Quote:
Originally Posted by T and C
Bob,
" realize all 1500w heaters SHOULD put out the same heat, energy = energy BUT I think there is something about the physical mass/surface area of the oil filled fins and the heat chimney design of this unit, that build up with heat, then radiate that heat in a manner that works very well for the TM interior space. "
I think the difference between the two types of heaters is in the mass density of the oil. Mass is the quantity of matter, (atoms), you are dealing with. When you just heat air, there is very little mass involved so what mass there is heats up fast, and then cools off just about as fast when the heat source is turned off.
With the oil filled heater, it heats up much slower because it has a lot more to heat up. But it does not cool off as fast because most of the oil is not in contact with the tubing and therefore does not exchange its heat rapidly. So, it stays hot longer.
We have all walked into a bathroom barefooted. The flooring and the rugs are at the same temperature. The rugs, however, are much more comfortable to step on than the cold floor. That is because the light material the rug is woven from does not have nearly the amount of mass per cm3 that the dense flooring material does. So, the warmth of your feet does not exchange heat on the rugs as fast as on the floor.
This principle is also the reason it is possible to "firewalk".
Tom
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Makes sense, thanks Tom. This heater has exceeded my expectations, it's silent in operation, only a faint "tic" when it cycles on/off. The only bad side is it's heavy BUT the mass (oil and metal radiator fins) that makes it heavy is also what makes it work so well. It's like a heat storage device that holds heat as well as it radiates heat. I am sure there are laws of physics that state it can't make more heat that any other 1500w heater BUT I know what I feel and this unit really works well in the TM interior space configuration.
It's like a nice little fireplace in the center of the TM. I won't take it on trips where the temps are mild, but on cold weather trips it has earned a place in my RV.
Also, the $60 price tag might seem high, but with one of these and a 1500w ceramic $20 Wal-Mart cheapy the savings in propane will make it well worth the $$$, IMHO. I had planned on having to fill one tank by now but I haven't even used any propane yet
Another big plus is saftey. My cat likes to camp and thinks the TM is a blast, so I take her. When I go on Jeep runs I am gone all day, sometimes overnight on runs like Rubicon Trail where you camp at Rubicon Springs. With this trip being in the dead of winter I wanted a heater I could leave on without much worry. This oil filled radiator heater meets that need. As I mentioned it is also silent, so last night instead of waking up everytime the TM furnace blower comes on, I slept like a rock, that's a welcome change.