Ive been noticing the heater modification threads poping up now to include modification to the thermocouple on the Buddy style heaters be careful! Actually I would not recommend doing it Im gonna repost a post I added here last year :
I felt I should post something relating to health and safety Particularly Carbon Monoxide and the dangers we face both on the ice and in our home.
4 years ago in my little shack that I was heating with a propane camp stove and lantern I became aware of this issue It was the late part of the day and had only 3 beers I and my step son received a wicked headache Haven taught hazardous material response and also 29 years as a firefighter it dawned on me that the air was bad in the shack I went to my truck and fired up my 4 gas meter. It reads Oxygen O2, LEL lower explosive limit, Carbon Monoxide CO and hydrogen sulfide. These meters are regularly calibrated so I knew it was good (I usually checked calibration before each use) I set the meter up in clean air out side the shack then went in It was not long I had 2 alarms going off 14% oxygen and the carbon monoxide was 400+! We could have become toast! Well from then on I always had a meter with me but also bought a home carbon monoxide detector with me and mounted it at head level at that time was about 40 –50 bucks (21$ today at lowes)I bought one that has the digital readout. Same one I use in my house. Plus I put in extra air holes to vent that shack and bought my first big buddy heater.
The issues from carbon monoxide (CO) in my shack was there was not enough oxygen and it caused incomplete combustion of the stove (stoves are for cooking not heating an enclosed space)
Most indoor approved heating devices have an oxygen depletion sensor It relies on the shift of a pilot flame away from a nozzle as the oxygen content of the combustion air decreases. A thermocouple is positioned so as to be in the flame during combustion at acceptable oxygen levels and in the unburned zone when the oxygen content is below an acceptable level. The large voltage difference between conditions of high and low oxygen content provide for a more reliable sensor The pilot tube is a precision mechanism that creates a very stable flame as long as the room air contains the proper amount of oxygen. If the oxygen level in the room air drops even slightly, the pilot becomes unstable and lifts off of the thermocouple causing the gas valve and appliance to cease operation. This type of valve is very reliable, and there have been very few failures of this system - even with tens of millions in use worldwide)
That being said when we add those covers to the buddy heaters over the pilot flame or adjust the thermocouple into the flame better are we corrupting the integrity of the ODS sensor?
According to the EPA:
Carbon monoxide can cause harmful health effects by reducing oxygen delivery to the body's organs (like the heart and brain) and tissues.
Cardiovascular Effects. The health threat from lower levels of CO is most serious for those who suffer from heart disease, like angina, clogged arteries, or congestive heart failure. For a person with heart disease, a single exposure to CO at low levels may cause chest pain and reduce that person's ability to exercise; repeated exposures may contribute to other cardiovascular effects.
Central Nervous System Effects. Even healthy people can be affected by high levels of CO. People who breathe high levels of CO can develop vision problems, reduced ability to work or learn, reduced manual dexterity, and difficulty performing complex tasks. At extremely high levels, CO is poisonous and can cause death.
All in all Use only approved heating devices in our shacks and our homes Ventilate our shacks have vents both High and low
Install CO detectors and smoke detectors Especially if your going to sleep in your shacks Also do this in your Homes! We spend 1000’s of bucks on our fishing equipment Whats 50 bucks total for a smoke detector and Carbon Monoxide detector.
This year in our homes people will try all different methods to heat them Another fantastic reason to install smoke and Co detectors! Be safe!
Most of these comments are my own thoughts / beliefs
