So many people out there claiming you can heat your whole home with just a few of these. Here they tells us what we real need to know. Thank You for the video
These are maybe survival skill knowledge with pros and cons ,when freezing near death to death from cold.We must work with what we have to survive in extreme energencys. Desperate times Desperate measures
Young lady, you are an excellent instructor. The information that you share is well thought out and I enjoy your common sense approach. Thank you for what you do and how you present it.
I think most people are concerned about the wrong thing in a grid down situation. Personally, I couldn't give two figs about heating the space inside our home. I'm only concerned with keeping the people inside it warm. To that end I do use tea candles, but I use them to heat water for hot water bottles not to heat a room. It's old technology that still works. Get yourself one of those wraps that's meant to hold the bottle over your stomach for cramps & spin it around, so the bottle is over your kidneys & you'll be toasty while you putter about the house cooking or what not. Take one to bed with you to place down near your feet & you'll be warm all night. I even have ones to place in each of our animals' beds. The cat especially seems to think it's a great treat to snuggle up to his own hot water bottle. On a side note, I believe what people are trying to achieve with these little heaters is radiation from thermal mass, but clay pots don't offer much in the way of mass. Bricks would be a better option since more mass equals more storage for heat, but I believe your best bet would be to stack a few bricks around the candles to hold up a pot of water. Water makes excellent thermal mass & puts humidity into the air and humid air is easier to heat than dry air so it's a sort of win/win.
@@thinker3830 Sorry I can't give you a time because how hot you get the bricks determines how long they'll stay warm. It's an adaptation of an old camping trick just with bricks instead of rocks but if you can wrap a hot brick in something like a towel you can slip it in your bed to warm you with no fire danger. Keeping yourself warm at home without power or a wood stove is really about the space you're trying to heat. The larger the space & the higher the ceiling the larger a heat source you'll need. Remember building chair forts as a kid? A sleeping or sitting area made from blankets like that can be heated with a tea candle heater. You're entire living or bedroom not so much. Hope that helps.
Anytime you are using a secondary heat source in a grid down situation, it's best to only try to heat a small, self contained room, and I would say very few have a wood stove to use. By using the design that incorporates a large threaded bolt, with washers, those metal components also capture and dissipate the heat created by the tea lights. The threaded bolt also serves the purpose of blocking that top hole, where most of the heat is escaping, not retaining that heat. Another way to capture heat is to place small rocks on the top of the pot.....those can then be put into a sock or whatever and used as a bedwarmer. There are multiple ways of encompassing the tealights in a safe container. I don't believe that the set up that you have demonstrated is the most efficient....but I'm happy that you have found the principle overall to be effective. Thanks for presenting this concept to the community....as always, valuable information!!
I've seen a lot of people use tea light candles. I would like to see if a kerosene lamp style candle would be successfully used for example a tiki candle ???. Or a crisco candle
So well thought out and done, thank you. As an electrical technician, safety is my first concern and I love it that you guys focus on this. Great information.
I made two of these last year and hung them in my basement. I wanted to make the area around me warmer as I painted with acrylic flow painting. It worked well enough to warm it up about 5 degrees. It gets pretty cold here in Wisconsin during the winter months. I had 4 tea lights in one lantern and 3 in the other. The one with four, once the wax melted, became like a single fire in the middle and caused a large fire underneath the pot! I had each lantern with the two terra cotta pots on steel rods and hanging with bolts to secure them. Unfortunately, when the one pot had such a big fire underneath, I could not suffocate it by closing the gap of air because of the bolts securing it. I ran and got a wet towel to momentarily cover the gap of oxygen to suffocate it. OMG... thank God it worked! So my friend, Be Very Careful and be prepared when you try this! Blessings to you!
Rather than suggest a "last resort" of using a clay pot/open flame heater, a far better alternative would be to get a two or three-man tent and set it up in your living room. Line it with comforters on the outside (and inside) for insulation. When body heat is limited to a confined, insulated space, it retains heat far better than using something dangerous with an open flame. If you lose power, use a gas stove outside the tent (on your kitchen counter) to heat water. Using the boiling water, add hot water bottles to the floor. If possible, place the tent by a window that receives sunlight during the day. Confining your living space works. How else could Eskimos survive on a frozen ice pack?
Ah ha ! You can set it up right on your bed, We got one and set it up. Doing reverse on this in FL for small, cool space providing sleep relief. 2 little solar generators low draw power fan. God be with you as survivors.
I'm wanting heat all winter not just for power outage , and don't want to live in a tent lol , with energy prices so high I'm using candles rather than put my heating on , and I don't leave them unattended or in a bad spot , if it's just for a few hours that helps
Great to understand this background information thank you. My experience after lozing power on our cargoship is two pots conected by a thread and one thealight is just good to keep your hands from freezing. Give you just that little extra warmth to take a short rest from hard labour to make it through the rest of the day. For warming up complete I needed a bed with a lot of blankets and 5 hot water bottles. It learns you gratitude. I still keep this setup in case of an emergency and for whenn I camp in the trailor. Yess, no mather what happens, now the fire you make and totaly respect that fire. Be prepared and stay warm all of you 🤗
Hi! Cast iron radiates heat very well. I had lost power for a week during the winter (I live in Western New York about 1/2 hour from Lake Erie in the snow belt) my home was nice & toasty. The only thing is that you need to be very careful of carbon monoxide poisoning if you are heating your pans with a gas stove. 👍🏼
You are so precious & kind... I love all of your videos & I make lots of notes about things you talk about & explain 💯❣ Thank you for sharing so much knowledge & experience 💯❣ Much love & prayers from TEXAS ❣🤗
Thank you for possibly the only sensible presentation about these heaters on UA-cam. This type of heating was originally used to keep the frost out of greenhouses, and yet people are expecting them to make a whole house toasty and warm... and, as you say, they won’t. Thank you.
Great video, well explained. I made one of these, not in a survival situation, but just for fun, seeing if I could add a little heat to a room. I found that it did work. It turns the convective heat being created by burning the candles into radiant heat, so keeps all the heat from the candles from ending up near the ceiling. Like you said in the video, it's just generating a few hundred BTUs. So it didn't warm the room. But (as you also mentioned) it did warm a space very close to the heater. So I set the candle "heater" on a little table next to my usual spot on the couch, and turned the house heat down to 60. The room stayed chilly, but I wasn't cold, because it created some nice heat near the area where I was sitting.
Ms. Pam, thank you for doing the math and for providing a BTU map!! Excellent information about these tea-light fire info. Love the idea of the instant read thermometer. thermal thermometer!!! Thank you for additional videos about how to stay warm if the grid goes down for whatever reason!!! Bless you and Mr. Jim for these videos!!! I feel so much safer knowing that you both care about your subscribers are important to ya'll!!!!! 🌹🌹🌹🌹
I heard of this in 2015 (a particularly bad winter for us). We live on top a mountain that frequently has power failure in winter. So thought we'd give it a try. 1st thing I noticed was it is not safe around pets. Then I had other fire concerns. What follows is how we warmed the bedrooms: For each bedroom we used 4 bricks, a 12-in pizza pan, 8 clay pot risers, 1 10-in clay pot, 1 4-in clay pot, a tea candle & 1 10-in clay pot saucer.The 4 bricks go on the floor with the pizza pan on top. Then 4 pot risers on the metal pan under the large pot. The small pot goes inside the large pot. The candle goes inside the small pot; light it. The remaining 4 risers go on top of the rim of the large pot with the inverted saucer on top of those. It worked fairly OK. What worked better was eliminating the candle and warming the pots with the wood stove before bedtime. I never feel safe combining flame and cats. Great video. I love the science
@@tagladyify Maybe it's cause their house is so big and it helps warm the "outside rooms". We too have a wood stove, but the rooms farthest away are still pretty cold. 🙂
I used one of these flowerpot heaters with 2 crisco candles to try to keep my canning shed from freezing this winter. It helped a little but I need something better next year. The building is very well insulated
I saw these on a couple different videos and I thought how cool they were so I ran out and got myself some clay pots and I have been collecting tea candles. But I am so glad that I watched your video today because it gave me some heads up on a few things that the other videos didn't tell me to be aware of!!!
I would suggest you invest in good stainless steel cookware with lids. You can use the tea lights inside. The stainless steel radiates. In the event of fire you slide the lid on from the side. NEVER come down from the top as it pushes the 02 that feeds the fire flame. Anyway, if there is a fire it will be contained in the pot. The secure lid will suffocate the flame due to lack of 02.
I made one of these a few years ago when I moved into this apartment which is total electric. I used it this morning because the temp outside was in the low 20's, to see if it would take the chill off the room. It did work. I have a 2 pot system with a bolt in the center but really I would hate to have to rely on this for heat long term! The tea lights only last 3 hrs but I did see a video where once the tea lights form a puddle of wax, then sprinkle table salt into the wax. Supposedly that allows it to burn about an hour longer but I have not tried this. Propane heaters are forbidden here and there is no fireplace. Thankfully I don't have small children or pets any longer to worry about knocking them over. I have sleeping bags and a tent I would put in the room and maybe this pot warmer would heat that, but for now I'm glad I don't have to rely on it!
Very simple idea in extreme situation is to fill 2 to 3, 2liter plastic bottles 3/4 with warm water be sure it's not boiling water. Place each of the bottles in a sock. Place inside your bed half hour before you go to bed, also place your pillows on top to keep the heat in. The bottles stay warm for a long time and does not cost a lot.
Thank you once again with sharing your wisdom. I always learn important information from you. Knowledge is power and in these most difficult times it is wise and prudent to learn as many skills as possible. Thank you and God bless both of you!
This video is wonderful in it's content and information. Safety is essential. Being warm and having light is vitally important but not when you're at risk of starting a fire that can kill the people needing them. It's marvelous that you've shared the science elements. That's a great approach and I only wish I could give more than 1 thumbs up. Thanks for the mindfully demonstrated video.
Thank you Pam, I learned a lot about BTU's. What concerns me the most is the quality of a "terracotta" pots. Pots from overseas are not very thick or are not made with good clay. Last Christmas wanted to make flower pot cakes. Store like Hobby L. picked up pot and it actually broke in my hand. Made in china. My thoughts Donna
Wonderful to hear a presentation from someone who clearly has a solid education👍 I'm guessing you have an educational background as a teacher/professor. Or a history as an engineer. Great presentation and safety bulletin 👍👍👍💕💕💕 Thank you 😊
I so appreciate your teaching me the scientific parameters around this DIY system. Now I am going to find the next video. The internet needs more vigilant people like you and Hubby.
Thank you! I was considering trying this. I have lost power during the Winter before and my solution was boiling large pots of water on my gas stove. In addition I crack open a window in my kitchen and use my gas oven. I can maintain 65 degrees or more depending on the outside temp.
This has been an excellent method in the past, but today most gas ovens are digital and will not light without electricity. I have gone back to a 1920s high stove gas oven for this reason and because digital is unreliable, but now so many have natural gas whole house generators that they will likely drain the supply of gas very quickly.
@@tagladyify I thought this too - electric starter on my gas stove - I managed to light it (one of the burners, not the oven.) with a match! I am thrilled knowing that I can still cook during a power outage ☺️
@@rubikube1 yes I used to light the stove top with lighters, but the oven was unusable. Then the control panel died and the whole thing was useless. I prefer old school any where I can get it. Still with all of the natural gas generators out there it will not last as long as it once did if the electricity goes down indefinitely. Best to have other alternatives as well.
Please be aware that the temperatures created within the oven by running it open CAN make the internals hot enough to melt insulation on the wires, melt control boards, or cause other damage to the electronics of even a gas oven. Most ovens cycle on and off to maintain their internal temperature; if they are open, they will run continuously without any off cycle allowing it to cool less heat tolerant parts. In an emergency, it may be worth the risk of a possible fire in the internals of the appliance, but you should be aware of the risk.
My first step is put large pots of water on my gas stove, bring them to a boil, and then simmer. I have a new gas stove, and in a power outage the burners light with a lighter. The oven works if I hook it up to a portable power bank of which I have several.
I had to use this several times , I made four of them and used four tea lights that lasted several hours each….kept my little house at 65 while outside was 15. Power was out for six hours. I did recently by a vesta heater liquid canned heat.
Again, you have done all the homework for us. I always feel more comfortable about safety issues after watching your videos . Have always thought the flowerpot heaters were interesting but would not use one in my house. Thanks for the information.
Thank you for this! I’ve passed over many videos about this, but decided to learn the real ‘poop’ about them from you. I believe I’ll continue to pass them by!
Great explanation. I have not seen any other video that provided such detailed information! I appreciate your knowledge very much! Thank you for sharing. I hope lots of people see this. I feel sure it will save lives and property.
I have a butane heater for emergencies, but my cousin uses a large, ventilated aluminum can and inverts it over a utility candle. He then puts it under a card table that has a floor-length tablecloth over it. The can itself heats up A LOT, and it in turn warms the space under the tablecloth. He wears a jacket and stocking cap in the house, sits at the card table to take care of all of his deskwork and reading, and the heat from the candle and the aluminum can will keep his feet and legs very toasty. In addition, the tabletop work surface where his hands are working warms up nicely. Warm hands and feet can make an enormous difference in one's comfort level in a power outage during an ice storm.
Thank you Pam for this stellar information. I love that you give us all the equations needed to use these heaters efficiently. I would also not use them unless I was in dire straights. I wanted to tell you that there are fans that are powered by the heat of your fireplace or wood heater that you can buy to circulate the warm air in place of your blower. I had found them a short time ago, you might want to look into one for when your power is out.
@@RoseRedHomestead You're so welcome. I have seen the fans at Lehman's and on Amazon. You might also find them at stores that carry wood stoves like a Tractor Supply.
Thank you for showing us this and you are the first one that I have seen that are showing ways to survive if the grid goes down I live in apartments and if the grid goes down I have plenty of canned food no way to warm it up and no way to keep keep my family warm I don't think I would try this not unless it's doing the daytime but I do appreciate you showing people like me this thank you very much
Pam, you are a gem to have gone through all the trouble of checking all this out! Thank you so much for doing this. Happy New year to you, your husband and family!
A trick for making sure your pots, stones and kindling are dry. Stick them in a cold oven, bring it up to about 220F for about 10-20 minutes then turn the oven off with the door slightly open until you can tolerate touching the object inside. Convection does help. If you have to kiln dry firewood bigger than kindling, it can take up to 2 hours, especially if you really load up the oven.
I am so grateful that this topic, and the one involving the Crisco candles, tickled your imagination and inspired you to investigate further. It seems we are being bombarded with all sorts of novel solutions to problems we have no experience solving in our modern, electricity-dependent age. So, thank you for going to the trouble of discovering whether they're worth our time and money to add to our stash of emergency preparedness items. I had already come to the same conclusion that you and Jim had, but I hope your video is seen by those who may not have safety top of mind in the "heat" of the moment. ~ Lisa
I live in the High desert. It gets really cold here 50 below zero sometimes. I have used them for years in the bathroom to keep my pipes from freezing. . First I have tile floors I used the large pots I used the pot dish under the pot, I put a heavy duty rack over not touching the dish. The wax drops very little but if it did it would drop on the cold pot dish. I have used as many as six with no problem as long as I keep the candles raised above the bottom it stays cool. The temperature is over 250 degrees. So I put it in front of glass sliding doors. It warms the air. If that is all you have it's something. It does work. Don't discourage people from surviving.
What an informative and useful video. I’ve used tea light candles, 2 in a little tin foil pan, to keep myself warm, in a Ford super-cab, in the late, cold, Northwestern Ontario fall, while waiting for my big-game hunters to come back. I had to take my winter jacket off! So, candle heat from regular use I can see, but I’d be uncomfortable with some odd thing like this. Thank you for all your work!!
Thank you for making such a thorough and understandable study of both the efficacy and the safety of this method. We did get a wood stove last year as our gas furnace has an electric safety switch of some kind. If the power goes out, so does the heat. Apparently they are all made this way now. The house is old, having started out as a rectangular cabin and rooms added on every couple of decades, so it's a bit of a maze now. The heat will not keep the back of the house where the pipes are very warm but, I daresay, if we REALLY needed to warm that area in well below freezing temps, we could now use this knowledge to add some heat to the room with the most danger of freezing pipes - and use it safely and effectively. Thank you so much.
Two winters ago I gave these a try and they just don't work well enough to depend on them for heat. I keep my heat set on 60f because I just can't afford to pay for it to run higher. Normally that is a comfortable temperature for us in the winter. But, when it is really cold outside, like close to 0, it just seems so cold inside and there are nights I just can't get warm no matter how many blankets I wrap up in, even with my housecoat, socks, and house shoes. I had three of these going in our living room and it barely made any difference. I went through a lot of candles that winter in a very short time. I see things on facebook telling people these work, but, the truth is they do not. They even go so far as saying if your heat goes out this will heat up a room and keep you from freezing. I will say that is a big fat NO!! People need to have a back up heat source in case their heat goes out (for whatever reason) and this should not be it. You will freeze to death if you plan to use this as a backup heat source. I finally saved enough money to buy a kerosene heater, fuel, and a co2 detector to use for an emergency in case the heat goes out. I also have used it last winter on those exceptionally cold nights just to take the edge off so I don't have to turn the thermostat up. I highly recommend that everyone plan ahead and save up and buy some type of heat source just in case you need it. Do not depend on candles to work in an emergency. Do not risk your life on something that will not keep you alive if you find yourself without heat during a really cold winter. Your life just isn't worth risking. With a little planning you can survive.
From some experiments in small spaces with thermostats, they can keep you alive. But the space has to be small like a bathroom or a tent set up in the house. In some cases, a cast iron pot that contains and radiates heat has been safely used-see videos. We all have different challenges. Whether our lowest temps outside are +40F or -20, our ancestors did it, and so can we. Across the board, the first rule seems to be to minimize the space that needs to be heated. Before we had central air, we would air condition one smallish room, and we would all sleep in that room😅. The reverse goes for keeping one small space warm if the power goes out. It’s always harder to stay warm than cool.
I have used a wood burning stove for 50 years. Last year I set these pots on top of my stove to take the chill off of my living room. It worked pretty well.
Thanks again Pam and Jim. You broke this down to a point where I understand thoroughly. Love the chart and I did not even know that was available! You would also need to calculate the burn rate on the candles to determine the amount of candles you would need for a day. Thank you for this great information.
Hello. New subscriber from Alberta Canada. Really appreciate the no-nonsense, get-er done content. Thanks so much for your effort. The whole world needs more teachers like you. I’m not much for subscribing nor commenting; but you definitely tickled my heart. Thanks so much.
I was glad to find someone w/ more data about this subject as we want to heat up but not blow up (but we don't care too much about number calculations ☺)
I have done similar with cast iron planchet over a gas buddy heater as well as over butane and white gas burners to provide radiant heat outside. It works even better when paired with a thermoelectric wood stove fan. Inside, I have tea warmers that I'll put three candles in and a cast iron bowl on top. You have to keep it on a heat resistant surface or put something under it if its on a wood table but it provides a significant amount of extra heat to a room. As a bonus, you can sacrifice some of the heating potential in exchange for humidity by putting water in the bowl.
Very good info. Thank you, Pam and Hubby. The open flame always concerned me. I guess if you're really cold, it's better than nothing. Blessings, julie
Thank you for sharing. I always love to watch your well researched experiments. I won't be doing this Terra cotta heater, but I was wondering for others about making sure the area is well ventilated.
I don't know...I think I am just going to have to start paying tuition 🙃. I didn't think this could be a safe venture when I first saw it awhile ago. I have changed my opinion because it depends on the careful attention to detail of the "generator". The funny funny is Jim's voice making an appearance at the hugging reference! 🫂 Sounds good 😉 to him. Love your interactions with each other, so sweet. I Love your hearts. Thank you both ❤❤❤.
I tried out my pot heater yesterday. It's just one large 10" pot. The 6" was too small. I sat the 10" over 2 votive candles, in muffin pans, with water in a second roaster pan underneath. They were brand new as far as I know. I didn't notice any fumes or smoke. I fell asleep. I put a steel wool pan underneath to catch any soot or smoke. It ran about 4 hours. Very warm to the point I HAD to shut them off. But it wasn't the dead of winter. I'm not mechanical and can't do all that extra stuff with rods and bolts.
Great information! I would also add, most terracotta clay pots will have some lead in them. Just a note for caution, when using clay pots for a heat source. Hubby and I are looking at our options for backup heat sources. But in an emergency, and for a short period of time, this would work. Just remember also, that any flame source produces carbon monoxide. Make sure to use these in a well, ventilated area.
Years ago (decades actually) my parents and i camped with family friends in their camper. A six inch clay pot inverted over a gas burner on the stove provided heat during the night. Flame turned very low. It was more than adequate to heat the small space. Indio date festival, late '60's, Indio California.
Thank you! I've been researching these also. I rent so it's challenging to find an alternate heat source and one that is not fuel based. I'd considered these conjunction with lanterns as they give off heat also. Still looking at alternatives. Wish I could have a wood stove. Even just a small one.
I think one would get a lot more BTUs from a Crisco candle. Use taller bricks and a bigger pot so the temperature doesn’t get so high that the pot shatters. You might be able to heat a small restroom. Usually bathrooms have a small gap under the door or maybe a small window for some air exchange/ventilation. Sometimes it’s nice to have a warm spot to change clothes, use the toilet, and freshen up. (We have a septic tank and 5000 gallons of water stored, so we can flush our toilet when there isn’t any power.) An alcohol gel fuel food warmer is another possibility for extra heat. Maybe one could use one to heat water for hygiene. I’ve been looking at Sterno stoves lately and wondering if they could be useful as a heat source…I bought a sack of Sterno at a yard sale for $5. There must be a dozen cans in it.
Thank you for sharing this. I have seen several videos over the years about these and wondered how something so small could generate enough heat to warm an entire room (as some had claimed).
Plugging the holes increases the heat absorbed into the pots. It's better to let it flow out and into the room. The double pot allows for better circulation of the heat. Also, don't the tea light foil touch, keep them separated by an inch or so.
the metal circle which the wick is attached to, can ignite, houses have caught fire from the use of tea lights. thank you for this helpful information!
I have a question referring to what you said at the very end ... You have a fireplace ... How many BTUs does that put out (about)? Sure, it's more heat than four little tealights, but a lot of it goes up the chimney, does it not? I wonder how the two compare over time, how much wood the fireplace burns, how much heat is dissipated, and how cost effective that is in comparison with the tealight heater over time?
Good video thank you. The map was helpful as well as the calculation for btu needed was eye opening. Basically you would need one of those every 2 inches.
Maybe in a bathroom, putting the heater in the tub still using the pavers to set the items on. If actually faced without a method to keep from freezing people will resort to any number of ideas. Your video hopefully will help give families information to make wise choices. Most city dwellers will have absolutely no idea what to do.
@@IMOO1896 I don’t know. I would google for comparison of fiberglass to metal. With the pavers keeping the candles and the pots off the fiberglass maybe not. Safety first, so do your research.
This is nice of you BUT. IT IS HIGHLY ADVISED NOT TO PUT CANDLES SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER AS YOU CAN CREATE A BIG FLAME...SPACE THE CANDLES OUT OR USE ONE CANDLE FOR EACH SMALL POT OR GET LARGER POTS AND SPREAD THE CANDLES.
I had a small tea light catch on fire within 10 minutes of being lit and in its proper container!!! I couldn’t blow it out either!! I didn’t know so I put the whole thing in the sink and ran water. It blazed up on my face!! After that, no candles for me except on an emergency and then I will not leave it unattended even for any length of time!!
So many people out there claiming you can heat your whole home with just a few of these. Here they tells us what we real need to know. Thank You for the video
Thank you Lady for teaching other single ladies how to keep warm... Scary times ahead 😥
Very good information. I scratched the idea of using metal bolts to connect anything.
I've watched several videos on clay pot heaters and this was by far the best organized and scientific. Wish I could give more than a single thumbs-up.
These are maybe survival skill knowledge with pros and cons ,when freezing near death to death from cold.We must work with what we have to survive in extreme energencys.
Desperate times Desperate measures
Young lady, you are an excellent instructor. The information that you share is well thought out and I enjoy your common sense approach. Thank you for what you do and how you present it.
I looked all over for this information. Dozens of videos and this is the best. Thank you.
Great presentation as always. Thank you, Pam.
You are so welcome! Jim
I think most people are concerned about the wrong thing in a grid down situation. Personally, I couldn't give two figs about heating the space inside our home. I'm only concerned with keeping the people inside it warm. To that end I do use tea candles, but I use them to heat water for hot water bottles not to heat a room. It's old technology that still works. Get yourself one of those wraps that's meant to hold the bottle over your stomach for cramps & spin it around, so the bottle is over your kidneys & you'll be toasty while you putter about the house cooking or what not. Take one to bed with you to place down near your feet & you'll be warm all night. I even have ones to place in each of our animals' beds. The cat especially seems to think it's a great treat to snuggle up to his own hot water bottle.
On a side note, I believe what people are trying to achieve with these little heaters is radiation from thermal mass, but clay pots don't offer much in the way of mass. Bricks would be a better option since more mass equals more storage for heat, but I believe your best bet would be to stack a few bricks around the candles to hold up a pot of water. Water makes excellent thermal mass & puts humidity into the air and humid air is easier to heat than dry air so it's a sort of win/win.
and sweaters.... and hats
Great ideas especially using the bricks. Do you know how long they will retain heat?
@@thinker3830 Sorry I can't give you a time because how hot you get the bricks determines how long they'll stay warm. It's an adaptation of an old camping trick just with bricks instead of rocks but if you can wrap a hot brick in something like a towel you can slip it in your bed to warm you with no fire danger. Keeping yourself warm at home without power or a wood stove is really about the space you're trying to heat. The larger the space & the higher the ceiling the larger a heat source you'll need. Remember building chair forts as a kid? A sleeping or sitting area made from blankets like that can be heated with a tea candle heater. You're entire living or bedroom not so much. Hope that helps.
The best idea is to take the animals to bed with you!
Great input, much appreciated 👍🏼
Anytime you are using a secondary heat source in a grid down situation, it's best to only try to heat a small, self contained room, and I would say very few have a wood stove to use. By using the design that incorporates a large threaded bolt, with washers, those metal components also capture and dissipate the heat created by the tea lights. The threaded bolt also serves the purpose of blocking that top hole, where most of the heat is escaping, not retaining that heat. Another way to capture heat is to place small rocks on the top of the pot.....those can then be put into a sock or whatever and used as a bedwarmer. There are multiple ways of encompassing the tealights in a safe container. I don't believe that the set up that you have demonstrated is the most efficient....but I'm happy that you have found the principle overall to be effective. Thanks for presenting this concept to the community....as always, valuable information!!
I like the rocks idea
👍🙏💫
The vlogger got it all wrong, bless 'er.
@@charliesmith_ then what is the right way?
I've seen a lot of people use tea light candles. I would like to see if a kerosene lamp style candle would be successfully used for example a tiki candle ???. Or a crisco candle
You need the small holes for heat to go out into the larger pot watch other videos it will tell you this
I love you do the math. You also speak of safety in everything you post. Thank you for being a reliable source of information.
So well thought out and done, thank you. As an electrical technician, safety is my first concern and I love it that you guys focus on this. Great information.
I made two of these last year and hung them in my basement. I wanted to make the area around me warmer as I painted with acrylic flow painting. It worked well enough to warm it up about 5 degrees. It gets pretty cold here in Wisconsin during the winter months. I had 4 tea lights in one lantern and 3 in the other. The one with four, once the wax melted, became like a single fire in the middle and caused a large fire underneath the pot! I had each lantern with the two terra cotta pots on steel rods and hanging with bolts to secure them. Unfortunately, when the one pot had such a big fire underneath, I could not suffocate it by closing the gap of air because of the bolts securing it. I ran and got a wet towel to momentarily cover the gap of oxygen to suffocate it. OMG... thank God it worked! So my friend, Be Very Careful and be prepared when you try this! Blessings to you!
Thank you for sharing and I am so glad your quick action put out the fire. We will not use these. We have other alternatives.
@@RoseRedHomestead Thank you for bringing up this topic! Needless to say, I haven't used them again. Love your channel by the way:)
Rather than suggest a "last resort" of using a clay pot/open flame heater, a far better alternative would be to get a two or three-man tent and set it up in your living room. Line it with comforters on the outside (and inside) for insulation. When body heat is limited to a confined, insulated space, it retains heat far better than using something dangerous with an open flame. If you lose power, use a gas stove outside the tent (on your kitchen counter) to heat water. Using the boiling water, add hot water bottles to the floor. If possible, place the tent by a window that receives sunlight during the day. Confining your living space works. How else could Eskimos survive on a frozen ice pack?
I tried that but the stakes kept damaging the tiles...lol
Ah ha ! You can set it up right on your bed, We got one and set it up. Doing reverse on this in FL for small, cool space providing sleep relief. 2 little solar generators low draw power fan. God be with you as survivors.
I did exactly this with a small electric heater all winter. No bubbles, no troubles. I have since finished the house.
I'm wanting heat all winter not just for power outage , and don't want to live in a tent lol , with energy prices so high I'm using candles rather than put my heating on , and I don't leave them unattended or in a bad spot , if it's just for a few hours that helps
that will work better than this
Great to understand this background information thank you.
My experience after lozing power on our cargoship is two pots conected by a thread and one thealight is just good to keep your hands from freezing. Give you just that little extra warmth to take a short rest from hard labour to make it through the rest of the day.
For warming up complete I needed a bed with a lot of blankets and 5 hot water bottles.
It learns you gratitude.
I still keep this setup in case of an emergency and for whenn I camp in the trailor.
Yess, no mather what happens, now the fire you make and totaly respect that fire.
Be prepared and stay warm all of you 🤗
I pray people will take heed to the very important information you are giving us all to be safe.
Hi! Cast iron radiates heat very well. I had lost power for a week during the winter (I live in Western New York about 1/2 hour from Lake Erie in the snow belt) my home was nice & toasty. The only thing is that you need to be very careful of carbon monoxide poisoning if you are heating your pans with a gas stove. 👍🏼
This is probably a stupid question, but how are you using the cast iron ? With candles? On stove filled with water.?
You are so precious & kind... I love all of your videos & I make lots of notes about things you talk about & explain 💯❣ Thank you for sharing so much knowledge & experience 💯❣
Much love & prayers from TEXAS ❣🤗
Thank you for possibly the only sensible presentation about these heaters on UA-cam. This type of heating was originally used to keep the frost out of greenhouses, and yet people are expecting them to make a whole house toasty and warm... and, as you say, they won’t. Thank you.
Thank you so much for not only reviewing this heat source, but also emphasizing “safety”. 😊👍
You are welcome!
Great video, well explained.
I made one of these, not in a survival situation, but just for fun, seeing if I could add a little heat to a room. I found that it did work. It turns the convective heat being created by burning the candles into radiant heat, so keeps all the heat from the candles from ending up near the ceiling.
Like you said in the video, it's just generating a few hundred BTUs. So it didn't warm the room. But (as you also mentioned) it did warm a space very close to the heater. So I set the candle "heater" on a little table next to my usual spot on the couch, and turned the house heat down to 60. The room stayed chilly, but I wasn't cold, because it created some nice heat near the area where I was sitting.
Ms. Pam, thank you for doing the math and for providing a BTU map!! Excellent information about these tea-light fire info. Love the idea of the instant read thermometer. thermal thermometer!!! Thank you for additional videos about how to stay warm if the grid goes down for whatever reason!!! Bless you and Mr. Jim for these videos!!! I feel so much safer knowing that you both care about your subscribers are important to ya'll!!!!! 🌹🌹🌹🌹
Stephenrsm7600: Thank you for the very kind feedback. Jim
I heard of this in 2015 (a particularly bad winter for us). We live on top a mountain that frequently has power failure in winter. So thought we'd give it a try. 1st thing I noticed was it is not safe around pets. Then I had other fire concerns. What follows is how we warmed the bedrooms: For each bedroom we used 4 bricks, a 12-in pizza pan, 8 clay pot risers, 1 10-in clay pot, 1 4-in clay pot, a tea candle & 1 10-in clay pot saucer.The 4 bricks go on the floor with the pizza pan on top. Then 4 pot risers on the metal pan under the large pot. The small pot goes inside the large pot. The candle goes inside the small pot; light it. The remaining 4 risers go on top of the rim of the large pot with the inverted saucer on top of those. It worked fairly OK. What worked better was eliminating the candle and warming the pots with the wood stove before bedtime.
I never feel safe combining flame and cats.
Great video. I love the science
Not to seem ridiculous, but why would you need the pots if you have a wood stove?
@@tagladyify Maybe it's cause their house is so big and it helps warm the "outside rooms". We too have a wood stove, but the rooms farthest away are still pretty cold. 🙂
@@tagladyify because the bedrooms are at the other end of the house; and, I much prefer to sleep in my bed than on my sofa.
@@redeemedvintageseamstress4728 exactly!
@@s.leeyork3848 how long do the pots end up heating your bedroom?
Thank you for both the time you spent investigating this and the clear explanation you gave.
You are welcome.
Kym: We appreciate that you watched our channel. Jim
I used one of these flowerpot heaters with 2 crisco candles to try to keep my canning shed from freezing this winter. It helped a little but I need something better next year. The building is very well insulated
I saw these on a couple different videos and I thought how cool they were so I ran out and got myself some clay pots and I have been collecting tea candles. But I am so glad that I watched your video today because it gave me some heads up on a few things that the other videos didn't tell me to be aware of!!!
I appreciate your videos. I think you are saving lives. There are other videos warning these are not safe but you provide the why. Thank you!
It is a good video but I did Alert her to NOT put candles so close to each other under one clay pot..they can create ONE BIG FLAME
I would suggest you invest in good stainless steel cookware with lids. You can use the tea lights inside. The stainless steel radiates. In the event of fire you slide the lid on from the side. NEVER come down from the top as it pushes the 02 that feeds the fire flame. Anyway, if there is a fire it will be contained in the pot. The secure lid will suffocate the flame due to lack of 02.
I made one of these a few years ago when I moved into this apartment which is total electric. I used it this morning because the temp outside was in the low 20's, to see if it would take the chill off the room. It did work. I have a 2 pot system with a bolt in the center but really I would hate to have to rely on this for heat long term! The tea lights only last 3 hrs but I did see a video where once the tea lights form a puddle of wax, then sprinkle table salt into the wax. Supposedly that allows it to burn about an hour longer but I have not tried this. Propane heaters are forbidden here and there is no fireplace. Thankfully I don't have small children or pets any longer to worry about knocking them over. I have sleeping bags and a tent I would put in the room and maybe this pot warmer would heat that, but for now I'm glad I don't have to rely on it!
A small tent will be warmer to sleep in than a whole room, less air space to heat up, about 20 degrees warmer than outside temp. No flames required
or get some cans of vegetable shortening
I absolutely love it that you tell us the truth and the safety measures with everything you video! I appreciate your extra efforts to keep us safe! ❤
This is extremely simple but when I was without heat during the winter i covered my feet with a pillow. It helped so much just keeping my feet warm.
Yes! Warm feet are a must.
Very simple idea in extreme situation is to fill 2 to 3, 2liter plastic bottles 3/4 with warm water be sure it's not boiling water. Place each of the bottles in a sock. Place inside your bed half hour before you go to bed, also place your pillows on top to keep the heat in. The bottles stay warm for a long time and does not cost a lot.
Thank you so much for breaking down the BTU output on these candles. I look forward to your info on alternative heat sources in a grid down situation.
Kim: You are so welcome! Jim
Thank you once again with sharing your wisdom. I always learn important information from you. Knowledge is power and in these most difficult times it is wise and prudent to learn as many skills as possible. Thank you and God bless both of you!
You are so welcome
John: You are welcome! Jim
This video is wonderful in it's content and information. Safety is essential. Being warm and having light is vitally important but not when you're at risk of starting a fire that can kill the people needing them. It's marvelous that you've shared the science elements. That's a great approach and I only wish I could give more than 1 thumbs up. Thanks for the mindfully demonstrated video.
Thank you Pam, I learned a lot about BTU's. What concerns me the most is the quality of a "terracotta" pots. Pots from overseas are not very thick or are not made with good clay. Last Christmas wanted to make flower pot cakes. Store like Hobby L. picked up pot and it actually broke in my hand. Made in china. My thoughts Donna
Good to know. I had no idea, but I guess I am not surprised. Thanks for sharing.
Wonderful to hear a presentation from someone who clearly has a solid education👍
I'm guessing you have an educational background as a teacher/professor. Or a history as an engineer.
Great presentation and safety bulletin 👍👍👍💕💕💕
Thank you 😊
Yes, teacher, university professor and administrator. Jim
I so appreciate your teaching me the scientific parameters around this DIY system. Now I am going to find the next video. The internet needs more vigilant people like you and Hubby.
Trudi: Glad it was helpful! Jim
Thank you! I was considering trying this. I have lost power during the Winter before and my solution was boiling large pots of water on my gas stove. In addition I crack open a window in my kitchen and use my gas oven. I can maintain 65 degrees or more depending on the outside temp.
This has been an excellent method in the past, but today most gas ovens are digital and will not light without electricity. I have gone back to a 1920s high stove gas oven for this reason and because digital is unreliable, but now so many have natural gas whole house generators that they will likely drain the supply of gas very quickly.
@@tagladyify I thought this too - electric starter on my gas stove - I managed to light it (one of the burners, not the oven.) with a match! I am thrilled knowing that I can still cook during a power outage ☺️
@@rubikube1 yes I used to light the stove top with lighters, but the oven was unusable. Then the control panel died and the whole thing was useless. I prefer old school any where I can get it. Still with all of the natural gas generators out there it will not last as long as it once did if the electricity goes down indefinitely. Best to have other alternatives as well.
Please be aware that the temperatures created within the oven by running it open CAN make the internals hot enough to melt insulation on the wires, melt control boards, or cause other damage to the electronics of even a gas oven. Most ovens cycle on and off to maintain their internal temperature; if they are open, they will run continuously without any off cycle allowing it to cool less heat tolerant parts. In an emergency, it may be worth the risk of a possible fire in the internals of the appliance, but you should be aware of the risk.
My first step is put large pots of water on my gas stove, bring them to a boil, and then simmer. I have a new gas stove, and in a power outage the burners light with a lighter. The oven works if I hook it up to a portable power bank of which I have several.
I had to use this several times , I made four of them and used four tea lights that lasted several hours each….kept my little house at 65 while outside was 15. Power was out for six hours. I did recently by a vesta heater liquid canned heat.
Again, you have done all the homework for us. I always feel more comfortable about safety issues after watching your videos . Have always thought the flowerpot heaters were interesting but would not use one in my house. Thanks for the information.
Thank you for this! I’ve passed over many videos about this, but decided to learn the real ‘poop’ about them from you. I believe I’ll continue to pass them by!
That was our decision as well. But if someone has no other alternative, perhaps they could be used if safety was paramount.
Great explanation. I have not seen any other video that provided such detailed information! I appreciate your knowledge very much! Thank you for sharing. I hope lots of people see this. I feel sure it will save lives and property.
I don't know what to say, except you impressed me. You nailed it. Thanks for the video. God bless and have a great 2023. 🤗
Thank you! You too! Jim
I was very impressed with your research and presentation! Thank you very much
I have a butane heater for emergencies, but my cousin uses a large, ventilated aluminum can and inverts it over a utility candle. He then puts it under a card table that has a floor-length tablecloth over it. The can itself heats up A LOT, and it in turn warms the space under the tablecloth. He wears a jacket and stocking cap in the house, sits at the card table to take care of all of his deskwork and reading, and the heat from the candle and the aluminum can will keep his feet and legs very toasty. In addition, the tabletop work surface where his hands are working warms up nicely. Warm hands and feet can make an enormous difference in one's comfort level in a power outage during an ice storm.
The aluminum can might emit bad fumes.
Thank you Pam for this stellar information. I love that you give us all the equations needed to use these heaters efficiently. I would also not use them unless I was in dire straights. I wanted to tell you that there are fans that are powered by the heat of your fireplace or wood heater that you can buy to circulate the warm air in place of your blower. I had found them a short time ago, you might want to look into one for when your power is out.
You are so welcome! And thanks for that great idea! I will look for them.
Tamie: Thanks for the information. Jim
@@RoseRedHomestead You're so welcome. I have seen the fans at Lehman's and on Amazon. You might also find them at stores that carry wood stoves like a Tractor Supply.
Thank you for showing us this and you are the first one that I have seen that are showing ways to survive if the grid goes down I live in apartments and if the grid goes down I have plenty of canned food no way to warm it up and no way to keep keep my family warm I don't think I would try this not unless it's doing the daytime but I do appreciate you showing people like me this thank you very much
You are very welcome. Thank you for your comment.
Pam, you are a gem to have gone through all the trouble of checking all this out! Thank you so much for doing this. Happy New year to you, your husband and family!
A great presentation. Life saving. Thank you for taking the time to explain the importance of keeping safety in mind. You stay safe too.
Such a great video. Thank you so much. The last thing I was expecting was a lesson in the first laws of thermodynamics! Very impressed 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Glad you enjoyed it! Jim
Thanks for clearing up a lot of peoples misconceptions about these heaters. Great info.
A trick for making sure your pots, stones and kindling are dry. Stick them in a cold oven, bring it up to about 220F for about 10-20 minutes then turn the oven off with the door slightly open until you can tolerate touching the object inside.
Convection does help.
If you have to kiln dry firewood bigger than kindling, it can take up to 2 hours, especially if you really load up the oven.
Thank you for your video and the amount of work you put into it. I knew about them but not the calculations.
@@timelesslordkotahi This was not my video, but I hope you found my comment helpful as well.
Pam, thanks so much for this great info! It’s good to know at this time of year. Please thank Jim too! ❤️🌹
I am so grateful that this topic, and the one involving the Crisco candles, tickled your imagination and inspired you to investigate further. It seems we are being bombarded with all sorts of novel solutions to problems we have no experience solving in our modern, electricity-dependent age. So, thank you for going to the trouble of discovering whether they're worth our time and money to add to our stash of emergency preparedness items. I had already come to the same conclusion that you and Jim had, but I hope your video is seen by those who may not have safety top of mind in the "heat" of the moment. ~ Lisa
Thank you--I hope so too.
I live in the High desert. It gets really cold here 50 below zero sometimes. I have used them for years in the bathroom to keep my pipes from freezing. . First I have tile floors I used the large pots I used the pot dish under the pot, I put a heavy duty rack over not touching the dish. The wax drops very little but if it did it would drop on the cold pot dish. I have used as many as six with no problem as long as I keep the candles raised above the bottom it stays cool. The temperature is over 250 degrees. So I put it in front of glass sliding doors. It warms the air. If that is all you have it's something. It does work. Don't discourage people from surviving.
Marilyn: I did not think we were attempting to "discourage people from surviving." Jim
What an informative and useful video. I’ve used tea light candles, 2 in a little tin foil pan, to keep myself warm, in a Ford super-cab, in the late, cold, Northwestern Ontario fall, while waiting for my big-game hunters to come back. I had to take my winter jacket off! So, candle heat from regular use I can see, but I’d be uncomfortable with some odd thing like this. Thank you for all your work!!
Thank you for making such a thorough and understandable study of both the efficacy and the safety of this method. We did get a wood stove last year as our gas furnace has an electric safety switch of some kind. If the power goes out, so does the heat. Apparently they are all made this way now. The house is old, having started out as a rectangular cabin and rooms added on every couple of decades, so it's a bit of a maze now. The heat will not keep the back of the house where the pipes are very warm but, I daresay, if we REALLY needed to warm that area in well below freezing temps, we could now use this knowledge to add some heat to the room with the most danger of freezing pipes - and use it safely and effectively. Thank you so much.
Two winters ago I gave these a try and they just don't work well enough to depend on them for heat. I keep my heat set on 60f because I just can't afford to pay for it to run higher. Normally that is a comfortable temperature for us in the winter. But, when it is really cold outside, like close to 0, it just seems so cold inside and there are nights I just can't get warm no matter how many blankets I wrap up in, even with my housecoat, socks, and house shoes. I had three of these going in our living room and it barely made any difference. I went through a lot of candles that winter in a very short time. I see things on facebook telling people these work, but, the truth is they do not. They even go so far as saying if your heat goes out this will heat up a room and keep you from freezing. I will say that is a big fat NO!! People need to have a back up heat source in case their heat goes out (for whatever reason) and this should not be it. You will freeze to death if you plan to use this as a backup heat source. I finally saved enough money to buy a kerosene heater, fuel, and a co2 detector to use for an emergency in case the heat goes out. I also have used it last winter on those exceptionally cold nights just to take the edge off so I don't have to turn the thermostat up. I highly recommend that everyone plan ahead and save up and buy some type of heat source just in case you need it. Do not depend on candles to work in an emergency. Do not risk your life on something that will not keep you alive if you find yourself without heat during a really cold winter. Your life just isn't worth risking. With a little planning you can survive.
Agree,they are full of excrament! They don't work like they claim.
From some experiments in small spaces with thermostats, they can keep you alive. But the space has to be small like a bathroom or a tent set up in the house. In some cases, a cast iron pot that contains and radiates heat has been safely used-see videos. We all have different challenges. Whether our lowest temps outside are +40F or -20, our ancestors did it, and so can we. Across the board, the first rule seems to be to minimize the space that needs to be heated. Before we had central air, we would air condition one smallish room, and we would all sleep in that room😅. The reverse goes for keeping one small space warm if the power goes out. It’s always harder to stay warm than cool.
I have used a wood burning stove for 50 years. Last year I set these pots on top of my stove to take the chill off of my living room. It worked pretty well.
Thanks again Pam and Jim. You broke this down to a point where I understand thoroughly. Love the chart and I did not even know that was available! You would also need to calculate the burn rate on the candles to determine the amount of candles you would need for a day. Thank you for this great information.
Hello. New subscriber from Alberta Canada. Really appreciate the no-nonsense, get-er done content. Thanks so much for your effort. The whole world needs more teachers like you. I’m not much for subscribing nor commenting; but you definitely tickled my heart. Thanks so much.
Awesome! Thank you! And welcome!
I was glad to find someone w/ more data about this subject as we want to heat up but not blow up (but we don't care too much about number calculations ☺)
Thanks for all the valuable information. Love your teaching! Blessings ❤
I have done similar with cast iron planchet over a gas buddy heater as well as over butane and white gas burners to provide radiant heat outside. It works even better when paired with a thermoelectric wood stove fan.
Inside, I have tea warmers that I'll put three candles in and a cast iron bowl on top. You have to keep it on a heat resistant surface or put something under it if its on a wood table but it provides a significant amount of extra heat to a room. As a bonus, you can sacrifice some of the heating potential in exchange for humidity by putting water in the bowl.
I heat my 8'x4' greenhouse every year using this method, and it is really warm considering all the glass. BTW I only use one of those little candles.
Thanks for your comment.
Good afternoon from cold & snowy Ky! We’ve got 9” from east central Ky & down in the low 20’s!!
Lisa: Please stay warm and safe. Jim
Very good info. Thank you, Pam and Hubby. The open flame always concerned me. I guess if you're really cold, it's better than nothing. Blessings, julie
Thank you for sharing. I always love to watch your well researched experiments. I won't be doing this Terra cotta heater, but I was wondering for others about making sure the area is well ventilated.
I don't know...I think I am just going to have to start paying tuition 🙃.
I didn't think this could be a safe venture when I first saw it awhile ago. I have changed my opinion because it depends on the careful attention to detail of the "generator". The funny funny is Jim's voice making an appearance at the hugging reference! 🫂 Sounds good 😉 to him. Love your interactions with each other, so sweet. I Love your hearts.
Thank you both ❤❤❤.
Thank you so much for the energy you put into researching this for us! I have been so curious! Now I feel much more informed...😀 much appreciated
You are very welcome.
Those cheap aluminized plastic blankets are a godsend. They can be used in many ways!
grateful to have wood heat downstairs and upstairs
I tried out my pot heater yesterday. It's just one large 10" pot. The 6" was too small. I sat the 10" over 2 votive candles, in muffin pans, with water in a second roaster pan underneath. They were brand new as far as I know. I didn't notice any fumes or smoke. I fell asleep. I put a steel wool pan underneath to catch any soot or smoke. It ran about 4 hours. Very warm to the point I HAD to shut them off. But it wasn't the dead of winter. I'm not mechanical and can't do all that extra stuff with rods and bolts.
Thank you so much for all your videos. I love them. They are so informative. Bless you guys
Our pleasure! So glad you like them.
I've watched many of your canning videos. I love your science teacher side.
I used terra cotta heaters in my greenhouse last winter when we had a deep freeze
Glad they worked for you.
Very useful info ... much appreciated!
Great information! I would also add, most terracotta clay pots will have some lead in them. Just a note for caution, when using clay pots for a heat source. Hubby and I are looking at our options for backup heat sources. But in an emergency, and for a short period of time, this would work. Just remember also, that any flame source produces carbon monoxide. Make sure to use these in a well, ventilated area.
Years ago (decades actually) my parents and i camped with family friends in their camper. A six inch clay pot inverted over a gas burner on the stove provided heat during the night. Flame turned very low. It was more than adequate to heat the small space. Indio date festival, late '60's, Indio California.
Thank you! I've been researching these also. I rent so it's challenging to find an alternate heat source and one that is not fuel based. I'd considered these conjunction with lanterns as they give off heat also. Still looking at alternatives. Wish I could have a wood stove. Even just a small one.
Rebecca: A wood stove would be much safer. Jim
Look into cubic mini stoves. They work great!!!
I think one would get a lot more BTUs from a Crisco candle. Use taller bricks and a bigger pot so the temperature doesn’t get so high that the pot shatters. You might be able to heat a small restroom. Usually bathrooms have a small gap under the door or maybe a small window for some air exchange/ventilation. Sometimes it’s nice to have a warm spot to change clothes, use the toilet, and freshen up. (We have a septic tank and 5000 gallons of water stored, so we can flush our toilet when there isn’t any power.)
An alcohol gel fuel food warmer is another possibility for extra heat. Maybe one could use one to heat water for hygiene. I’ve been looking at Sterno stoves lately and wondering if they could be useful as a heat source…I bought a sack of Sterno at a yard sale for $5. There must be a dozen cans in it.
Good ideas! Thanks for sharing.
Sterno or gel fluid ALWAYS has fumes. I'd use that ONLY for an absolute emergency. I don't trust those without a carbon monoxide detector.
Yes Crisco is best
Pam you are a great teacher!!😀
Oh thank you! Jim
I was thinking of doing this for my RV. Thanks.
Thank you for sharing this. I have seen several videos over the years about these and wondered how something so small could generate enough heat to warm an entire room (as some had claimed).
Plugging the holes increases the heat absorbed into the pots. It's better to let it flow out and into the room. The double pot allows for better circulation of the heat.
Also, don't the tea light foil touch, keep them separated by an inch or so.
Thank you for the time and research you have done to teach all of us how to besafe
the metal circle which the wick is attached to, can ignite, houses have caught fire from the use of tea lights. thank you for this helpful information!
I have a question referring to what you said at the very end ... You have a fireplace ... How many BTUs does that put out (about)? Sure, it's more heat than four little tealights, but a lot of it goes up the chimney, does it not? I wonder how the two compare over time, how much wood the fireplace burns, how much heat is dissipated, and how cost effective that is in comparison with the tealight heater over time?
ROSE, so important, Carbon monoxide detector. Small spaces will be especially deadly with open flames!! Proper ventilation.
You must separate the tea candles or they can generate 2 much heat and cause the wax to boil. Which may cause a flash fire.
Good video thank you. The map was helpful as well as the calculation for btu needed was eye opening. Basically you would need one of those every 2 inches.
Glad it helped! That is correct--not very efficient!
Excellent video. Very relevant for this winter as well👍
Excellent information. Bery informative.
Lennie …. Love tour attitude my man (sounds good to me!) …. Good times and bad times…. They’re all worth it!
Maybe in a bathroom, putting the heater in the tub still using the pavers to set the items on. If actually faced without a method to keep from freezing people will resort to any number of ideas. Your video hopefully will help give families information to make wise choices. Most city dwellers will have absolutely no idea what to do.
Will fiberglass tubs be weakened by the concentrated heat?
@@IMOO1896 I don’t know. I would google for comparison of fiberglass to metal. With the pavers keeping the candles and the pots off the fiberglass maybe not. Safety first, so do your research.
This is nice of you BUT. IT IS HIGHLY ADVISED NOT TO PUT CANDLES SO CLOSE TO EACH OTHER AS YOU CAN CREATE A BIG FLAME...SPACE THE CANDLES OUT OR USE ONE CANDLE FOR EACH SMALL POT OR GET LARGER POTS AND SPREAD THE CANDLES.
I had a small tea light catch on fire within 10 minutes of being lit and in its proper container!!! I couldn’t blow it out either!! I didn’t know so I put the whole thing in the sink and ran water. It blazed up on my face!! After that, no candles for me except on an emergency and then I will not leave it unattended even for any length of time!!
Very interesting. Thanks for the explanation and your time.
Thanks for sharing your research and experience.
I agree with you Pam. This is too dangerous to use inside a dwelling.
You both are adorable together 😊. Thanks for the info