Trial by Fire

Quite literally! Here is the cozy scene in the Chinook this evening as I write this...

The device's inventor claims that an oil lamp fueled by liquid parrafin yields the most heat, so I cobbled one together today, figuring that I couldn't very well pass judgement without testing things under optimal conditions. Having gotten all that squared away, I've been putting this clever contraption to the test all afternoon and this evening.

I was pretty underwhelmed until about an hour ago. The directions say that it takes 6-8 hours of initial use to fully dry out the ceramic, which is necessary to maximize its radiant properties. I had been "running" it for a few hours more than that with unimpressive results still, but it seems to be getting much hotter now than earlier, so perhaps my ceramic was particularly soggy to begin with. At any rate, as I type this, the temperature inside the Chinook is holding steady at 66 degrees despite it being about 20 degrees colder outside.

That's not exactly heart-stopping performance, but it's something. The Heeter really does appear to radiate outward in a way that a plain candle does not (there's one burning off frame to the left for comparison purposes), though while I can certainly feel the Heeter's effects sitting right next to it, so far, my gut says that it will prove inadequate for anything more than supplemental heating of one's immediate surrounding area.

I've got enough invested in this little project by now that I'll continue to play with for another day or two, but I suspect that for most people's coldness threshold, the Kandle Heeter isn't a viable primary small-space heating solution. Still, it has its place, it's a neat conversation piece, and I salute the tinkering spirit of its inventor.