Will propane heat create unwanted residue on my train layout?
Years ago my mother had to keep her fish tanks covered as the gas cookstove caused a film to form on the waters surface. That was 70 years ago, don't know if newer heating units would do the same or not. Also, is it a vented heater? Could make a difference.
Good luck,
Richard
Depends a bit on how clean you keep the equipment and how efficiently the burner works with excess air. Aside from the obvious health dangers, any momentary rich operation will put sticky carbon and hydrocarbon particles in the exhaust. There is also the 'condensation' of the water of combustion to consider.
Personally, I would use only indirect heat, like an old gas furnace jetted for propane, with the combustion exhaust and condensate vented entirely outside. You will want to use a humidifier on the circulated hot air, as necessary to keep the layout framing dimensionally and structurally stable.
I’ve been using a small Catalytic Propane tent heater (about 5000 BTU) attached to a Propane bottle as a helper in my garage for years without any problems. I use it when the temperature gets below 60º to bring it up to comfortable layout working condition, not very often in Bakersfield. Mel Modeling the early to mid 1950s SP in HO scale since 1951My Model Railroad http://melvineperry.blogspot.com/ Bakersfield, California Aging is not for wimps.
mkepler954 Will propane heat create unwanted residue on my train layout?
How big is the room? What kind of room? How tighly constructed?
What climate do you live in? How cold are your winters?
I restored and lived in this house for 25 years:
And the primary heat was oil fired hot water baseboard.
BUT, we had two ventless propane gas space heaters that look like wood stoves:
Which we used in the spring and fall, or for auxiliary heat on the coldest days, and as emergency heat in a power outage.
At about 30,000 btu/hr each, the two of them could heat the entire 4000 sq ft house to about 65 or 70 degrees with an outdoor temp of 20 degrees.
They did not put out enough water vapor to be a problem, in fact it was just enough to be a plus.
We did not use them continiously as a rule - but, the one in the kitchen was thermostaticly controlled and would be left on to cycle on its own in the coldest part of the season.
Ventless gas heaters get a bad rap because of a few stupid people. Used with just a little common sense and knowledge they are perfectly safe.
Only once in 25 years, the propane company screwed up and we ran low on gas and had some soot issues. There is no normal operation residue - water vapor and carbon dioxide are the only byproducts unless there is too little oxygen in the room - that's right - it shuts down if there is too little oxygen..........
These heaters have oxygen depleation safety valves and will shut off long before indoor air is unsafe - but I would not recommend them for buildings that are super air tight, you do need some fresh makeup air.
It is also wise to have the right size heater for the space, not too big, not too small.
Sheldon