Built in Electric Heater

[barry]

I read this forum all the time but have yet to really contribute. Their has been quite a bit of discussion regarding an alternative to using the propane heater while staying at a campsite with hookups. I too have used a portable electric cube heater in the past but always hate the fact that it's sitting on the floor to trip over all the time.

My solution was to buy one of the small bathroom heaters that fit in a standard 2x4 wall and install it permanently in my 17B Escape. I installed it in the cupboard under the fridge. After taking off the door I filled in the opening with 1/2 plywood that had cutouts for the heater and a switch. After installing the heater I superimposed a scrap piece of oak panelling that I picked up from the Escape factory over the whole area to finish it off ( thanks Reace ). I threaded 14/3 cab wire up through the fibreglass door jamb and into the upper cabinet where I plugged the heater into the plug for the microwave (I don't use a microwave when camping) as this plug is on it's own circuit so I won't blow the fuse if the heater is on while making toast in the morning. I then installed a thermostat in the upper cabinet next to the thermostat for the propane heater.

If you get one of these heaters you have to make sure it is a 110/120 volt one as most are 220/240. The particular one I got I picked up for under $100 from Friesen Electric in Abbotsford BC. It has two 500 watt elements in it. I wired one of the elements through a switch so that I can switch the heater from 500 watts and 1000 watts as needed.

Here are links to King Heaters in Seattle who make these heaters if anyone is interested. They also make a heater like this that is made for RV's and can be switched between 250 and 1500 watts as needed; I've attached that link as well as a couple of images of the install.

http://www.king-electric.com/heaters.asp

http://www.king-electric.com/prodtemp.asp?prodID=DAW

Barry

[Jim Bennett]

Great idea, Barry. I have one of those sitting in a storage garage. Definitely would be better than the cube laying around loose.

[Santiago]

Hi Barry,

I like your built in electric heater mod. Your photos are out of this world. Breathtaking !

Thank you for sharing.

[cpaharley2008]

Here is the one I installed in both my 19 and 21 Escapes
http://smile.amazon.com/Broan-174-15...c+wall+heaters
You have to insure there there is electric nearby to "tap" into, but other wise they are whisper quiet. This model is adaptable for high and/or low output. Other forum members have followed with this unit. Check it out here http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...jack-3134.html
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...19-a-1657.html

[gabeck]

We too have the same Broan 174 , but I ran a wire direct to it's own breaker - pretty easy to feed through the cabinets and across - just followed existing wire route . It takes only a few minutes to warm up out little 15 - we love it .

[barry]

Originally Posted by Santiago

Hi Barry,

I like your built in electric heater mod. Your photos are out of this world. Breathtaking !

Thank you for sharing.

Hi Santiago

That heater is the one I put in my 2005 17B. I put an updated one in my 2012 5.0 Classic which uses a squirrel cage fan and is a lot quieter. I gave Reace the specs for the hole size and he omitted the door below the sink and custom cut the opening for me. After delivery I just had to install the heater and hook up the electrics. Reace won't install the fan due to CSA regulations but he did rough in the opening for me.

I installed the thermostat at the foot of the bed in the 5.0's loft area and as we sleep with our feet towards the front of the trailer it makes the thermostat at the head of the bed for us.

Barry

[barry]

Here are the pics.

[barry]

Try again.

[Brian B-P]

I think this type of heater makes a lot of sense for those who camp with shore power.

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Here is the one I installed in both my 19 and 21 Escapes
Broan 174 750/1500W 120 VAC Painted Grill Wall Heater, White - Bathroom Heater - Amazon.com

Thanks for the link, Jim.
I find it interesting that the Amazon ad claims "100 percent efficient heating element" as a feature. I wonder how many buyer (or even sellers) realize that every electric resistance heating element is 100 percent efficient?

[skiman]

Originally Posted by cpaharley2008

Here is the one I installed in both my 19 and 21 Escapes
http://smile.amazon.com/Broan-174-15...c+wall+heaters
You have to insure there there is electric nearby to "tap" into, but other wise they are whisper quiet. This model is adaptable for high and/or low output. Other forum members have followed with this unit. Check it out here http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...jack-3134.html
http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...19-a-1657.html

Another variation of the Cpaharley's heater. I concur that it beats the heck out of the cube heater on the floor.

http://www.escapeforum.org/forums/f8...21-a-5531.html

[OneOleMan]

To me this looks like a good idea even if you dry camp most of the time. Unless it uses and exorbitant amount of electricity it would be good for keeping things dry during the winter months in the Pacific North Wet.

Right now I have my DeLonghi oil filled heater, it's over 20 year old and still a tickin', in "Escaping Reality" 'cause the weather is starting to cool a bit and I do like to be able to pop into the trailer just to play around.

[cpaharley2008]

Yes, I use an oil filled unit on 24/7 during the winter to keep things inside around 30 ish. I only use the electric furnace when occupied.

[Jim Bennett]

I have been looking around at some options for a built in electric heater, and kinda like this one. It claims to be the quietest on the market, but none of them actually give the decibel ratings. Thoughts?

Model RWF1501W Electric Wall Heaters Ultra Quiet 120v 1500w FREE SHIPPING

[Ron in BC]

Well, if I had a decibel meter I'd give you a reading. I've had one in a place for about 10 years and it's still going OK. I have it on a wall thermostat. Definitely is pretty quiet. If I had room for one in the 19 I'd put one in.

Ron

[The Giz]

I have long wondered if escape would add in-floor electric heating as a custom option. It's a pretty easy install, and it's an invisible, silent heat source.

[cpaharley2008]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I have been looking around at some options for a built in electric heater, and kinda like this one. It claims to be the quietest on the market, but none of them actually give the decibel ratings. Thoughts?

Model RWF1501W Electric Wall Heaters Ultra Quiet 120v 1500w FREE SHIPPING

That is a big unit, both in size and amp draw. I like the smaller 1000 watt or the 500/1000 combo, both can be set up to draw less and both are very quiet, I'll vouch for that. The first one has 2 elements and a switch can easily be installed to allow separate/joint use. I have this one http://smile.amazon.com/Broan-170-He...0_SR160%2C160_
Installed one of these also http://smile.amazon.com/Woods-59007-...Z0C26RFWM71QJA

[Brian B-P]

The low setting on those built-ins is still a few hundred watts, but as long as the thermostat goes low enough it would only use enough power to maintain that low temperature. I don't know if that is "an exorbitant amount of electricity" - it would be the same amount as any other electric heater maintaining the same temperature in the same conditions.

If I were leaving an electric heater unattended, I would rather have a built-in like this than a portable unit... although the oil-filled designs are quiet and relatively safe (low surface temperature).

[Jim Bennett]

The Pulsairs not all that big, the Broan is exactly 75% the size. Being narrow may have its advantages too, depending upon available space.

Jim, have you tested the Broan in sub-zero temps, and was 1000W enough to keep it comfy for lounging about, I am not really too worried about night time, as we turn the temp down anyway. The Pulsair is available in 100W too, though at the same cost. On Broans site using their recommended wattage, for the 5.0 you get 155 sf (21'-2" x 7'-4") X 15 = 2325 watts, I realize that they use an 8' ceiling for the height, but also assume the walls are insulated, and a home would have better insulation that the Escape.

170 Wall Heaters -Heaters - Broan

I can't seem to find the Broan without the built in thermostat either, as I would much rather use a digital wall mounted one. We actually have used these heaters in a few projects, especially bathrooms that have inadequate heat, but all the ones we install are 220V (available at Rona), not an option in the trailer.

I know they try to sell the feature, but I like how it draws in one opening, and gets blown out the other, because as all electrical heaters are 100% efficient, it is more about how the heat is distributed that can make a difference.

Stelpro Pulsair Site

These built-in units are designed to be left unattended. I would not worry in the least.

I do plan to install a electric heater, and probably won't decide what I will use until I get to see the interior of the 5.0 again first hand, and see what space is available. Still going to look around a bit more.

[Brian B-P]

Originally Posted by Jim Bennett

I can't seem to find the Broan without the built in thermostat either, as I would much rather use a digital wall mounted one.

Since it doesn't matter where the thermostat is located, can I assume that the reason to have get some other feature of the digital thermostat, such as being able to adjust how frequently it cycles the heater?

[Donna D.]

Originally Posted by Brian B-P

Since it doesn't matter where the thermostat is located, can I assume that the reason to have get some other feature of the digital thermostat, such as being able to adjust how frequently it cycles the heater?

Where it's located matters to me. I don't want to need to get out of bed and wander to the other end of the trailer to turn the furnace up/on.