Hi everyone, We are looking for a low wattage fan heater to go in the awning for cool evenings. Possibly just left on the thermostat. We used our home one recently and it tripped the electricity on the caravan site, it was a 1000w fan heater. Thanks for any replies.
A 1000 watt heater shouldn't trip the electrics unless you have several other electrical appliances working simultaneously which includes the hot water immersion heater.
I have a 1300 watt electric griddle pan and have no problems with that tripping but you have to be aware the amount of energy (electric) you are consuming at one time.
An electric heater less than 1000 watts (1Kw). wouldn't be up to the job of producing enough heat to keep warm.
Most domestic fan heaters have 2 settings, high & low. Used on the high setting 2000w it will draw nearly 9 amps so ok on an ehu that is 10amps or more. Used on the low setting 1000w it requires less than 5amps & few UK campsites are as low as this. Are you sure you were not using fan heater on high setting & possibly with something else with high current drain like electric kettle?
You cannot get ought for nowt though. A low wattage heater will not give you much heat. If you have the usual 10amp or more ehu then you are ok with one high drain appliance at a time provided everything else is low drain, fridge, TV, phone charger etc.
Rule of thumb is that if it gets very hot then high drain so only one of those to be used at a time.
We use one of these small gas heaters, does the job
http://www.outdoorcampingdirect.uk/portable-gas-heater-ga007.html?catargetid=120167920000055222&cadevice=c&gclid=CMHKnIT10s4CFUMTGwodRxsJTg
Fan heaters have a motor which takes more current on start up for a few seconds and can trip an MCB near its limit.
Fan heaters heat eh air which in an awning is a lot of air and being draughty there is a high air change rate meaning lots of new cold air.
This little infrared heater will warm you rather than the air and is low wattage. The safety trip switch is underneath it and cuts it out as soon as it is knocked over or lifted off the ground. It gives off a nice warm orange glow just like electric fires of old, is small and light and cheap.
I have never used an infrared heater in a tent so cannot comment on it's effectiveness although if it only heats the front of you when sat in front of it I am not sure I would like that. I wouldn't want the orange glow at night time either.
I have used a convector heater which was fine for a very small tent but struggled to heat a large volume of cold air in a large tent. It may struggle even more in an awning which doesn't have a sewn in groundsheet.
I believe that a fan heater is best as it gives almost instant heat and blows it around warming the entire tent or awning. Of course, if you switch it off the temperature drops like a stone but by using the thermostat you can keep the temperature fairly constant.
Most come with 1000w or 2000w settings and can even be used as a cool fan in warm weather.
Other than that, as above, make sure your electrical appliances do not exceed the campsite supply if used together. Watts divided by volts (usually 230v in UK) equals amps or use the conversion chart on this page
Just as an aside, and not exactly off topic (sort of!)...
The last site we went to (my review has been sent but not been published yet) had strict rules about electric heaters... none at all allowed in awnings, and none in an unoccupied tent.
There was mention of them (the site wardens) turning off such findings... can't remember whether the word "confiscate" was used!
I can see their point, to be fair... although we generally tend to leave ours on in the tent, whilst we nip to the showers... only in winter, I may add!
I recently tried to book a small site in West Sussex that advertised it could provide 6amp or 10amp electric and to ask on booking. When I requested a 10amp I was quizzed as to why and when I mentioned a fan heater I was lectured on the futility of trying to heat a tent. The owner then told me he couldn't guarantee a 10amp supply so I told him I couldn't guarantee a booking!!
The irony was that the electricity was metered so whatever was used was paid for by the camper not by him.
I am guessing he didn't know much about modern tents and probably reserved his 10amp supply for caravans.
Quote: Originally posted by Bob61 on 24/8/2016
... The owner then told me he couldn't guarantee a 10amp supply so I told him I couldn't guarantee a booking!!...
I would love the opportunity to come out with a retort like that.
Bravo Sir!
I have never heard of any accidents or fires caused by electrical appliances in tents or awnings (that is not to say there has never been any). I have heard of quite a few accidents (witnessed one myself) caused by gas or the dreaded BBQ.
I think if common sense is applied electricity has to be the safest option whether or not some campsite owners seem to object.
The infrared heater I mentioned is like sitting in front of a fire like man has done for thousands of years. Very cosy and a very efficient way of heating an awning.
Quote: Originally posted by navver on 26/8/2016
The infrared heater I mentioned is like sitting in front of a fire like man has done for thousands of years. Very cosy and a very efficient way of heating an awning.
Do you have to keep switching it on and off to make it flicker?
Quote: Originally posted by Mucker1884 on 24/8/2016
Just as an aside, and not exactly off topic (sort of!)...
The last site we went to (my review has been sent but not been published yet) had strict rules about electric heaters... none at all allowed in awnings, and none in an unoccupied tent.
There was mention of them (the site wardens) turning off such findings... can't remember whether the word "confiscate" was used!
I can see their point, to be fair... although we generally tend to leave ours on in the tent, whilst we nip to the showers... only in winter, I may add!
I get why it would not be convenient for the site owner for people to leave a heater on in their tent or awning, but in all our 20+ years of camping I have never known of anyone leaving one on all day, you would have thought that people wouldn't want their heater to burn out, let alone any concerns about it overheating and causing a fire in an expensive tent with all the occupants' belongings inside!
I shall look forward to reading your review, Mucker, and make sure to make a mental note to avoid that site, incredibly over officious and that would put me off completely, no matter how nice the site was in other respects.
We have an awning on our folding camper, and had the heater on low in the awning during the night on a few occasions, when you've paid £28 a night including £4 for electric hook up and are out all day, I hardly think that the site is in a position to dictate exactly how and when electricity is used, b***dy cheek.
Perfectly reasonable to leave a heater on for a few minutes while you nip to the showers in my view, but I don't know anyone who would leave one on all day or for hours at a time when not actually occupying the tent.
I would just LOVE to see a warden try to turn off my heater... I would rather leave a site than be told what to do beyond normal basic consideration and the usual sensible rules. That goes much too far in my view.
Jane.
------------- Enjoying life beyond kids, new love, living on a boat and a new lease of life in my mid 50s! Never too old to reinvent yourself.....
Mum to five - 4 girls, 31,28,25 and 22 and one boy, 20
Engaged! Wedding June 2020!
OP, in answer to your query, we use this heater in the awning of our folding camper and have never had any problem with tripping the electrics on the site's supply:
As others have said, it is unlikely that just a heater will trip the electrics, it will be the combination of a lot of appliances drawing power at once, for example, we don't have the heater on when using our multicooker in the awning and a hotplate to boil a pan, and use battery lighting when cooking on electric.
If I use my hairdryer, its usually in the morning when we naturally use less power for lights etc and on a low setting.
Hope this helps,
Jane.
------------- Enjoying life beyond kids, new love, living on a boat and a new lease of life in my mid 50s! Never too old to reinvent yourself.....
Mum to five - 4 girls, 31,28,25 and 22 and one boy, 20
Engaged! Wedding June 2020!
Ours is a quest ceramic fan heater. Cost about £25 and provides fairly instant heat. When in oscillation mode it provides good warmth to the whole of the living room section of the tent. We don't have it on when we're not in the tent though, and can't see why that would be necessary anyway. It will sometimes cut out if we boil the kettle, simply because the draw from the fridge, kettle, tent light and heater can be too much all at the same time.
They don't last forever though. Our first one died whilst we were camping remotely, and could only find a halogen heater in a hardware shop. It gave off a nice glow but produced very little heat I. Comparison to the fan heater.
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Topic: Low wattage fan heaters
