cabin heater

[kwackkillncrew]

we are building a 14'x24' cabin on our property in sterling ak. We dont have electric ran to it yet and we plan on stayin in this "cabin" until we build something a bit bigger in 10 years or so, and this "cabin" will be come a super fancy shed and an extra place for friends and family to sleep. We will probably use the cabin 2 or 3 times during the winter just on weekends. Rest of the year the heating will be to just take the edge off in the mornings or in the evenings. We dont really want to have to cut down trees or get a small wood stove since they do take up more room then other heating sources. We wont have electric for a few years probably so that takes out a small toyo. So we are basically down to either a nordic oil drip or a direct vent propane stove. I am leaning towards a direct vent propane heat source beacuse i think they maybe put out heat faster then a oil drip does? We wont be going down when its -20 or anything like that so i dont really have to worry about the propane being an issue and freezing up or not having enough pressure. Also the direct vent propane doesnt need a chimney going up, just a small exhaust hole similar to a toyo. We will have some big deep cycle L-ion batteries for light duty electricty like charging ports and a couple led lights. I have thought about a Planar type stove since they dont take much electricity and can put out some heat (got one in my boat) but they are a bit more expensive then the direct vent propane heaters i believe. thoughts?

 

[cnelk]

Get a Wave 3 heater

 

[MacGyver]

Ion batteries do not work well below -4* F. do not recharge until the internal temperature is above 32*F.

Buy a generator.

 

[kwackkillncrew]

Ion batteries do not work well below -4* F. do not recharge until the internal temperature is above 32*F.

Buy a generator.

Right, i was going to pull the batteries in the winter and then bring them with us, i was also going to get a generator. That way i can charge the batteries during the summer and not need to run the generator all day.

 

[7mm-08]

Get a Wave 3 heater

People who haven't researched these catalytic heaters dismiss them as just a junky LP heater that results in high humidity heat - until they have exposure to and use one. It is only then that they their tune changes.

 

[MacGyver]

You never said if the batteries are going power an inverter or run everything on DC. If you go the inverter, choose wisely on idle current.

 

[handwerk]

Lots of off grid folks around here get by nicely with the direct vent propane.

 

[Rich M]

Wood stove kicks off more heat than propane. Understand the not wanting to cut up wood part too.

An oil heater can use diesel fuel.

Agree about the limited space - we have a 14x36 and it isn't in Alaska.

 

[kwackkillncrew]

You never said if the batteries are going power an inverter or run everything on DC. If you go the inverter, choose wisely on idle current.

I am just trying to figure out the heat at this point, going to let my electrician/solar engineer help with that stuff. Pretty sure i dont want to depend on electricity for the heat portion, otherwise Id go with a toyo.

Sent from my SM-S921U using Tapatalk

 

[handwerk]

I will say we have an off grid hunting cabin in MT about the same size as you're talking and it takes hardly any wood to heat it up with our little wood stove. For us I can't imagine choosing propane over wood unless there isn't wood to be found for miles.

 

[cnelk]

I posted several times about my Wyoming Off grid cabin on here.

I have a wood stove and a small propane heater.
There are some mornings you just don’t want to build a fire in the stove when the propane heater will take the edge off in the mornings.
Especially when you’re also making coffee and stuff.

My insulated cabin is really easy to get warm. Sometimes too warm with the wood stove.
I’ve had it up to 94 deg, that’s when the door and windows get opened

 

[WR27]

Oh the joys of an oversized wood stove in a cabin. Nothing worse than waking up looking for a gallon of water.

 

[doc holiday13]

My buddy has these at his hunting property cabin. Runs on Natural gas but I'm sure there is a propane model. Vent the house properly and dont' run continually and you'll be fine. There are 2 point alarms for CO . First set point is much lower than the deadly alarm set point.

We generally will run the heater for a few hours, shut it off before bed, then someone will wake up ~4am and flip it back on