Subject: Re: propane heating with no electricity

From: [email-masked] (burdickw)
Date: 20 Oct 1995 22:08:46 GMT

Craig R. Davis ([email-masked]) wrote:

: I'm building a cabin in a remote part of Maine, and would like to have :
thermostat-controlled propane heat - especially so I can set the
thermostat to : 50F between winter-weekend visits to avoid having to drain
all the water.  : Unfortunately, there is no electricity.  I've seen units
>from  ECOTHERM, and : the gas company recommended an EMPIRE (DV-215-7SG)
furnace with a : self-generating wall thermostat. 

: Does anyone have any experience with ECOTHERM or EMPIRE?  Are there other 
: manufacturers I should know about.  Any and all help would be appreciated.

Craig, I'm not familiar with ECOTHERM, but EMPIRE is an old name in 
gas-fired space heaters and floor furnaces.  They've been around for 
quite awhile.  If your gas company has recommended this unit, it should 
serve you well.

The self-generating thermostats are a very common solution in your 
situation.  I have seen them installed in many cabins in Maine and NH, 
even some which have electric service!  They operate on millivoltage 
generated by a thermocouple heated by the furnace's pilot light.  This is 
the same principle used in the pilot safety on most gas-fired equipment.  
It works very well.

BTW, if you leave the place unattended in winter, you should at least 
turn off the water service.  If the heat fails, you have no way of 
knowing it, and I have seen some _nasty_ floods caused by frozen and 
burst pipes!

Hope this is helpful.

			--Bill Burdick