I want a Mr. Heater Portable Buddy for use inside our all-electric townhouse in case of a power outage. If the power goes out, so does the heat pump.

This is labelled an "Indoor-Safe Propane Heater" and would be used only in emergencies, not as an auxilliary heat source or instead of running the heat pump. Can anyone recommend it?

--Craig

I think I'd treat that "safe for indoor use" as a safety feature you try never to use... that is, I wouldn't leave the thing running and go to bed. Be suspicious of it. By a carbon monoxide detector and have it around while using the heater. If everything works as designed, you're ok, just extra cautious. And if something goes wrong, you won't die in your sleep.

I looked at those a while back for hunting and was about to order one, but then I found out they don't work above 7000'. Something to do with the built-in oxygen sensor. That may not be a concern for you in PA however.

Regards, Vince

Well, I will throw my .02 in. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I really don't see the difference between this and hundred of open flame heaters that were in use and still in use in lots of houses in rural Oklahoma. I have one in my garage that I use in the winter and some of my fondest memories of growing up were sitting in front of the one the three my grandmother had in her house, playing cards and listening to the wind howl outside...knowing I was warm.

I use a similar product in my hunting camp, a coleman Black Cat heater..same catalytic principal...the Mr. Buddy is a better design and more expensive. I use mine throughout the hunting season, it will run for 6-7 hours on a 1 lb can...and here is a shocker...I run it while I am sleeping, but then again...there is no way that where I am sleeping is airtight..it's a converted 48' refer trailer, so no worries about the CO poisioning, and most times we crack a window in the other room to be sure.

Using it in your house in a small enclosed area might not be advisable...but depending on how big and airtight your house is...I wouldn't think twice about running one in the winter in mine...once again...I know it's not airtight and I don't think the volume of CO that this little thing can put out would be dangerous...but then I'm not a doctor or anything. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I'm liking that suggestion. Thank you.

I have one. It's great. I have no problem with using it in a single room, and the O2 sensor is sensitive enough that it shuts right down if the air goes bad.

It whips through fuel, though, you will need a few cases of the propane tanks to make through a 72 hour blackout.

I wonder if the "Coleman Black Cat Portable Heater With Electronic Ignition" would be a better choice for emergency use?

The heater I buy would be used if and only if a power outage knocks out our heat pump in the winter. No heat would mean cold, unhappy people and pets. This is just so that we wouldn't have to find a pet-friendly motel in the middle of a winter storm.

-- Craig

Cases? The closet barely holds our winter coats, let alone cases of propane fuel.

-- Craig

Well I know it's cheaper and if we are strictly talking emergencies it might be the way to go. We have a fireplace here so if we have a power outage, I don't use it to heat a large area, but it has kept the room in our hunting tailer..roughly 10 x 8..comfortable when the temperatures dipped into the low 30's.

As far as a case of propane...you can buy an adaptor so you could hook it to a 20 lb tank..although if storage is a problem...you can figure conservatively 6 hours on a 1 lb canister.. so you would need 12 for 72 hours of continuous use..easily stored, but I won't suppose to know how much space you have to deal with. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

A case of propane fuel is about the size of a case of 1 liter soda. Not that big.