Monday 25 November 2013

Flower-pot heater



Atmospheric dawn light photo of my new winter room heater!

It is made of three nesting flower-pots joined together, with gaps between, by a half-inch-diameter bolt and a series of nuts and washers.  It is supported by two old housebricks sitting on a slate floor tile, and fuelled by two nightlights.

It’s a hybrid of two models I saw on YouTube.  The prototype is here and the advanced version here.  If you check out something like candle-powered space-heater or flower-pot heater on YouTube, there are several demos.

I made mine yesterday and I’m trying it out for the first time today. 


I will have my tiny house by Christmas but may not have a woodstove in until Candlemas, and as Dave King says we will have an unusually hard winter with snow on the ground from Boxing Day through to April, I’m resourcing possibilities . . .

I don't have a bread tin, and I couldn't remember what brackets you had to have when I was in the hardware store, so I'm going to see if what I've made works well.  Back to YouTube if not.  I'll let you know!

11 comments:

Sandra Ann said...

Woah, have I missed something? Are you really getting a tiny house? Tiny house envy from over here!!! Love the heater, I saw this on you tube too.

San xx

Pen Wilcock said...

:0) No, you didn't miss anything. It's taken a lot of working out, because I like living with my family, and for a variety of reasons it makes sense for us to be where we are, but we don't have much garden. However we've managed to make it possible. I'll tell you about it in a bit...

Alice Y. said...

Glad to hear the tiny house news-snippet. i wondered when you said about a base being prepared in the garden. =D

Pen Wilcock said...

:0) xx

Annie Brewer said...

Eagerly awaiting details of your tiny house. I love the cob house you posted on Facebook today, but assume you're not building one of those! xx

Pen Wilcock said...

:0) No - we have room only for a thin-walled tiny house in our garden. One day Hebe and Alice will build a cob house, though, when they have the land.
In the spring when my tiny house is made and has a wood stove, you can come for a cup of tea with me there. x

Suze said...

I am looking forward to learning about your new home and the adventures you will have there.

Rapunzel said...

Well now! As I adore tiny houses it has brightened my outlook considerably to hear you are to have one. wonderful plan!


(scurries off to tool shed to see if we have some terra cotta pots left empty)

Pen Wilcock said...

It got warm but not hot. I think the size of the flowerpots may be an issue - I think mine might be a bit bigger than recommended. I can always use big flowerpots in the garden, so I might experiment with smaller ones for the heater to see if I can get it a little hotter. Also, as the top of the old bricks I am using as a support are uneven from mortar, I suspect cooling air leaks may diminish the rising heat. But it did work, and I think in a cold place on a cold day it could make a big difference.
Another similar wheeze would be a tetsubin (Japanese cast iron teapot) on one of the traditional cast-iron tetsubin stands that contains a nightlight. It would make a mini-radiator and heat water at the same time.

Unknown said...

Oh good Pen! I was hoping someone I knew would try this and tell if it's effective. Let us know what you come with. ; )

Pen Wilcock said...

What I came up with was two night lights useless, 4 night lights brilliant. Works a treat. I suspect best results would be achieved by getting the good 8-hr night lights and keeping it burning round the clock, because obviously keeping a room warm is a lot easier than heating it up from freezing cold. x