton coal pile lasts.

**jimmbob** · November 15, 2012, 08:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aeroscout

FYI...Propane or Natural Gas burns wet....puts off lots of moisture into the air.

I used to know that but somehow forgot. Remembered it a few days ago when I borrowed my friends propane heater to test it out and it pert near started raining in here, even with some ventilation. Droplets of water all over the ceiling dripping, dripping...

No propane for me.

**jimmbob** · November 15, 2012, 09:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by C2A1

On mine I went to the RV store and got an inverter, so when the power is out I hook up to an auto battery. Will run for days on a deep cycle optima battery.

This was my original plan but did'nt know how long a battery would last powering the auger and the fan. After I did a test on propane heat and actually witnessed how WET it made everything I'm back to going w/the 12V battery backup system idea. Figure I'll keep 2-3 batteries ready to go with a trickle charger and recharge them w/the generator if the powers out for more than a few days.

C2A1 · November 15, 2012, 09:49

I've had good luck with the gel cell batteries. Had one I ran down to nothing trying to start a big block vehicle at=10F in January. Left it in the car until the end of May, dead. I checked it in May and it was DEAD. I took it out and put it on a charger for a couple of hours and it had enough to fire the car up. I drove the car home and the battery charged for over 6 hours drawning 35-40 amps. Ran it another 4 years.
On the heater I made a little box with a plug and brass latches. I can pull the battery out and use the car to recharge them fully but otherwise out of sight. I have one now rated at 1200 amp hrs. The fan draws maybe 1-2 amps and the auger maybe an amp when augering so say 2 amps for the system. 1000amp/hr at 12V to 100amp/hr at 100v thru the inverter so you'll get about 50hrs on a full battery charge. Ask your pellet heater provider what the power draw is and you figure it out for your battery set.

jerrymrc · November 15, 2012, 20:28

120 AH of AGM batteries hooked to a 400W UPS. Have run the stove for 4 hours after the power went out. Can charge by solar if I need to.

November 12, 2012, 14:22	#1
jimmbob letmebe Contributor FALaholic #: 41144 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: first singlewide on the right, the one w/the nice tipout. Posts: 3,092	Pellet stove backup? So, I got my live-in tin shed insulated and am putting in a pellet stove. I need a backup heat source for when the power goes out in the winter and was thinking of using a tank-top heater that clamps on a 20 lb. propane bottle. Can these be used indoors for extended periods of time(a few days) in an 18' x 18' shed without having a window open or do I need to consider something else for temporary backup? __________________ jb

November 14, 2012, 17:41	#10
Aeroscout Unarmed and Unafraid Contributor FALaholic #: 67625 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Republic of TEXAS Posts: 945	Back-up heater FYI...Propane or Natural Gas burns wet....puts off lots of moisture into the air. My Dad and I Elk hunt in Eastern Oregon (prefer in winter, in the snow) and we made the mistake one year of taking our catalytic propane heater in leu of our Kerosene heater...huge mistake. It was warm enough when you stood by it but it made everything in the tent damp (which equates to farging cold)...and it was near impossible to dry anything out. Might be ok for more temperate climates...but if its colder than a well diggers belt buckle outside...propane or natural gas are out. Personally my back up would be a good old fashion wood burning stove.....work good last long time.....proven by history to be very effective.

November 15, 2012, 08:20	#11
justashooter Registered FALaholic #: 5967 Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: york, pa. Posts: 4,524	hand fed coal burning gravity heat. no 'lectricity at all. 60K BTU all day long, as long as the 3 ton coal pile lasts. __________________ If the concept of heading on down to the local Home Depot and transforming $100 worth of random pipe bits into a killing machine doesn’t appeal to you, you’re a frikkin' pansy. Also, you’re probably sane and will live significantly longer than I will. Nonetheless you disgust me, and I take comfort in the knowledge that your obituary will be nowhere near as humorous as mine. The next time I hear "THE RANGE IS NOW HOT", it just wont be the same. Max tried another question. "What sort of people live about here?" "In THAT direction," the Jin said, waving its right paw round, "lives a Han: And in THAT direction," waving the other paw, "lives a Ming Hare. Visit either you like: they're both mad." "But I don't want to go among mad people," Max remarked. "Oh, you can't help that," said the Jin: "we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're mad." "How do you know I'm mad?" said Max. "You must be," said the Jin, "or you wouldn't have come here."

November 15, 2012, 20:28	#15
jerrymrc Registered FALaholic #: 2331 Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: colorado springs Posts: 4,878	120 AH of AGM batteries hooked to a 400W UPS. Have run the stove for 4 hours after the power went out. Can charge by solar if I need to. __________________ Owner of the worlds lightest Fal. 5.8lbs. :)

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November 12, 2012, 16:55	#2
RG Coburn Registered FALaholic #: 27406 Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 11,011	Most of the pellet stoves I've seen require 115vac. Okay..I see you are asking a backup to the pellet stove.. I'd go with a catalylic propane wall mount heater. Keep a window or two cracked for fresh air circulation.

November 13, 2012, 15:28	#3
RG Coburn Registered FALaholic #: 27406 Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 11,011	Kinda ironic..I stopped by a friends house last night,and he was trying to bug a problem with his pellet stove. It would go thru the entire start-up cycle,but burn out after not getting any pellets augered into it.Long story short..we tracked it all back to the microswitch on the pellet hopper lid,which cuts power to the auger when the lid is lifted,so kiddies don't get their piggies stuck in the auger."Reprofiled" the microswitch are(bent it slightly)and it started working like a charm.

November 13, 2012, 15:44	#4
C2A1 Registered FALaholic #: 15514 Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,017	On mine I went to the RV store and got an inverter, so when the power is out I hook up to an auto battery. Will run for days on a deep cycle optima battery.

November 14, 2012, 15:38	#8
RG Coburn Registered FALaholic #: 27406 Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 11,011	It will run the fan as well for days?

November 14, 2012, 16:54	#9
C2A1 Registered FALaholic #: 15514 Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,017	Yep, does down here in NM. I put my battery in a box with inverter and plug and looks like it belongs in the living room. I use the gel cell batteries to avoid fumes and they can take deep discharges and recover. I would guess time on batery will depend on the fan size and speed but mine does fine.

November 15, 2012, 09:49	#14
C2A1 Registered FALaholic #: 15514 Join Date: Sep 2004 Posts: 1,017	I've had good luck with the gel cell batteries. Had one I ran down to nothing trying to start a big block vehicle at=10F in January. Left it in the car until the end of May, dead. I checked it in May and it was DEAD. I took it out and put it on a charger for a couple of hours and it had enough to fire the car up. I drove the car home and the battery charged for over 6 hours drawning 35-40 amps. Ran it another 4 years. On the heater I made a little box with a plug and brass latches. I can pull the battery out and use the car to recharge them fully but otherwise out of sight. I have one now rated at 1200 amp hrs. The fan draws maybe 1-2 amps and the auger maybe an amp when augering so say 2 amps for the system. 1000amp/hr at 12V to 100amp/hr at 100v thru the inverter so you'll get about 50hrs on a full battery charge. Ask your pellet heater provider what the power draw is and you figure it out for your battery set.