Can I leave my gas heater on overnight? (1 Viewer)

[RogerThat]

Excuse the newbie question from a newbie, but can I (safely!) leave my gas heater on overnight?

My heater is a (1999) Carver 4000, it's not blown air or dual fuel or anything fancy like that, it's just a plain heater with no controls other than a manual pump-action mechanical ignition button and a single dial to set the flame / heat level

 

[Gizmouk]

Assuming you have a CO alarm - then I don't see why not

 

[RogerThat]

Yup, alarm(s) tested and confirmed ok, just put a new batteries in both alarms last week

Should I also leave a window open? Or will there be enough natural ventilation in there?

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[Welsh girl]

We've left our heater on all night and we have a carbon monoxide alarm. It hasn't gone off!! Thankfully.

 

[irnbru]

We normally leave the skylight open a crack and the little overhead cab window too. Helps with condensation and peace of mind of co though we do have a detector.

 

[Theonlysue]

I have always left heating on all night, with co alarm, but mindful that nothing will fall on it.

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[GJH]

We have a combi water/space heater rather than a fire but regularly leave water on or space heater on low in colder weather. Leaving the water heater on prevents the dump valve opening - and means I don't have to wait for a shower in the morning
We have a combined smoke/CO alarm fitted.

 

[tonyidle]

Your heater draws its air from outside the van and exhausts spent gases outside the van. There is no flame in contact with the air you breathe. You have more chance of being hit by a meteorite than succumbing to CO.

 

[JJ]

My heater is a (1999) Carver 4000, it's not blown air or dual fuel or anything fancy like that, it's just a plain heater with no controls other than a manual pump-action mechanical ignition button and a single dial to set the flame / heat level

In my opinion you have the very best motorhome heater type ever produced.

Simplicity itself. You only need gas.

I have one in my self build and a similar one in my 1987 Hymer 660S.

I have, in the past, left them on over night without any problems.

I am rather too rufty tufty to need to do so these days. (Most of the winter I am in Portugal so not really needed.)

JJ

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[two]

Agree. A very practical heater and flued externally so nothing to worry about. Leave it on low overnight to keep the chill off and permit a faster warm-up in the morning. Do not rue the lack of blown air, those fans can flatten batteries.

 

[RogerThat]

Leave it on low overnight to keep the chill off and permit a faster warm-up in the morning.

This was exactly my plan

Thanks for the reassurances and advice everyone, very grateful!

I shall be putting it to the test this very weekend

 

[RogerThat]

I shall be putting it to the test this very weekend

Well, that didn't quite go according to plan!

Last night, I lit the Carver 4000 heater, put it on the lowest heat setting and got in to bed. I thought I'd see what the temperature was like when I got up this morning.

Well, this morning it was quite chilly when I woke up. No probs I thought, I'll try it another night on the half-way heat setting instead.

However... when I then went to turn the heater up, it was actually off.

I ran out of gas overnight

So no toast for me this morning (booooo).

Bought a refill this morning but won't have the chance to try it until next weekend now

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[Duck Truck]

Would you believe it
there I was parked on a wilding spot
and this bloody meteorite landed on the passenger seat

 

[Deleted member 29692]

We normally leave the skylight open a crack and the little overhead cab window too. Helps with condensation and peace of mind of co though we do have a detector.

That's fine for condensation but it wouldn't help at all if there somehow was CO in your van.

CO is heavier than air so it will sink to the floor not rise and escape.

 

[Geo]

That's fine for condensation but it wouldn't help at all if there somehow was CO in your van.

CO is heavier than air so it will sink to the floor not rise and escape.[/QUOTE

I beg to differ Nick FWIW
Your quite correct, Co is heavier than air but detectors work on a parts per million system not density,
in a still air scenario the alarm would sound only when the height of the CO reached the alarm
An open roof vent causing air fluctuations is better as the warm air rises cools then drops causing air movement bringing any CO leak to the detector sooner
best position for Co alarm is nose height when sleeping, for smoke alarm cieling height LPG alarm floor level
G

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[two]

CO is a red herring. Moisture is heavier than air, but is carried around by it. Ventilation will let it out, whether though a top, side, or floor vent. (Same for any CO that might be around).
There should not be any CO, especially with external fluid heaters. If you bother with an alarm, place is as close to the air you'll be breathing when asleep.

 

[Tootles]

Would you believe it
there I was parked on a wilding spot
and this bloody meteorite landed on the passenger seat

I have a meteorite just the same as yours. I call her 'wife'. I know, not a very Star-Trek name, but she understands, and reacts to it. Now, if I said "Hey, Moonstone, go brew up", she would just sit there, and her single chromosome would not engage with her layshaft.

 

[two]

Don't knock wives.
Mine could smell a gas leak
in the neighbouring van
about ten minutes before it started!

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[TheTwoOfUs]

Being one of the unclean who uses CC sites we take an oil filled radiator with us in winter and use the electric we're paying for rather than use the gas. We only get through a couple of 11kg bottles at the most all year. I often wonder how many those that wild camp get through?

 

[Tootles]

Don't knock wives.
Mine could smell a gas leak
in the neighbouring van
about ten minutes before it started!

Not knocking them! Funny, mine smells of leaking gas as well!!

 

[Duck Truck]

I have a meteorite just the same as yours. I call her 'wife'. I know, not a very Star-Trek name, but she understands, and reacts to it. Now, if I said "Hey, Moonstone, go brew up", she would just sit there, and her single chromosome would not engage with her layshaft.

shit he's brave

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[Puddleduck]

shit he's brave

Or very foolish........

 

[Duck Truck]

Both?