Electric fan heater

[FionaandJohn]

We are thinking of buying a small fan heater for the awning just to take the chill off these autumn evenings. I am not in the least technically minded so am concerned about tripping out the electrics. Most of the ones we have seen are 2kw output. Is this too much? Any thoughts welcome.
thanks
Fiona and John

 

[mucky pup]

We use a radiant heater in our awning with 3 settings ie; .5, 1 and 2kw.
If electrics trip just turn down to lower level. You can get them from any electrical store for about £5-£10.
Works for us.
Only tripped electric once on a site with 6amp hookup.

 

[mucky pup]

Sorry forgot to add, make sure it has a tilt switch so it will turn off if it falls over.

You don't want it too warm.

 

[ProfJohnL]

Fan heaters in awnings are not very practical, and it certainly is not an efficient or effective way of heating and awning. basically a fan heater produces hot air, which as soon as travelled a metre or so or it hits an object the hot air stops moving forwards and the it rises to the roof where the lack of insulation just allows it to vent away. Only those realy close to the heater actualy gain any real benefit from it

The use of radiant heat makes more sense, as the heat will travel much further. and the benefit will be felt over a greater distance. It has to be said that even a radiant heater will eventually loose all its heat to the roof.

 

[trickydicky]

Hello Fiona and John,
From my old schooldays I can remember that Watts = AmpsxVolts,so the current in amps would be Watts/Volts.So for a 2kw heater the amount of current is 2000/240 which is 8.33 amps.
If the site has a 10amp supply,then switching anything on which use more than 1,7 amps would trip the supply. Eg If you then made a cuppa at the same time and the kettle was rated a 2kw,you would need 16.66 amps
Youve just got to balance out what is being used at any one time.
Hope this helps
Cheers Richard

 

[RegandPat]

I have tripped out the electric twice, only been caraning 3 times.
First time was Pat and the nice man told her how to reset the trip switch so every time someone else triped out Pat would reset there trip.
Me not so luckry, I had to phone the site man first wait in the dark for him to arrive, he then said don't use my little kettle.
Now for a question, why do they not put bigger rateing trip switches in on sites.
Or leave a note on how to reset them as both site boxes was not locked (I was just to scared to open the box).
As for heating the awning, what about one of them patio heaters or would this be a fire hazard.
Reg and Pat

 

[Jennifer2]

Rather than heating the awning, would it not be more environmentally friendly to retire inside the caravan when it got chilly in the awning?

 

[ProfJohnL]

Hello Reg and Pat

The rating of the pitches electrical supply is determined by the wiring and connections that have been installed. And its there for everyone's safety.
The blue connectors on you caravan and the sites bollard are designed for a maximum of 16A, but if the wiring size is less than 16A, the trip has to be set to protect the lowest rated part of the installation.
I'm sorry but it is the users responsibility to keep their electrical demand below the sites actual rating.

 

[erica11]

Hi, We use a radiant fire in our awning at the moment its certainly chilly first thing in the awning. It has 3 heat settings if I just use one setting it works with other items but put the others on which at the moment we need early morning it trips out, only use 3 heat settings when nothing else is being used in the caravan or awning. Works well that way for us. Good luck.

 

[Damian]

Quote "As for heating the awning, what about one of them patio heaters or would this be a fire hazard."

Spot On with your first thought,major fire hazard, and just as an added bonus, probably a lethal level of Carbon Monoxide in a confined space like an awning.

So, if the first thing does not get you, the other will.

 

[Chris_Hyde_Cheshire.]

Before we had avan with an awning warmer, we used to use one of them halogen heaters. It was ok but you had to make sure nothing was near it and the kids stayed well away. It had a tilt switch which was a useful safety feature, but I was still always cautious with it.

best regards,
Chris Ryan.
Hyde Cheshire.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I mentioned the radiant type heaters, and I was thinking of the halogen type. But not the floor standing ones, though they certainly do work, I have used a stand mounted one, but you can get them that are designed for patio canopies. Alternatively I have at home a light weight panel radiator that uses a Microtherm panel. This produces a lovely long wave length infrared radiation (not visible) and it does warm over reasonable distances, without becoming excessively hot to touch power rated at 1500W.

 

[ProfJohnL]

I mentioned the radiant type heaters, and I was thinking of the halogen type. But not the floor standing ones, though they certainly do work, I have used a stand mounted one, but you can get them that are designed for patio canopies. Alternatively I have at home a light weight panel radiator that uses a Microtherm panel. This produces a lovely long wave length infrared radiation (not visible) and it does warm over reasonable distances, without becoming excessively hot to touch power rated at 1500W.

 

[andy72]

Im of the same opinion as a previous poster, why spend money and risk tripping the electrics trying to heat an uninsulted space in Autum? The caravan is heated, and insulated!

I appreicate its 'nicer' to be outdoors but then do you really need a caravan? I think a tent would be more what your after

Incidently, re the tent reference, a few years back when we used a tent, most sites actually prohibt tents using fan heaters etc so i wonder if the same should apply to awnings? We managed to trip out the whole post a number of times and it got quite embrassasing aplogising to the neighbouring units for plunging them into darkness.

 

[John_374564913]

We found that if we heat up the caravan and then leave the door open with the blown air heating it also warms up the Porch Awning to an acceptable level so we can sit outside.

Why do we sit outside because being both smokers we will not smoke in the caravan

 

[TimM]

We have a halogen heater and a gas heater which sits on the top of a camping gaz cylinder. The gas heater is very effective. but as Damian says, CO poisonning is to be watched out for particularly as you generally can't smell it. Also care not to knock the thing over. We always ensure adequate ventilation. I think Towsure sell both types.

 

[Mel]

Some years ago we were camping in North Wales. It tipped down with wet welsh rain the entire bank holiday weekend. Opposite us a young couple set up a 2 man dome tent then proceed to set up a new gazebo (still in original packaging) and then produced from, the back of their small car, one of those tall gas patio heaters. They put it under the gazebo with about half an inch of clearance from the cowl of the heater to the roof of the gazebo. They then lit it! As I ran across to them they stepped back with a look of horror, realised what they had done and switched it off quick. Fortunately it was quick enough to stop them having an ex-gazebo.
mel

 

[LMH]

Some years ago we were camping in North Wales. It tipped down with wet welsh rain the entire bank holiday weekend. Opposite us a young couple set up a 2 man dome tent then proceed to set up a new gazebo (still in original packaging) and then produced from, the back of their small car, one of those tall gas patio heaters. They put it under the gazebo with about half an inch of clearance from the cowl of the heater to the roof of the gazebo. They then lit it! As I ran across to them they stepped back with a look of horror, realised what they had done and switched it off quick. Fortunately it was quick enough to stop them having an ex-gazebo.
mel

Blimey.

Well done Mel.

There's some stupid people about.