Heating a room for 8p a day using flower pots

vikki_louise

Has anyone ever tried this? http://www.permaculture.co.uk/videos/heat-your-room-8-pence-day

abetterfutureahead

Yes I have one in my workroom. It takes the chill off but couldn't really use it as a main source of heating.
You have to be careful where you place it as it could be quite dangerous around pets and little people

I think the plant pots cost £2-25 and the candles £1-80 I already had the loaf tin

I also put a cake cooling tray on top of loaf tin to stand the plant pots on just to make it a little more stable

cheeswright

Ok ...I looked at this but completely didn't understand it

I don't see why shoving a flowerpot over the candles helps - in that the candles burn at a steady rate giving off a fixed amount of heat over a given period

the plant pots are heated..but only with a percentage of the given heat, no extra heat is generated by using them and although they will cool more slowly than the air once the candles go out this still makes the whole thing less efficient than simply burning the candles - not more efficient....

This just seems like bad science - or have I missed something

trolleyrun

Candle Powered Heater DIY Space Heater. Clay/Terracotta pots absorb the thermal energy of the candles and convert it into radiant space heat. Reaches temperatures of 160F to 180F. Heater stays hot for hours. use caution, the inner chamber can reach 500F. heats a small area very effectively. uses 1 to 3 candles or more. could also use small alcohol lamps instead of the candles. of note: heater works by trapping and concentrating the heat that would normally just rise to the ceiling and quickly dissipate in the surrounding air. once pots have warmed up they stay hot for hours. I built both 2 and 3 pot heaters. the 2 pot heater seems much more effective (if you are using large thick pots). if the pots are smaller then 3 pots may be better.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nzKbFzUEWkA

carlamarie_2

I was just going to post about this! I'm on the lookout for pots to try this!

luxor4t

They used this method in air raid shelters during the war - my mum remembers it.

stormchaos

How strange, I made one of these yesterday, only with small pots as that's all i had.
They do get very hot but didn't help in my huge kitchen !, but I was only experimenting.
I was also looking into using olive oil to burn instead of candles, and made a jam jar light, which was fun

cheeswright

trolleyrun wrote: »

Candle Powered Heater DIY Space Heater. Clay/Terracotta pots absorb the thermal energy of the candles and convert it into radiant space heat. Reaches temperatures of 160F to 180F. Heater stays hot for hours. use caution, the inner chamber can reach 500F. heats a small area very effectively. uses 1 to 3 candles or more. could also use small alcohol lamps instead of the candles. of note: heater works by trapping and concentrating the heat that would normally just rise to the ceiling and quickly dissipate in the surrounding air. once pots have warmed up they stay hot for hours. I built both 2 and 3 pot heaters. the 2 pot heater seems much more effective (if you are using large thick pots). if the pots are smaller then 3 pots may be better.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nzKbFzUEWkA

its a neat description but dosnt answer my question
..e=mc squared
there is no more energy created by adding the pots....
dosnt matter how hot they get
its like throwing stones on a wood fire
they'll get hot
but dont make any more heat !......
i'm pretty sure this is just bad science and a decorative waste of time

Butterfly_Brain

DH made a couple last year and they took the chill off the hall and the downstairs loo
http://i1277.photobucket.com/albums/y487/Coralroot/DSCI0155_zpse70a2ffa.jpg

psso

luxor4t wrote: »

They used this method in air raid shelters during the war - my mum remembers it.

Don`t know about air raid shelters, but I remember the janitor of the primary school I went to (many moons ago ) having the same sort of thing under the water pipes in the outdoor toilets. Stopped the pipes freezing.

DH used to have some in the small greenhouse to help protect tender plants.

Just remember to use terracotta pots if you decide to try it, plastic ones would make a terrible mess

lessonlearned

I've never seen this before, but I shall give it a try.

Am currently living in rented accommodation, all electric, night storage heaters and single glazing.

I need to do all I can to keep the bills down, so will definitely be having a go, especially in the bathroom.

It will cost me nothing because I have loads of terracotta pots.

I have already been experimenting with candles for extra heat and they do work.

As for it being "bad science", I've no idea.

Terracotta pots are clay, and they use clay bricks in storage heaters to give off radiant heat so the principle must be the same. The pots heat up and then give off radiant heat??

Many moons ago I used to have to place a candle under a sink in our downstairs cloakroom to stop the pipes from freezing. This was before I had a radiator put in there.

I have today been putting bubble wrap over the single glazed windows. The difference is quite remarkable - everywhere seems much warmer.

I read about the bubble wrap on the "Preparing For Winter" thread and tbh was a bit sceptical but it has worked a treat. If the candle heater works as well I shall be chuffed to bits. In fact I will be making several.;)