Mr. Heater Buddy Problems at 10,500'???

Joined
Feb 24, 2016
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I'm heading on an elk hunt this fall. I am looking at connecting my original Mr heater buddy (1 pound tank version) to a 20 pound tank to help dry stuff out after a day of hunting.

I got the hose and called the company to make sure I didn't need a regulator and he said I didn't but he said that it might not work at that elevation because the pilot flame need a specific amount of oxygen and they don't guarantee them over 7,000' above sea level.

Does anyone on here have one of these and have you tried it at higher elevations and did it work?
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
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Feb 27, 2012
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I don't use the Buddy, but I do use a two-burner tank top heater on my 40lb tank and sometimes it does struggle to stay lit at 11k. They put so many dang safety devices on everything these days that it's tough to use them. They have a low O2 sensor that automatically shuts them off when they sense low O2. Mine also has a tilt indicator that shuts it off if it's not at 90 degrees perpendicular almost exactly. Pretty irritating.

But when it works, it works well. Much easier than hauling the wood stove up, and I usually don't need extended heat during archery season so the tank top works for me.
 
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I have read that they are hit and miss and that you have to keep returning them until you find one that works at high altitude. I have had major problems with mine ice fishing at and around 7000ft (Elevenmile State Park and Lakes around Laramie, WY). It will run anywhere between 1-20 minutes before going out.
 
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FYI, burning propane produces water. For every pound of propane you burn, you produce 1.6 pounds of water. This may significantly reduce the effectiveness of using it to dry your clothes. It will produce heat, but it is a very wet heat.

For the science geeks:
Propane is C3H8

Combustion formula is:

C3H8 + 5 O2 ----> 3 CO2 + 4 H2O

MW Propane = 44 g/mol

MW H2O = 18 g/mol

1 mol of propane produces 4 H2O

44 grams of propane produces 72 grams of water

1 pound propane burned would produce about 1.6 pounds of water.
 
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I'm assuming the low O2 sensor shutoff is to prevent producing carbon monoxide and killing you in your sleep then. The lawyers probably make them set it pretty high, so it would probably work okay if you figured out a way to adjust the O2 sensor, just don't blame me when you die in your sleep.
 
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O2 sensors are there so you do not burn all the oxygen out of the room and suffocate. Complete combustion of propane does not produce CO. It is when you have a bad mix of air and propane that you can produce CO (or incomplete combustion), but an O2 detector will not help you in that determination. CO can be produced in both lean and rich air / propane mixes.
 

5MilesBack

"DADDY"
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I'm assuming the low O2 sensor shutoff is to prevent producing carbon monoxide and killing you in your sleep then. The lawyers probably make them set it pretty high, so it would probably work okay if you figured out a way to adjust the O2 sensor, just don't blame me when you die in your sleep.

If you're sleeping with the propane heater running, then you probably deserve whatever comes from that.
 

oldgoat

WKR
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I've used mine over 10k and always with a bulk tank, trick I've used is to take a bic lighter and light the pilot with it while holding the pilot valve down and keep the lighter on the whole time, like at least 30 seconds to maybe a minute, for whatever reason, that seems to work. Other thing I learned the hard way, is you do need the bulk tank filter that they recommend for their stoves, only place I could find one was from their website, I've had the same one for several elk seasons now,. If you don't use them the oils that accumulate in your bulk tank will gum up the pilot valve system and it won't work at all when you need it most, mine crapped out in a blizzard and I had to use the cook stove to keep the camper warm!
 
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True account of a Mr Heater - Buddy problem a few years ago.

I owned one and used it for ice fishing. I carried it in a gear box on the back of my atv, or in my sled/shelter towed behind the atv. I loved that heater. Several trips and weeks later I went to start it but it wouldn't ignite. The propane bottle was empty. I could have sworn it was half-full when I last shut it off, but not a big deal. I replaced the empty bottle and was about to hit the igniter when I heard the hiss. I started searching and found the small copper tubing had detached from a compression fitting. Had I lit the heater...I would have been in serious trouble. I took that heater back to the store and showed them the problem. I wasn't upset with the store or wanting them to be accountable. I had friends working there and wanted them to see it. Anyway...I left the store with a new Buddy heater.

A couple more weeks of fishing went by. One morning I rode out with my fishing partner and we parked our rigs 100' apart. I set up my shelter and got things rigged inside. I placed the Buddy in its usual position and hit the igniter. Instantly the entire heater was in flames and torching my face. I jumped backward and immediately flipped my portable shelter (Otter) up. A second later I kicked the torching heater away and it skidded across the ice. My partner had a look of shock on his face as he watched the heater burn to a crispy black piece of junk. In my panic, I managed to kick a $150 box of lures into the hole, as well as my Vexilar rig worth about $475. I managed to recover the Vex and finally get it dried out internally but all the internal electronics had been immersed. I was pretty unhappy when I left the ice early with that heater.

I went straight to the store and we took it to the workbench. Imagine. The copper tube and compression fitting had failed again. We discussed it and concluded it happened because of the bumpy, jostling ride which jarred the heater during transport. One of the guys mentioned a couple other Buddy heaters that weren't working and had been returned. We examined them and found the same issue. I photo-documented everything. Damn scary stuff and I decided to contact Mr Heater. I did and was treated much like a guy unhappy with his milkshake. That didn't work so well. I got the name of the guy I needed to reach and sent him a letter detailing everything. I documented my losses for the heater, tackle, sonar, fishing day...everything. I gave him a healthy figure and an ultimatum. He called me and said I needed to send in the damaged heater for examination first. I told him I had my heater in my possession and would give him the location of 3 more heaters but not until they sent me a check..."and add $50 for boxing and sending you the ruined heater". The guy was an attorney and worked exclusively for Mr Heater. I know the deal and the drill. I told him that's the last time we would talk on the phone. Send the check and have it to me in 7 days or this deal is going to blow up on Mr Heater way worse than my heater did on me. He asked me to hang on the phone and a few minutes later said the check would be sent after I signed a release and agreed to hold them harmless...blah, blah...blah. I gave him an unequivocal answer. "I'm not signing anything except the back of your check. Send it or get ready for whatever comes your way. You already know there's a problem. You want it to become a legal or financial one?" A bit of mumbling ensued and he said he would order the check to be sent. When it arrived I followed through on my promise to ship the heater and reveal the location of the others. I also suggested in an enclosed letter that they find and solve the problem before someone dies secondary to that issue. Be careful with these heaters...not just Mr Heater - Buddy...as they are not exactly built to survive hard duty.
 
OP
MallardSX2
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Feb 24, 2016
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Does anyone have any recommendations for Tent safe propane heaters other than that Mr. Heater buddy?
 

jaredgreen

Lil-Rokslider
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Does anyone have any recommendations for Tent safe propane heaters other than that Mr. Heater buddy?

I don't have any recommendations, but it sounds like testing the heater outside your tent would be prudent in light of the above account. A Carbon Monoxide alarm is a good idea as well. There are certainly risks. But, there is ALWAYS a risk with fuel devices (propane, natural gas) I haven't given up on sleeping in my camp trailer because it has a propane heater and stove.
 
OP
MallardSX2
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FYI. To follow up on this post, It didnt work. Neither did my propane boot dryer.
 

ChrisS

WKR
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"There are certainly risks. But, there is ALWAYS a risk with fuel devices (propane, natural gas)"

Many years ago when I was in the military we were out on a bivouac training exercise. I was lucky enough to be part of Opfor and we had our own little tent area set up (and it was better because we didn't have to abide by the rules of the exercise and wear our chem warfare gear while at our camp). Anyway, I was left alone one night at the camp and went to bed. We had a huge heater that was heating the tent. The next thing I knew, I was being shaken awake by someone. Apparently, at some point in the night the exhaust had started to leak into the hot air line to the tent. It wasn't all exhaust into the tent, but enough that I had fallen into a pretty sound sleep and there was a haze of exhaust in the upper area of the tent. Who knows if it would have filled the tent enough to kill me, but it scared me enough that I'm not willing to take any chances with sleeping with a stove that produces CO/CO2, especially by myself.
 

fishslap

WKR
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I run the big buddy double burner off a 20lb cylinder at 9500ft and never had an issue. Has three settings. I use it in a 10x12 wall tent by myself. It has a battery powered fan which works great for circulating air and providing some background noise. I get better sleep since I started using it. I only use it at night and in the morning when I'm not burning the wood stove. I keep the propane cylinder outside and run a hose under the tent wall. I've used my little buddy at 10.3k in a hut with no problems.
 

fishslap

WKR
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I should mention that I leave the ridge pole eaves open and unzip the corner of the window cover to let some fresh air in. One year I had it sealed up tight and my spark arrestor on the wood stove got a little clogged with creosote and I think I felt the affects of the carbon monoxide. That's when I was just running the wood stove.
 

ericF

WKR
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Anytime you have a heater in a tent, you should have a Carbon Monoxide detector. Every year hunters die from Carbon Monoxide poisoning, but I haven't heard of any instances with the Mr. Buddy. That being said, I've had no problem with the Mr. Buddy up at 10,000 feet. I've used mine on at least 4 trips up high and it has always worked. It takes a little longer to get started, but once it gets started it stays lit. The other thing that you should always do is turn off the tank and let it burn out. Some other people have talked about the filter, but it is my understanding that most damage occurs from people keeping the hose pressurized and just turning off the Mr. Buddy. If you turn off the propane tank itself, then you don't need a filter.
 
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Some wilderness area, somewhere
^^Why would it make a difference if you leave the line pressurized while not using it? It is pressurized while you are using it.

I realized my post was vague and could be construed as confrontational at best. So I am adding; the reason for the filter is the oil that can come through the extension hoses used to connect to refillable tanks. The filter blocks the oil from getting into the unit. In other words the oil is either present or not, and burning the fuel in the line off has no effect on that aspect.
 
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