Is the Big Buddy Portable Heater safe inside a camper?
This is the heater we use for camping and, so far, it has worked well, but... is it safe?
The propane heater in the truck camper high in the Smoky Mountains - this was in Mt. Pisgah Campground by the Blur Ridge Parkway - License our images here. |
The maker says it's safe for indoor use because the propane heater has a sensor to shut off the unit if the oxygen levels fall too much.
There are three potential dangers with propane heaters that come to my mind.
- Generating the toxic carbon monoxide (CO), a gas that we can't detect because is colorless, odorless, and tasteless.
- The possibility of a propane leak. Propane is flammable, and being heavier than air it will go to the floor.
- Fire.
To mitigate poisoning, we always keep a window with a narrow opening for ventilation - at least nine square inches are recommended. We also have a carbon monoxide detector close to the bed. Besides all this, we run the Big Buddy in bursts only when need to rise the temperature.
For the danger of fire, we keep the unit far from the walls and combustible materials and have an extinguisher at hand.
Looking for info about the safety of these heaters, we found a reassuring video and the article Are Mr. Buddy Heaters Safe to Use Indoors?.
Important to mind and maintain in good shape these devices.
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