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Anyone using these torpedoes?

16K views 21 replies 8 participants last post by  superbatman 
#1 ·
#5 ·
lol!

Pretty sure I'm adept enough to not sit in the house while it fills with CO, just wondering if anyone used this torpedo. I'm happy to post signs and sit in the truck surfing... :)
 
#6 ·
I have used them and still do.



You need to provide a fresh air supply. Always use K-1 and only use them on concrete floors or use a heat shield, like a piece of masonry backer board, and do not leave unattended. I also use an inline thermostat for controlled thaws. Most of the time I just use them to bring the basement up to temp, then go with electrics or if there is a source that can be turned on in the house switch to that. A little common sense goes a long way.
 
#9 ·
torpedo heater

I use them all the time they work great! For the guy who thinks you need a heat shield I guess he's never really looked at the unit it's on top of the fuel tank it won't get hot on the bottom brother. I bought a 125 btu unit at lowes for 240 it has wheels very handy it gets quite heavy when topped with fuel. I open 2 doors I know it sounds counter productive but it works fine. You'll be down to a tee-shirt in a hour. I took my subject from 17 to 68 in 1 hour It's been around 8 degrees here I just I'd a 200 Sq foot house in four hours completely winterized. No Co problems unit says 3 feet of open air per 100K btu. I run diesal no problem or strong odors. I was going to try a couple gallons of off road diesal. ..? ... I think it will be fine.
Keep in mind your not trying to heat the whole house close up areas you dont need to heat like bedrooms with out baths. Focus on where the water lines are. I put it in basment if it has one and blow heat towards h2o tank. I focus the heat where it needs to be.I take a 17k btu propane burner and place in bathrooms open vanity doors and keep as close as reasonable to toilet. I use a propane torch to heat cooper elbows near exterior walls or very cold pipes just a few seconds and it will start moving water. I can usually get water from a completly frozen home in 3 to 4 hours. Use common sense and you'll befine. Remember that no matter what you burn in the house it's putting CO in the area always get fresh air in the home while you are processing. Hope it helps for the m I new check out the at lowes it's worth it.
 
#10 ·
The fuel tank is behind the output

I use them all the time they work great! For the guy who thinks you need a heat shield I guess he's never really looked at the unit it's on top of the fuel tank it won't get hot on the bottom brother. I bought a 125 btu unit at lowes for 240 it has wheels very handy it gets quite heavy when topped with fuel. I open 2 doors I know it sounds counter productive but it works fine. You'll be down to a tee-shirt in a hour. I took my subject from 17 to 68 in 1 hour It's been around 8 degrees here I just I'd a 200 Sq foot house in four hours completely winterized. No Co problems unit says 3 feet of open air per 100K btu. I run diesal no problem or strong odors. I was going to try a couple gallons of off road diesal. ..? ... I think it will be fine.
Keep in mind your not trying to heat the whole house close up areas you dont need to heat like bedrooms with out baths. Focus on where the water lines are. I put it in basment if it has one and blow heat towards h2o tank. I focus the heat where it needs to be.I take a 17k btu propane burner and place in bathrooms open vanity doors and keep as close as reasonable to toilet. I use a propane torch to heat cooper elbows near exterior walls or very cold pipes just a few seconds and it will start moving water. I can usually get water from a completly frozen home in 3 to 4 hours. Use common sense and you'll befine. Remember that no matter what you burn in the house it's putting CO in the area always get fresh air in the home while you are processing. Hope it helps for the m I new check out the at lowes it's worth it.

they can get pretty hot in right front of the output. If you are using it on finished floors. Diesel gives me a headache, and smells. You may not mind it, I do.
 
#11 ·
Don't use the torpedo heaters or any other propane / gas powered heater in any house ever....

There are much simpler & safer ways.

These methods of torpedo heaters were not in terms with regulations as of a long time ago.

Last torpedo heater I saw really got me angry and it takes a lot for me to get angry. So I have to meet with insurance adjusters at a property. I get there earlier walk in and I see a generator running in the garage. no open doors, follow the extension cord & I find 2 lawn chairs set up behind a torpedo heater on carpet which is also frontly propped up by sheets of cardboard pointing at the utility room. On top of that the utility room had no door so they hung a blanket half way over the door frame with the torpedo aiming at that.

No one was present at this house. I turned off there equiptment and placed it in the garage.

I still has about 30 minutes before before the adjusters arrived so I opened up doors & what not to try and air out the house. I then left because the house needed to be aired out. I ran down to the carwash got the truck washed. Took maybe 15 - 20 minutes. I get back about 5 minutes before the adjusters are supposed to be there. Parked in the driveway is an old raggidy truck with trash in the back, parked on the road is a nice car. I thought to myself shi@.

Walk in the house generator running in garage again, insurance adjusters are upstairs, and knuckleheads in the basement in there lawn chairs. First thing I did was shut off there generator, I then proceeded to tear the knuckleheads a new one using more profanity then you will hear in a rap song. Knuckleheads were told to take their equiptment and leave, introduced myself to the adjusters & I just felt great that I could introduce myself to them after they hear what I am screaming at the knuckleheads.
 
#13 ·
There's only one knuckle head in that story
the guy asked if anyone used torpedo heaters. Not if you ever found some folks without any common sense on a job. You mentioned that there are better ways to control thaw...in my opinion with time being money then we don't agree.
As for your language well that's on you and you probably sounded pretty foolish to any professional. How about you suggest the best practice for controlled thawing,for both your business and your clients. Instead of being not very helpful.
 
#15 ·
Thanks everyone- As I said, I was just wondering if anyone has used them before, since it is a nice setup that runs both propane and diesel. They would be helpful up here, and just wanted some feedback. I think I'm going to order a couple, could come in handy.

Thanks again... :thumbsup:
 
#16 ·
I am aware that this thread was just about what people thought about torpedo heaters. The thing is this is not an ice fishing forum, if you want an answer that relates to ice fishing & other leisure activities then torpedo's are great. If you are posting it in a wint thread maybe you should expect to hear something real.

Mike MD I was going to tell you how I would do a thaw, then I read your post again & just didn't care for your attitude so I changed my mind.

Just going to throw it out there.

Bank / Service regulations changed at least a year ago, if not 2 years ago.

Changes included not using torpedo & other gas powered heaters. There is to much risk to safety both to person & property.

As far as profit goes - think about how much money are you going to make if the inevitable happens to you. Is it worth the risk? Not worth the risk to me.

One other note never attempt to light a frozen water heater. You need to thaw it, reason being pressure. Think about where the pressure relief valve is & which side of the water heater you are attempting to heat.

The reason it is illogical to simply heat the water system - I have never seen a frozen plumbing system without plumbing breaks. With plumbing brakes you get what? If you are not heating the full structure to clean up that what, that what is going to sit in place, leak out and refreeze. Think about what will happen without cleaning up that what, it's going to thaw itself over time. Mold growth starts above 32F which is the same freezing point as what.

If you really can't justify spending the extra time to clean up the water for what you are being paid, how about thinking about long term, consider the fact that you may be saving a future homeowners health.
 
#17 ·
While I agree with most of what you said, I question the " light a frozen water heater statement". I'm here trying to learn, not discredit or pick a fight. Anyway, water actually expands when it freezes. Therefore, when ice melts, it contracts. As long as it isn't heated to a state where it changes to a gas, it won't expand thereby increasing pressure. Furthermore, the action of freezing the water (expansion) in most cases causes breaks or ruptures to the seams.

I guess my thoughts are this. The water heater is insulated so thawing will take a while and heat transfer to it from an outside source isn't 100% efficient (limit the rate of thaw). On the flip side, a lit pilot will start thawing the ice, however, the surrounding block of ice will also limit the rate at which it thaws and most likely limit the ability to change the water to a gaseous state creating expansion.
 
#19 ·
Due to it's design a gas water heater is fairly safe to

to thaw through normal operation. If you light it for a few minutes, turn it off and repeat several times the thermostat will function and not boil the water. Once you have ascertained that the heater is frozen and full, DO NOT OPEN THE DRAIN during this operation,if it is leaking from an area near or lower than the thermostat, stop this operation. Electrics are another matter because the heating element has a direct interface with the small amount of water right at the element and ice is an insulator, the thermostat will not function. There are several ways to make it safer, by powering it externally with lower voltage, but that's a trade secret.
 
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