40 Watt tube heater (1 Viewer)

[Spade]

I am thinking about buying one of these heaters for frost protection at home for the van, and for use with an inverter when camping.
I have 2 110 AH batteries so am thinking that the battery drain might not be high.
I have looked and am baffled by the online consumption calculators.
There is a larger 80 watt one as well, that might be more powerful.
What would your thoughts be on this type of heater please

Dimplex ECOT1FT Wall-Mounted Tubular Heater 40W 408mm x 81mm - Screwfix

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[Figaro]

Used for long periods it will kill your batteries, much better to use gas heating if you have it.
In winter, when you'd want to use it, you're probably already giving the batteries a good work out with lights, TV, water pump, charging phones etc and virtually no solar.
Assuming your not on ehu of course

 

[Jev88]

40 watts on 12v is 3.5 amps.
You have 110ah of battery to actually use. 3.5 amps equates to roughly 31 hours.
But that assumed a perfect set up and no losses. So round down to 24? hours of heater before battery bank is at 50% (flat)

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[TheMachMan]

Is 40 watts going to do a in a van? Not much more than a lightbulb.

 

[pappajohn]

40 watts ....As much use as t!ts on a bull.
They are designed to sit in the bottom of a wardrobe or pantry.
I was in a workman's cabin one winter and they had a 500w version.
Plastic carrier bags were melted to it

 

[Winger]

40 watts ....As much use as t!ts on a bull.
They are designed to sit in the bottom of a wardrobe or pantry.
I was in a workman's cabin one winter and they had a 500w version.
Plastic carrier bags were melted to it

Or mammary glands on a he pig!

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[Lenny HB]

Why bother to heat an empty van we never do.
40 Watts is as good as unheated it would do naff all.

 

[headlight]

Spade I have 2 of the 60 watt ones in the cabin of my boat. I run them in winter on a timer when my boat is on mains hook up in the marina.
They stop condensation forming on the bare fiberglass ceiling.
However my boat cabin is much smaller than a Motorhome.
Personally I don't think even 2 of the 60 watt ones would do anything in a Motorhome and if not on hook up would flatten your leisure batteries pretty quickly.

 

[Shrimp]

We had two tube heaters in the van one winter.
One was a 80W and a 40W, ran them alongside a small oil filled rad.
The small one we put in the washroom-it just about took the chill off.
The bigger one went in the cab area-always a cold spot, it did help a bit but without the rad as well we would have been cold!
On its own a tube heater is fine for the area of a cupboard but not much good as heating!

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[The Wino]

The 80w one will be more powerful as it's 80w and the other is 40w so it's twice as powerful!. You could alternatively find an old 40w bulb and use that it will provide just as much heat as the 40w heater. Do you really think a single 40w bulb would make any difference to the temperature in your MH?

 

[68c]

Your 40watt energy will be released as light or heat, or split between the two. The light bulb will allow you to see the frost forming as the meagre amount of heat energy fights the cold. The heater will release it's energy as heat alone, except from the glow of its LED.

 

[The Wino]

Your 40watt energy will be released as light or heat, or split between the two. The light bulb will allow you to see the frost forming as the meagre amount of heat energy fights the cold. The heater will release it's energy as heat alone, except from the glow of its LED.

An ordinary light bulb only turns 5% of the energy into light and the majority will fall on the internal walls and be released there. You could also close the blinds to screw the last few drops of energy out in your damp cold cell.

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[Bobbydaisy]

Got a 40w towel rail, fitted one in every van I ve had , works surprisingly well and is hot to touch , dries dogs towels and coats hung above but I think would do very little other than heat close proximity around its location .

 

[Spade]

Thanks very much for all the helpful answers.
Happy Xmas to all

 

[68c]

An ordinary light bulb only turns 5% of the energy into light and the majority will fall on the internal walls and be released there. You could also close the blinds to screw the last few drops of energy out in your damp cold cell.

Did not believe incandescent bulbs only released 5% of energy as light so googled it. Suprised to find it may be as low as 2% with the majority of the rest being in the infra red spectrum, heat. Yet another thread that has threatened my idea of how the world works.

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[JockandRita]

I am thinking about buying one of these heaters for frost protection at home for the van, and for use with an inverter when camping.
I have 2 110 AH batteries so am thinking that the battery drain might not be high.
I have looked and am baffled by the online consumption calculators.
There is a larger 80 watt one as well, that might be more powerful.
What would your thoughts be on this type of heater please

Dimplex ECOT1FT Wall-Mounted Tubular Heater 40W 408mm x 81mm - Screwfix

Order online at Screwfix.ie. Low output, adjustable heat source suitable for a huge range of applications, from airing cupboards to shop windows and greenhouses. Must be installed horizontally. FREE next day delivery available, free collection in 1 minute.

www.screwfix.ie

Martin funflair ?

I've not used them yet, so unable to comment.

Cheers

Jock.

 

[funflair]

Martin funflair ?

I've not used them yet, so unable to comment.

Cheers

Jock.

I only ever used them on hook up

 

[autorouter]

Did not believe incandescent bulbs only released 5% of energy as light so googled it. Suprised to find it may be as low as 2% with the majority of the rest being in the infra red spectrum, heat. Yet another thread that has threatened my idea of how the world works.

To be fair, the 95% of heat is usually not 'wasted', in that it contributes to the heating of the room. Except of course if you are opening the windows to cool, or worse, running air-conditioning to cool the room down.

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[The Wino]

Did not believe incandescent bulbs only released 5% of energy as light so googled it. Suprised to find it may be as low as 2% with the majority of the rest being in the infra red spectrum, heat. Yet another thread that has threatened my idea of how the world works.

That's why LEDs are so much better. Halogen is slightly better than an ordinary tungsten but not much.

 

[Stuart]

Got a 3 foot one in the shed, about 130 watts I think. During the cold spell the other day it was -6 outside and +2 in the shed. Just about keeps the frost out so I don't think a 40 watt one would do much.

 

[68c]

Now my inquisitive nature led me to wonder just how hot I am. It seems about 100Watt, so if I can convince SWMBO to sit in our darkened van all winter she should be able stop any condensation. Breathing through a tube to the outside of course.

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[donkey]

Now my inquisitive nature led me to wonder just how hot I am. It seems about 100Watt, so if I can convince SWMBO to sit in our darkened van all winter she should be able stop any condensation. Breathing through a tube to the outside of course.

She would be more effective if she ran up and down or press ups. Her heat output would be greatly increased.

Geoff

 

[68c]

Perhaps if she was naked it would increase the area outputting heat. Think I will wait until she has cooked my supper before asking her.

 

[donkey]

Perhaps if she was naked it would increase the area outputting heat. Think I will wait until she has cooked my supper before asking her.

Why wait, you already know what the answer will be

Geoff

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