"Petrole" Heaters: where to buy them and what they're like

[mint]

If anybody out there knows about these, please post.

Would like to know you opinions of them and the best (that is, cheapest) places to buy them.

Cold's been getting to me and I'm ready to go back to Blighty to spend the next several weeks if I don't get some warmth in Chateau Sweet.

Feeling very sorry for myself so be informative and kind, PLEASE!

Thank you.

[powerdesal]

Sorry Sweet, but last week both Castorama and Brico-depot were nil stock on the reasonably low priced radiant type.(at Caen)

The fan assisted 'electronic' ones are not cheap but are VERY effective. There can be a paraffin (petrole) smell immediately after shutdown but its not that bad. I estimate a running cost of approx 1 euro per day on a reasonable use cycle.

They are bulky, not pretty but very effective, worth buying IMHO. I would like, and will be looking for, one more to supplement the woodburner and electric convectors.

[mint]

Thanks, Steve, you've come up trumps.  Now I know what I should be looking for.  I'm going to need a couple PDQ, before I perish of this cold!

[pogo]

Hi. Bricodepot have an electric one for €119,not a lot more than the cheapest (non electric)one,but accounting for the ability to put it on timer,adjust temperature accurately,and have the fan assistance 'belt' out a good heat,I think it is well worth the extra.Watch out for power cuts,though.It won't work! Pogo

 

[woolybanana]

I just bought one to keep the 'ikkle banana warm, at Leroi Merlin.  There was an enormous choice, from about €80 to €600 plus. I went for a Zibro at about €200 plus the most expensive type of fuel which smells the least. So far I am very pleased.

[Phil & Pat]

Can I just suggest you try the cheapest petrole too?  The cost saving can be significant (round here anyway) and the difference in 'aroma' is minimal (again, in my opinion).

Another good thing about the petrole stoves is that to get several kW of heating power only takes 22 watts of electrical power (in the case of our model).  So during a prolonged power cut even a very modest generator set will easily run several of them and still allow you to keep nice and cosy indoors.

[JohnRoss]

We use a Zibro Kamin mèche type and a Squall turbo type and both work well on standard paraffin about 26 euros for 20 litres at Bricomarché. The low smell stuff is much more expensive and we find there is only a smell for a short time on lighting up the turbo type and on turning off the mèche type. You could easily use 5 litres of paraffin with each a day if on most of the time. Such heaters do increase humidity in a confined space and ventilation is essential. The Squall came from Mr Bricolage and the Zibro from E. Leclerc, sorry cannot remember the price but we are happy with both............................JR

PS More to go wrong with the turbo fan type see http://www.completefrance.com/cs/forums/1420297/ShowPost.aspx

PPS It pays to let the mèche type burn out from time to time as this trims the wick, recommended in the handbook

[mint]

Thanks, everyone for the timely advice.

Will try to source by internet and/or ringing around.

[mint]

Thought I'd better provide an update if only to reassure people that I have acted on their advice.

Went out today and bought a Zibro with a fan.  There were cheaper Zibro models without the fan and also one of another make with fan but without the CO2 detector.

Spent a bit more than I expected to, but that's OK because it's absolutely true that the fan is great and although we need an electrical supply, it shouldn't be a problem for us because, touch wood, we've hardly had an electricity cut.

Now hall and landing nice and warm; woodburner in the lounge blazing merrily; woodburner/bois charbon oven in the kitchen quietly glowing.

All's peaceful and relaxing at Chateau Sweet and I can now face spending the rest of the winter here.  All things being equal, I shall be planning what to plant in the garden come spring when Christmas (such as it is) will be a distant memory.

Thank you for all your advice, folks, and you have my unbounded gratitude![:D]

[woolybanana]

 But you have to admit it was great in the sunshine today Sweets, warm, caressing, but was it late autumn or early spring, who knows?

And if you look up at the stars tonight and reach out, you can touch the end of the Universe.

[LEO]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

If anybody out there knows about these, please post.

Would like to know you opinions of them and the best (that is, cheapest) places to buy them.

Cold's been getting to me and I'm ready to go back to Blighty to spend the next several weeks if I don't get some warmth in Chateau Sweet.

Feeling very sorry for myself so be informative and kind, PLEASE!

Thank you.

[/quote]

Parrafin heaters,hot water bottles ,thermal drawers......ouch.......how do I apply for the milk tokens!

[JohnRoss]

Ah the good old days. Queuing up on a  bomb site for National Dried Milk and in school for a spoonful of malt plus the 1/3 of a pint of milk kept warm by the radiators...........................JR

[5-element]

Thankfully, paraffin heaters have moved on a lot since those days....

[mint]

[quote user="JohnRoss"]

Ah the good old days. Queuing up on a  bomb site for National Dried Milk and in school for a spoonful of malt plus the 1/3 of a pint of milk kept warm by the radiators...........................JR

[/quote]

John, I certainly DIDN'T go to a school like that, thank goodness!

 

 

 

[JohnRoss]

Yes they have I am glad to say but I still remember those round black ones and the terrible smell of them. I think most state schools had the 1/3 of a pint and the malt just after the war, don't talk about the war, as the powers that be thought we were all going to get rickets! Turns out we were a lot healthier than most kids today. Remember the sun-ray clinics?..............JR

[krusty]

Feeling warm yet Sweet17 ?

[IMG]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y54/yuhao22/gif%20imeyg/flame.gif[/IMG]

[mint]

Yes, thank you, Krusty.  But let's hope Bugsy doesn't see that fire or he'll feel an irresistible desire to spread it!

Happy WARM Christmas to you and Mrs K!

[mint]

Thought I'd revisit this thread to see if anyone has further opinion on what I'm going to tell you.

Since we've had the heater (which gives out marvellous heat and is only slightly petroley in smell), we're now wondering whether we are somehow using it in a profligate fashion.

Yesterday, for example, we used a whole can of 4 litres (the heater's storage capacity) and, with a 20-litre container costing just over 30 euros (for the medium grade), I thought that's quite expensive.  We also, of course, have to pay for logs for 2 woodburners and for the electric heaters in the bedrooms as this is not our only source of heat.

Does anyone think, like me, that that's "quite a lot" (though not excessive) or is this sort of consumption par for the course?

I seem to remember Steve Powerdesal saying the cost would be about a euro a day.  Got to be me, leaving it on for too long and on too high a setting.  Contrary to popular or unpopular belief, I don't live in a chateau although the hall and the landing (heater sited under the stairs) add up to quite a high volume of cold air to be heated.

Can someone please just say, as an estimate, whether we are about average, higher or lower than you'd expect?  I know it's not possible to say definitely but just a rough and ready comparison should point me to the answer.

Only good thing is, I suppose it's only for a couple of months...............well, isn't it?

[JohnRoss]

Hi Sweet 17 sorry but my experience has been the same as yours if you look back at earlier replies I indicated 5 litres in a day. We spend about 26 euros a 20 litre bidon at Bricomarché so yes it does add up. One year we got through about 25 of these which is a lot more than we spend on wood for the log burner and is one reason we got the Supra with wood cut to 50 cm lengths at 45 euros a stere. You can set the temp of the fan types down a bit usually and the Squall has a save mode which turns it off when the room temperature gets up to the temperature set on the controls and on again when it drops below this, maybe yours has the same? Whilst insulation of the house is important so is ventilation so please don't be tempted to shut all sources of external air. Hope you are able to keep warm................................JR 

[mint]

Hi, John, thanks for coming back.

So, I'm about doing it OK.  Have set the thermostat on it down a bit today, to 16 degrees C, and it's still belting out plenty of heat for us to be comfortable. 

As OH gets the heating allowance in his state pension, this seems like a sensible way to spend it.

Of course, in happier times, when the exchange rate was more favourable, I wouldn't have given the cost a second thought.  Must admit that nowadays, everything seems inordinately expensive, oh la, la!

Still, I dare say that in a few months' time, some of the shock would have worn off and I'll stop looking at the prices of things in the shops and wearing this horrified, incredulous look on my face![:)] 

[powerdesal]

[quote user="sweet 17"]

I seem to remember Steve Powerdesal saying the cost would be about a euro a day.  Got to be me, leaving it on for too long and on too high a setting. 

[/quote]

I really must revise that estimate of a euro a day.  During my recent Christmas trip to Normandy we used the petrole heater almost constantly. On full chat with a temperature setpoint of 20 deg it certainly used a full canister in a days use of 14 hours or so. However, at a setpoint of about 12 deg it used only half that amount (estimated, not measured). Now some may think that 12 is too low but we found that there was sufficient heat output at that setting to maintain a nice temperature, maybe the stat is faulty, maybe not, but it seemed ok. That makes a days use about 3 euros which, for the few weeks of intense cold, is not that bad.

We had the petrole burner in the dining room with a log burner in the sitting room and electric convectors in the bathroom and bedrooms, but only selected to 750w and the stat on about 50%. The mains did pop a few times when the water heater, kettle and toaster were on simultaneously but it was quite a handleable situation.

It was quite cold ouside but quite toast indoors, apart from the air leakeage round the cat flap - I hav'nt figured out out how to solve that problem yet.

[woolybanana]

cat curry and a nail

 

[mint]

Steve, I'm glad you've come back because I felt positively wasteful using about 4 litres a day.

I'm using a little less than JohnRoss and a little more than you, so that's about OK by me.

OH, after months of resisting persuasion to buy one in the first place, is now totally sold on them.  Mind you, as he's the one who looks after the woodburners, cleaning the glass, emptying the ashes, bringing in the wood, I can understand his conversion.

He even wants to buy a second heater and this time it's me putting on the brakes because, you know, we need other things like food as well!

[powerdesal]

SWMBO did try to get a second petrole burner during the week before Christmas, a radiant type, not a fan unit ( the cat doesn't like the sound / feel of the blower), couldn't find one anywhere. Tried Bricomarche at Villedieu and St Lo, Castorama and Brico-depot at Caen - zilch. Thats when she went for 5 electric convectors !!!!!!!!!! Shame we only have a 9kva supply.[:(]

[mint]

Strange, our dog doesn't like ours either.  She creeps past it, slinking on her tummy or else she sits on one side of it and makes a noise until one of us stands between her and the heater so that she can walk past!

Hope we can get one day after tomorrow.