IceShanty.com's Ice Fishing Community
Ice Fishing Tips -Check your local regulations! => Ice Shack Tips => Topic started by: Walleye64 on Oct 10, 2010, 04:20 PM
-
do any of you guys use charcoal as your heat instead of wood?
go idea or not?
I have a small wood burner and my shack is only 4'x7'. (insulated too)
how long does charcoal burn?
-
It burns a long time (many hours), but I would think charcoal would get expensive. Do you not have a source of hardwood?
-
I'm told that a wood burning stove doesn't like to burn charcoal. the heat that comes off of charcoal is a lot hotter and at some point will burn a hole in your wood stove. unless it's a cast iron model, they are a lot differant then the thin gauge steel one that i have. I've also run some charcoal in mine, yes it may be some what more money but when you walk, a day of heat in a bag is a lot lighter then wood. I'll pay a very little bit more for the ease of it.
-
I've heard that same thing, not to burn charcoal in a wood stove. I don't know why however.
-
I would not suggest using charcoal in a confined space.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns consumers - including hunters and campers - never to burn charcoal inside homes, vehicles, or tents. Burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide has no odor, cannot be seen, and can kill you. Consumers may not realize that burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide and that it will build up to a dangerous level. Opening a window or using a fan will not assure that carbon monoxide will be reduced to safe levels.
-
if you burn anything in a shack have a co detector and smoke detector (the latter esp if over night)
-
I would not suggest using charcoal in a confined space.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) warns consumers - including hunters and campers - never to burn charcoal inside homes, vehicles, or tents. Burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide. Carbon monoxide has no odor, cannot be seen, and can kill you. Consumers may not realize that burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide and that it will build up to a dangerous level. Opening a window or using a fan will not assure that carbon monoxide will be reduced to safe levels.
Burning wood gives off carbon monoxide!!
-
I think that a slow burning charcoal will produce more carbon monoxied vs an open flame combustion.
Had some relatives who decided to use the charcoal grill to heat their house one day...All of them had serious headaches within the hour.
-
Had some relatives who decided to use the charcoal grill to heat their house one day...All of them had serious headaches within the hour.
I don't think I'd ever admit to having relatives like that..
-
Extended relatives....don't personally know them. ;D
-
Recently saw a pretty nice looking portable pellet stove, but they wanted around $1100 for it :%$#!:
-
I saw a basket you could put in a woodstove to burn pellets
-
Burning wood gives off carbon monoxide!!
Isn't charcoal "wood" in a different form ???
I think body heat is the answer to staying warm in a shanty. ;D
-
I would think that a few pieces of charcoal tossed in with the wood would add some 'staying power' to a wood fire. However, I wouldn't burn 'just' charcoal in a woodstove - it burns hot enough it could melt thinner steel. My stove is actually made from an old pressure tank, so I suspect it wouldn't last long with charcoal.
-
Someone correct my chemistry if you see a flaw:
Charcoal is wood burned in an anaerobic environment, leaving it carbon rich, therefore can produce a greater concentration of CO (what with all that available O2) per volume than wood.
-
CO forms when there isn't enough oxygen for full combustion.
With PROPER ventilation you should not have a problem. The exhaust AND AIR INTAKE should go outside your shack. If you don't have an exterior air intake, then definitely keep a window or a door open in your shack.
And it would be foolish to not have a CO detector. You can get battery powered ones.
-
I must chime in here.
First, unless you are burning a clean fuel why use a co2 detector. I have never heard of anyone dying from co2 when using a wood appliance such as a wood stove. First off the appliance is vented outside and second, where there is c02 there will be smoke and you'll smell the smoke. Every house that has a natural gas appliance should have a co2 detector because the bi-product of burned natural gas is pretty much just co2 and water. When I use a Big Buddy propane heater in my ice shanty then I am cautious of co2. Just a few hours in the shack and my eyes start to burn, and that is with ventilation. As well, the insides of the shack ice up from the humidity from the burned propane. That is probably why I prefer a wood stove.
As for charcoal, not sure. I way give it a whirl. Foundries seemed to prefer charcoal over wood due to the hotter burn of charcoal, at least that is what I have read. I remember my dad using briquettes for the bar-b-q and after the food was cooked he'd extinguish the briquettes by briefly dipping them in water. The briguettes then would be put back in the bar-b-q for the next time.
I am partial to wood fires because that is what I am used to... don't want to get out of my comfort zone! My wood source is free and I know when to feed a fire and how much. Its like having a thermostat on the shanty wall.
If you try the charcoal please let us know how you make out. I wouldn't think a day of burning charcoal in your wood stove would wreck it but you could always lay an extra sheet of metal under the charcoal.
Regards,
Mike
-
I must chime in here.
First, unless you are burning a clean fuel why use a co2 detector. I have never heard of anyone dying from co2 when using a wood appliance such as a wood stove. First off the appliance is vented outside and second, where there is c02 there will be smoke and you'll smell the smoke. Regards,
Mike
Happens more than you know and it is CO carbon monoxide not carbon dioxide CO2 both are products of combustion everyone should have one esp if you nap or sleep out on the ice
-
Yup, cancel that 2 on the co2. You are right, carbon MONOXIDE can kill and does kill people. Having one in the ice shanty wouldn't hurt and this topic alone could have its own thread. I wouldn't count on a home co detector working in the varying climate of a ice shanty. I'd have to invest in a pocket version if I was to have any faith in it. I've read the instructions on my home unit and at least mine is built only for home use. And with a wood stove I'd be better off with a smoke detector. Its doubtful someone is going to die from co coming from a inefficient homemade welded fire box, its going to be the smoke that gets you. But then, is that smoke detector rated for an ice shanty?
-
CO is dangerous that long term exposure to it even with plenty of oxygen will disorient you and then possible kill you. CO bonds to the hemoglobin in your bloodstream and prevents the oxygen molecule to bond in hemoglobin. Your body slowly becomes starved for oxygen. CO will stay in your system for several hours and usually takes about 24 hours to breakdown from the hemoglobin bond.
-
Hey Walleye64, what kind of a wood heater do you have? Can you post a pic? It might just work for charcoal.
-
A smoke detector will work anywhere that smoke can pass over it. Shanty model or not it would work in the school gym or in the shanty. In fact it will work faster in a closed space than it would in a open space using the same amount of smoke.
I do agree that this topic needs to have its own thread on here to inform new and old fishermen the dangers of CO and CO2 while fishing.
-
I do agree that this topic needs to have its own thread on here to inform new and old fishermen the dangers of CO and CO2 while fishing.
did it awhile back LOL
http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=85567.0 (http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=85567.0)
http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=58668.msg587090#msg587090 (http://www.iceshanty.com/ice_fishing/index.php?topic=58668.msg587090#msg587090)
-
Walleye64,
I'm working up a design for a small charcoal stove for a shanty right now. should be built by next weekend.
I actually came here to post this very question...looking for input from other ice-fishermen.
i did find some info about it while looking, most small stoves made for this are used in sailboats of all things.
search for solid fuel sailboat heaters. lots to look through.
I like this one http://www.fatscostoves.com/ and this one http://www.marinestove.com/sardineinfo.htm
theres many other interesting ones, many would be perfect for shanties, as sailors look for small and light also it appears.
-
I would not use charcoal in a regular wood stove, unless it is wood charcoal only.
"Regular" charcoal briquettes can contain other things that are not good for a wood stove.
Some Charcoal manufacturers use coal dust and other additives to make their charcoal burn hotter than their competitors.
A CO2 detector is a small investment that may save your life. Get one, and use it.
Wiener
-
Both wood and charcoal will produce carbon monoxide ! charcoal may burn longer but you will not get as much heat out of it as you will with wood. Put your hand over your grill and then put your hand over a small wood fire. charcoal is made to burn longer for cooking slowly. you will be much better burning wood. a cheap supply would be finding some hard wood pallets and cutting them up. just my opinion. ;D
-
Ive been thinking about using pellets for a small stove or campfires I found a site that makes these baskets
(http://www.reposenow.com/images/allagash.jpg) and looks pretty good for a campfire (http://www.reposenow.com/images/burninglogs_01.jpg) these would be a cheap alternative to buying "local wood" for places where you cant bring in your own wood (state parks come to mind big push lately in Maine about it though I disagree with their theory) bag of pellets are easy to handle and convenient! and can get them almost everywhere the also make baskets for wood stoves looks pretty simple!
(http://www.reposenow.com/images/woodstove_basket_plain.gif)
-
I use to burn coal in my shanty stove, I put sand in the bottom about 4-6 inches and the sand keeps the bottom from burning out due to how hot coal gets when burning.